Travels amongst the Border Princes (WFRP 2e) IC

[dojango]

Stangl replies to Gabrielle. "The Imperator had some agents out there? Do you know who, by chance? The area there has been considered too ruined and dangerous to be of interest to anyone, although if there are trouble-makers there, that may change. Imperator Benedetto de Calvenzano is a mercenary of some notoriety. And skill, that cannot be denied. He was a mere soldier at the siege of Bremcote all those years ago, but eventually rose to command his own company. He was hired by Markos Heraklon, the last Imperator of House Heraklon. Markos the Miser, they called him. There was some dispute between the two of them over pay, I recall. Maybe five, six years ago? And so Markos signed over the rulership of the Heraclean Empire at swordpoint. He has set up a fortress in the town of Monteche (M12), where he rules from. I am sure he dreams of rebuilding the Heraclean Empire, but then again, what ruler doesn't? It seems to be a condition that afflicts the region."

Meanwhile, back at the castle, Severin, Alyssa, and Torendil give their names to the servants, who sniff haughtily and direct them to wait outside, near a side entrance. After about 15 minutes, the servants return and (more politely) escort everyone to the residential quarters of the castle. Sir Laurens and Sir Leclair are there along with a valet. Sir Laurens is in the middle of being measured by Linus Springer, while Bernice is sitting at a table, taking notes.

"It's called slashing. A fine cut here, with fabric of a different color underneath. Very popular amongst the young blades of Altdorf. I can have several made up for you by the first day of Erntezeit."
"My thanks. Talk to the servants about payment."
"Oh no, good sir. This is in thanks to you and your father allowing us to set up shop here. Very grateful, milord."
The two merchants begin packing up their fabrics and papers. Meanwhile, Sir Laurens sees the party, and turns and smiles. "Welcome back, heroes! Did you return the lost girl to the loving embrace of her village?"

[Ionbound]

Alyssa winks at Severin and replies, "Maybe so."

She nods in a response to Sir Laurens and replies, "Indeed we did, and no worse for wear. Though perhaps you ought to know that the reason she went missing in the first place was because she was kidnapped as a human sacrifice by some folks that worship the volcano."

[rax]

"Well, as Alyssa said, we returned her...but she then took matters into her own hands and followed us when we left the village. Seems she wasn't too happy there to begin with. She wasn't about to go back, and we didn't much fancy leaving her all on her own out in the wilds, so we let her ride with us here to Castle Bremcote."

[Haval]

'So he might be the expansionist type then? Anyway, the man we met called himself Vorgrimler. He said he was there to see the locals. I think he was as in the dark about what they're like as the people over here.'

[dojango]

"Human sacrifice? Volcano?" he says, wondering. "Not what I expected. That is... troubling. But at any rate, thank you for restoring peace to that village. Having a riot during harvest time would be bad for the tax collection. I am glad you returned safely. And unharmed. You all seem... stronger, more confident than when I last saw you! If you would like something from the armory... let me know and I will see if I can get it for you. Why don't you come to dinner with me tonight, and you can regale my father with your heroics..."

All of a sudden, there is the brassy sound of trumpets from the castle courtyard. Sir Leclair goes to the window and looks out. He says sourly, "It looks like your brother has returned."


To Gabrielle, Stangl says, "Well, I am merely a humble surgeon. If there's something going on... tell you what. Go to the castle and find a woman named Marzina Le Houet. She likes to take an interest in what's going on in the rest of these lands."

Suddenly from outside, you hear the sound of trumpets and of marching feet. And of cheering. The crowds from the marketplace start pushing and crowding towards the main street leading towards the castle. Stangl says, "Hmm. We can get a good view from my rooms. Forgive the mess..." He heads up the stairs and opens the door. There is a cluttered drawing room, he hurries through it into a bedroom overlooking the street. He throws open the shutters and leans out. If Gabrielle follows, she can see a company of soldiers marching through the city, four abreast. Led by perhaps twenty knights, she counts maybe a hundred soldiers. They are followed by a column of wagons, pack animals and remounts. Amidst the pennants and flags, Gabrielle sees several green misshapen thing mounted on poles. She quickly recognizes them as orc-heads. "It seems as if Sir Denis has returned. And with blessedly few casualties! I should head to the castle to see if any of them need treatment!"

