With a short prayer, thanks to Malaswyn's steady faith and service to Sarenrae, you are transported back to Frieland.
Malaswyn's niece was there praying. Startled, she says: "Short day at the office... Will you all be working from home now?"
With a short prayer, thanks to Malaswyn's steady faith and service to Sarenrae, you are transported back to Frieland.
Malaswyn's niece was there praying. Startled, she says: "Short day at the office... Will you all be working from home now?"
Marcel breathes a sigh of relief when they arrive back home. Suddenly he realizes just how tired he is from the events of the past two nights. With a nod to the others, he heads out to catch some sleep.
With a short prayer, thanks to Malaswyn's steady faith and service to Sarenrae, you are transported back to Frieland.
Malaswyn's niece was there praying. Startled, she says: "Short day at the office... Will you all be working from home now?"
Shrugging, "You got me, darlin'. We're here we're there and we're back here again. Heck, I just work here. But hey! if you need somebody killed because they're scum of the earth and they're giving you grief then give me a holler. I could use the exercise," he says, giving a wink.
With a short prayer, thanks to Malaswyn's steady faith and service to Sarenrae, you are transported back to Frieland.
Malaswyn's niece was there praying. Startled, she says: "Short day at the office... Will you all be working from home now?"
Malaswyn grimaces, "Irovetti tried to have us arrested for 'kidnapping' the children er raised from the dead."
He looks to Kalsgrim, "They should be withdrawn to the capital. Or perhaps to another kingdom where they have family."
The elf sighs, "We must raise an army, dear niece, and those clerics you bought here to nurture our congregation must become battlefield healers for a time." He looks to the others, "I have little experience in war. What allies can we call upon? What plans may we hatch?"
"Duke, I have never been engaged in war before. To be honest, I am not certain where to begin, but I will do what I can to research options and use my spells to their best effect."
"What thought to calling on our allies? Perhaps having some sort of council to discuss options?" Oberlin suggested.
Nodding, "I'm on it, Chief. They won't get past the border if I have anything to say about it. Or if they do, they will be hurtin' a plenty." he says with absolute confidence. He then catches the 'look' by Kalsgrim. "Okay okay. Scout patrol ONLY. But I sure wouldn't mind cutting a hundred of them or so down," he admits as he stares off into the dreamland of killing several hundred bad guys, and oddly enough, he sees himself wielding Ovinrbaane as he does. Kriger grins almost creepily.
Marcel waves a tired hand. "I'll see what I can find out. There may be a price for information, can we commit to paying it?"
Marcel spent a quiet night at Erinn's flat. She was working when he came in, and knew enough to let him sleep when she came home from work. He retuned the favor in the morning, letting her get her rest from working nearly all night.
---------------
Later that evening, Marcel was in his usual place at the River Queen, table in the corner and feet up. He had promised 'rinn they could talk later, and gave her a heads up as to his meeting today - mostly to avoid incurring her wrath.
Nicoleta was no less impressive entering the Queen this time. The woman simply dominated any room she walked into. One could see how she maintained her hold over the Szcarni in the region.
"Buna seara, maestra Marcel." she said with a smile, easily sliding into the seat across from Marcel. As if on cue, a glass of wine appeared before her, delivered with a sly wink by Erinn. The Szcarni mistress raised an eyebrow.
"4702 Taldan, the very best." Marcel answered her unspoken question.
She eyed him for a moment, then raised the glass. Marcel did likewise. "Good evening to you as well, Mistress Nicoleta." It was her favorite, Marcel knew, a weakness for the finest wines he had discovered during his research of Nicoleta. It had taken him this long to get some. A bottle he brought here, the second he kept for himself and 'Rinn. It really was a most excellent vintage.
Nicoleta stopped to sniff the aroma, swirl the wine a bit in her glass, then took a polite sip. Her eyebrows showed a split second of surprise, then she set the glass down with a smile. "So and so, Marcel. You request a meeting again, treat me to this fine wine. Perhaps I am imagining things, but it would seem you are sending me two messages here. One, this is a meeting of business, and an important one. Two, you know enough about me to know this my favorite vintage, nearly mpossible to find, nearly priceless." Her smile never wavered, but it was dangerous. It was like looking at a predator that had you caught and wounded.