Spoiler: OOC

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My plan has been to have you advance to your second career upon arrival at Castle Bremcote. So let's take another 600 XP which should be enough to advance you to the second career. If not, let me know. In addition, Sir Laurens has graciously offered to let you requisition your trappings for the second career from the castle armory. So update your character sheets in the OOC thread and post what career you're moving into for quick reference.

[Ionbound]

Alyssa nods and replies graciously, "Thank you Sir Laurens, I would love the opportunity to peruse the armory..." She glances at Laurens as he approaches the window and announces Dennis's appearance, "...Later, perhaps."

[Haval]

'I will look her up.' Maybe they could get paid for passing on the information.

She will follow Stangl to get a better view of the knights. 'Orcs must be a lot bigger then I expected. I wonder where the battle happened?' The Greenskins tended to get everywhere, but she had to wonder how close they were to Bremcote.

'I'll come with you. Not sure they'll actually let me in otherwise.'

[rax]

"That's gracious of you, young sir, but are you sure your father would want a band of rag-tag commoners at his table?" Severin asks. "I won't say no to a chance to pick over his armoury though!"

As the sound of the trumpets fade, Severin notes the look on Sir Leclair's face. "You don't seem none to happy about that, Sir Leclair. Something the matter?"

[dojango]

Once the parade passes by, Stangl grabs a few things, throwing them into his medical bag. "Oh, The Duke and Sir Denis frequently lead expeditions across the mountains to the west to keep the orcs at bay. They do look a lot smaller once their heads are chopped off... but seeing them in person is a truly terrifying experience. One I hope never to repeat, with thanks to Duke Bremcote's valiant efforts." He follows the column back towards the castle. Once inside, a sergeant directs him to the wagons carrying the wounded, leaving Gabrielle adrift in the courtyard, filled with soldiers, servants and camp followers rushing back and forth in their duties.


In Sir Laurens' quarters, he replies to Severin. "Oh, have no fear about that, there aren't enough true nobles in the borderlands to fill a table. I mean, yeah, there's no room at the high table but I could always use friends for dinner..."

Sir Leclair also replies to Severin. "Denis is a glory-hound, always looking to show up everyone else. Throwing his weight around. And he'll be filling dinner with his men, Laurens needs a few supporters there as well. I trust you are his supporters, are you not?"

[rax]

"I suppose that depends on what sort of support you're expecting us to offer? I mean, I'm sure we can brag with the best of 'em if that's what you need, but somehow I don't think Sir Denis and his friends will be all that impressed with stories from a Halfling and two females. So what effect do you expect our presence to have?"

[Haval]

Gabriele will ask any servant who isn't obviously busy to direct them to Marzina Le Houet's rooms. If she can get anyone to talk to her, she'll also ask how the battle went.

[dojango]

Sir Leclair kneels down to bring himself closer. "To the point, Severin. Denis has covered himself with glory fighting the orcs and, uh, the halfling bandits. His exploits are very well known. He has many supporters within the court and the city. Sir Laurens has support as well... me, his mother, a few others. It would be a simple thing tonight, when Denis tells whatever tale he has of the battle, for some of Laurens' friends to tell tales of his heroics against the mutants and the strange monster you found within the ruins. So yes. It is simply bragging... spreading tales of his exploits. Cheering for him when his name comes up at dinner. And just maybe... well, if you are supporters of Laurens, perhaps we can help each other out? Would you be willing to work with us again?"


Gabrielle pushes her way through the bustle of the castle. She finds a very distracted maid to guide her. The maid is carrying a bundle of blankets and she says, "Oh, Sir Denis is back from his campaign! They say he had a great victory over the orcs! I am sure it was very brave, the knights charging into battle on their horses, the swordsmen striking down the foul creatures..." She leads her through the servant's quarters, through a side door to a balcony overlooking the main audience hall. The maid curtsies towards a thin woman that is idly leaning against the railing, looking down. As Gabrielle approaches, she can see the woman's lined face and the graying roots of her jet-black hair.

The woman takes a long, appraising look at Gabrielle. "I am Mademoiselle le Houet. What have we here. Hmm, an armed peasant woman. Dusty and dirty from long days on the road, yes? You aren't one of my usual friends, yet you seek me out. Who told you to come to me?"