Marcel feigned surprise. "Always so suspicious, Nica! I may call you Nica, yes? We are close friends these past months, yes? Friendship like ours has no price!" It was true, as far as it went. Their deal meant Frieland had eyes and ears on the roads and in the seediest parts of the realm, and the Szcarni had - more or less - free reign to make money. He shifted to a mock guilty tone. "Guilty as charged, on all counts."
The Szcarni Mistress looked at him for a long moment, weighing her next statement.
"I know why you have me here. Pitax is on the move, and you want me to help you know where and when."
It was Marcel's turn to take a long look. Of course she knew. Already she would be making plans on how to deal with the winner - and profit from the remains of the loser. He happened to glance at the bar where Erinn was pretending to work. She gave him a meaningful glance.
"The Wandering People see and hear much, Nica. They travel the roads that armies move on, move their supply trains on. They even provide supplies for a price, supplies that 'fell off a wagon' as it were. Yes. I need your help."
"Irovetti is strong. Pitax is larger than Frieland. He would be a powerful friend." Nicoletta said quietly. She looked down into her glass, swirling the wine again. "You are a friend, Master Marcel, but my help does not come cheap."
Marcel looked at Erinn again, this time not even pretending to work. "Name it."
Some things had no price.
"Irovetti..." starts Nicoleta "...displaced many when he took over. There are rumours on how he did this... Promise me two things. First, if you kill him, then I get three of his possessions. Second...if you win this war, we will help you take over the country, if it comes to that, but if it comes to that, we choose whole will rule Pitax, under Kalsgrim's leadership, of course..."
She takes a sip of wine and savours it with a pensive smile, letting Marcel consider.
"Irovetti's personal effects are one thing, Nica," Marcel replies slowly, "but allowing the Szcarni to pick the new ruler of our closest neighbor? That's something I can't make a promise on."
Marcel sips his wine. "For now, I am only looking for information...intelligence is the word the generals use I believe. I can hardly make promises without knowing the value of the information you provide."
He looks hard at the powerful woman across from him. "What I can promise...personally...is that it will be worth your while to help us. I propose we meet again in two days. We each bring something of value to gage the level of the agreement: you - information; us - a commitment as to the level of our appreciation."
Nicoleta looks at Marcel for a long moment, gauging the rogue, then she says: "I'm not sure you have two days. Word is: this has been planned long and well. Borders are just lines on paper. In the forest, you can't see borders... Perhaps you should reconsider more quickly. How about we meet at dawn for breakfast? Come with an answer, yes?"
"Agreed."
Marcel nods, and takes his leave from the table. He gives ERinn a nod and a grim smile as he passes.
Out on the street, Marcel heads with all speed to the castle. He needs to gather everyone and let them know what's happening.
Malaswyn shakes his head despairingly at Marcel’s news, ”The enemy within...”
Kriger's eye begins to twitch as the news infuriates him to the point of exploding. Trying hard not to destroy... something, he takes a deep breath and pauses a moment before finally grinning and speaking in a strangely calm voice. "Okay. So what we have is Pitax about to attack our lands and erase us from existence. Well, I think I've come up with the correct response for that. I'm going to go - to Pitax that is - and kill Irovetti and his people. It'll be no problem. I'll simply remove his head from his shoulders, find the nearest balcony of his castle, yell loud enough to make sure everyone hears me and then throw his head down at their feet. And then I'll do the same with that dumb brute of his. And that annoying <blankety blank> woman as well who should already be dead but is not. Once I'm done tossing their heads at the feet of their people, I will then throw that stupid dog's head as well. After that, I do believe then we can take over Pitax for ourselves and execute anybody and everybody who also decides to piss me off." He then thinks on it if he's missed anything, as his eye continues to twitch while still grinning, and eventually he nods in approval at himself thinking that that just about covers it. "Thoughts?" he asks politely, almost to the point of creepy.
"Ummm....yes." Marcel says quietly after Kriger's outburst. "Good input. I think first we need to decide if we want to agree to the Szcarni's deal. We need the information, and the help afterwards. Is it worth what she's asking?"
Malaswyn nods along to Kalsgrim's words, "What's the point in winning the war if we lose the peace. Nobody wants to live next door to a new Daggermark."
He looks to Marcel, "Irovetti is arrogant. he will give her nothing. Do not entertain her suggestions that we are in competition for her hand."
Oberlin listened carefully to what was said, and what wasn't said at the table.
These are doers, not plotters like Irovetti, as evidenced by the Duke's direct involvement in defeating his enemies on multiple occasions, I expect that Irovetti knows and is counting on this.
"My lord, I don't think that we have enough information to make a simple decision here. To be blunt, if anyone knows you and your exploits, they know that the way that you operate is to simply beat the solution out of the problem. As your nation has been metaphorically and physically hacked out of the wilderness, this is obvious to anyone with any sense."
"If I was Irovetti, and very smart, and full of myself and my own cunning, I would know this, and assume that you would simply attack Pitax in an effort to make the problem shorter by a head."
"So as a cunning bastard, I would set up some sort of trap for you to fall right into."
"So an immediate attack on Pitax would likely be both expected and encouraged, and likely the worst choice. Which leaves us with engaging the attacking army. Irovetti likely has the angles covered and has a force large enough to, by the book, defeat our army. But he isn't a general, and that lack of practical knowledge of what it actually takes to bring any real force across a wilderness in good enough condition to lay siege to a stronghold will be something we can leverage."
"This is what I recommend: a defensive war where we bleed the enemy, cut their supply lines, ruin their communications and make them suffer small loss after small loss, frustrating Irovetti. Meanwhile we take the time to determine what the trap is that Irovetti has set, ensure that we know where he actually is and the location of whatever the three items that the Sczarni are so eager to get their hands on...though it's likely only one or two items, and they are also attempting to throw us off...and then when we have a modicum of actual information on what is going on, we then do exactly what Irovetti wants us to do, but by that time will no longer be expecting, and we go where he does not want us to go."
"Who knows? The most important target may not be Irovetti at all." Oberlin finished, glancing around the table.
Stuck in thought for a long moment, Kriger finally speaks up. "Guerilla warfare, hm? Now we're talking. That's my kind of plan. Let him come to us and let's pick 'em apart on his way here." He nods approvingly, grinning confidently. "I can't wait."
"Perhaps we agree to her deal with the caveat that we have first choice? That way we can keep any item of great power for Frieland. As far who to choose, I believe Nicoletta already has someone in mind, and it's one of the ruling houses that were in Pitax prior to Irovetti's takeover. It's said he blew in and was king before anyone knew what was happening. There are some old families in Pitax, and they must not have been happy to be ousted like that. I'm sure at least one is friendly to the Szcarni." Marcel pauses in thought.
"I don't think it matters who they pick to rule. The value of their help on the inside is worth it."
To Oberlin, Marcel replies: "Without a force of any note of our own, you are correct. I would think surgical strikes against their leadership would be right up our alley." he looks at the others. "I have no moral compunction about assassinating anyone who works for Irovetti. I don't believe Kriger does, either. If it's a problem for anyone else, pretend you didn't hear this."
Kriger sits back and strokes his beard in thought. Shaking his head, "Man I just don't know, Chief. On one hand I would say 'yes', but on the other, I'm thinking 'no' just to avoid widespread panic." Kriger still shaking head, sighs. "I just don't know."
"This isn't an orc invasion. I doubt Irovetti will do anything to the people other than to exploit them like he has his own in Pitax. Evacuating will only stir up panic at this stage." Marcel replies. "As far as our allies, 'overtures' is a tame word. Time to call in our markers. Or they will be next."
Eyes going wide and a 'crazy' smile forming as he's just remembered something, "The Tiger Lords, Chief. I'm the leader of the Tiger Lords. I think it is definitely time to call them up." Rubbing his hands together and grinning that arrogant grin, "I love it when a plan comes together."
"The Tiger Lords would be ideally suited to the type of battles that we will likely face. And more importantly, they are both able to sustain themselves in the wilds through hunting, and able to scout, providing us the most important resource that we require...information." Oberlin agreed with a nod and a smile.
"So..to the question at hand from me...I will meet with Nicoletta tomorrow. Armed with Kalsgrim's authority," he holds up the signer ring, 'I will make a deal to get the Szcarni's help without costing us too much."
So... Marcel begins, pouring over the map of the Kingdom on the table. "This is what we should do."
"Mal and Oberlin. We need to know who and where the Pitaxians are. Their army, the leadership, Irovetti. Who are their leaders. Any persons of note. Do they have planar allies, evil or otherwise. Use whatever spells you can to get as much as you can. Don't overthink it, the information will change as the situation develops, but we need a base level."
"Kalsgrim. We are going to need a message to the people. Of war, of the wrongs done to Freiland by Irovetti, etc etc. A rallying call to the people, as it were. At this point, we need to be in a form of martial law, meaning anyone caught as an agent of Pitax is jailed immediately. We can work out the details when this is over. We also need to reach to whatever allies we have on the borders to keep an eye out and report back. Do NOT engage. Just report. Maybe reach out to the Swordlords and see what they can do to help."
"Kriger. Find the Tiger Lords. Time to get them fired up for war under their new chief. We should have them move south into Pitax, stirring up trouble. Nothing sneaky, we want them to make a show of invading. Get the refugees moving into Pitax proper. I can sow agents among the refugees to provide information."
Marcel summons a page and gives her a note to find Nicoletta and invite her to the keep. "We will make our deal with the Szcarni as a group tomorrow morning."
"It's going to be a long night. We don't have time to waste. Once we know have more information, we will chose our place to strike. My first thoughts are eliminating the leadership of the enemy army, but we shall see."
"Any questions?"
"Yeah, I got one. When do I leave? Would 'now' be a good time? Because I'm thinkin' 'now' would be a good time," he states, slightly turned toward the door, acting as if he's about to walk out.
Malaswyn nods to Kriger, "Take the broom. You might want a potion of invisibility, just in case." Then he smiles, a rare impish grin, "But I will speed you on your way to begin with."
"Got the broom. And if we've got one of those vials of invisibility then I'll take it. Otherwise, I'll manage." As Malaswyn casts his spell on Kriger, the ranger grins wryly. "Excellent. Okay, fellas, be back in a heartbeat," he winks. And with that, the warrior's form becomes insubstantial and he takes off outside and through the open sky, heading what he hopes is in the direction of the Tiger Lords.
"Kriger." Marcel lays a hand on the ranger's shoulder just before he leaves. "Hit and run. The Tiger Lords should use their ability to move fast and live off the land to keep just out of reach of Irovetti's armies. Don't get pinned down. They are far more useful to us as a constant threat on the flank of Pitax. Until we need them to drop the hammer blow, that is."
He looks at the rest. "I suppose it's stating the obvious that all of this will cost us in the end. Gold, favors, land, who knows? The Szcarni have stated their price, still to be negotiated. But there will be others looking for something in exchange for their assistance. Be prepared to say yea or nay, and remember that while Freiland's independence may hang in the balance, it does no good to save it if we give everything away to do so."
"Yeah, I got one. When do I leave? Would 'now' be a good time? Because I'm thinkin' 'now' would be a good time," he states, slightly turned toward the door, acting as if he's about to walk out.
Oberlin nodded at Marcel. "I plan on flying out invisible to several locations for the purposes of memorizing some key terrain features so we can use them to teleport to in the future. Then I should be able to teleport around between those locations and use my arcane eye to scout and keep tabs on any forces."
"I would like to raid the coffers, with the Duke's blessing, for the purposes of learning greater scry or scry, and for the silver mirror I need for the spell."
Oberlin nodded at Marcel. "I plan on flying out invisible to several locations for the purposes of memorizing some key terrain features so we can use them to teleport to in the future. Then I should be able to teleport around between those locations and use my arcane eye to scout and keep tabs on any forces."
"I would like to raid the coffers, with the Duke's blessing, for the purposes of learning greater scry or scry, and for the silver mirror I need for the spell."
The evening stretches until late in the night as you ponder your options and make plans for the threats converging on Frieland.
The consensus, as you get to bed, is to adopt a defensive strategy and let the king of Pitax strike the first blow.
The morning rises after you, as you sleep lightly through dreams of glory followed by nightmares of defeat.
Nicoletta, the Sczarni operative, shows up just after dawn. She is dressed perfectly for the occasion, with her attire showing a dark blue restraint with but a hint of Sczarni flair in a red scarf elaborately coursing around her neck. Her eyes are quick to take your measure and she bows with deliberate decorum: "My Lords... I am Nicoletta Sczarni, at your service. Our friend Marcel has reached out to us and we possess information that we believe may prove useful to you, but as you know, we Sczarni have interests of our own. I am here to see yours and ours aligned, so that we may both profit from a strong Frieland. Have you given thought to our offer?"
Marcel nods at Kalsgrim's statement without taking his eyes off of Nicoletta.
"That seems acceptable. We have terms then." and she gives you all a warm smile while you wonder how much you are in fact losing in this deal...
"Anything in particular you want to know?"