[rax]

Severin looks Sir Leclair square in the eye, then looks over at Sir Laurens, scrutinizing him from head to toe. "You seem like a decent lad, Sir Laurens, and you've done right by myself and the ladies so far. I think we can manage a decent yarn or two, eh Alyssa? And steady work would be welcome - a body needs to eat, after all, and a hungry Halfling is a dangerous Halfling," he chuckles.

"Now, about Sir Denis. He's the elder son, yes? A great warrior, I take it? Has he got anything else to recommend him other than being handy at cutting heads off Orcs and stringing up...bandits?" he asks Sir Leclair.

[Ionbound]

Alyssa grins at the thought and replies to Severin, "Now this is my style. Helping a noble make a fool of himself at a fancy dinner is something I have actual experience with. Unlike..." She gesticulates generally, "Whatever that nonsense in the cavern was."

[Haval]

The woman takes a long, appraising look at Gabrielle. "I am Mademoiselle le Houet. What have we here. Hmm, an armed peasant woman. Dusty and dirty from long days on the road, yes? You aren't one of my usual friends, yet you seek me out. Who told you to come to me?"

Oh it was like that was it? 'Peasant? I'm not sure we have those in Ostland ma'am.' she said trying to stay polite. Gabriele didn't think that was a thing in the Empire let alone down here. Anyway, 'Stangl said I should come see you. We were in the wastelands to the north-east a few days ago where we met a man called Vorgrimler who said he worked for the Imperator. I admit I'm new to the Border Princes, but I presume someone might want to hear about that.'

[dojango]

"Pah. He's a warrior, nothing more, nothing less. Don't appreciate anything beyond fighting, near as I can reckon. He don't like halflings too much, after he was injured in the Stralwald campaign. Down south... after the old knight died his lands were overrun by bandits, you know. Some vicious bastard, a man, managed to take control over the feuding gangs. They started raiding our lands, so the Duke and Sir Denis led the campaign against them. Killed the leaders, but took a while for the locals to accept it. A few of the gang leaders managed to keep control over the lands to the south and to the east, but they don't bother us too much anymore. Although, some bandits have been reported in the Stralwald forest again. We sent some men down to take a look, they said they're being led by a halfling. The Duke figured the halflings are up to their old tricks again, but the halfings were the ones to ask us for help. So I don't know. Sir Laurens wants to volunteer to go down and fight them. If he's got your support, I'm sure he'll have no problem with it." Leclair turns to Alyssa and chuckles. "He's certainly a good target for your wit. Thinks very highly of himself. Be careful, though, he's got a short temper."


The woman raises her eyebrow at Gabrielle, and pulls out a crown and begins spinning around in her fingers. "You must be those mercenaries the kid was talking about. So, you ran into Vorgrimler out in the wastes. What was he sniffing about, I wonder? He's one of the Imperator's agents. What exactly did you find out in those wastelands?"

[Ionbound]

Alyssa grins at the thought and replies, "More's his pity then. Men with egos longer than their tempers are practically not even worth the effort...And you needn't worry about my safety. What's he going to do, murder me over dinner? I'd think not."

[rax]

Scratching a sideburn, Severin looks from one knight to the other. "So it's a pissing contest over who's the best candidate to succeed your father, is that it? If that's the case, then I'll concede you may have both the brains and the brawn to make a good Duke yourself, Sir Laurens. That doesn't mean I much fancy the idea of helping you ride out and kill off other Halflings, though."

[dojango]

"No, no. The halflings are asking for our help. They said there's a bandit gang harassing them. The scouts the Duke sent down said that the bandits were being lead by a halfling, so the Duke said it was their problem. Laurens and I want to help though."

[Haval]

The woman raises her eyebrow at Gabrielle, and pulls out a crown and begins spinning around in her fingers. "You must be those mercenaries the kid was talking about. So, you ran into Vorgrimler out in the wastes. What was he sniffing about, I wonder? He's one of the Imperator's agents. What exactly did you find out in those wastelands?"

Gabriele will explain about tracking Elodie's kidnappers and eventually finding her drugged in the middle of the wasteland camp. 'The man in charge implied they were going to sacrifice her to the mountain, and everyone there seemed fine with that. Vorgrimler was there with a few people he'd obviously hired to look after him. Said he was there to learn about the locals and he wasn't that interested in helping us. I think maybe the Imperator's people are as in the dark about what's going on in the wastelands as the people over here seem to be.'

[dojango]

Le Hoeut thinks on that for a few minutes. "So, the Imperator is sending minions into the northern part of the central valley. What does he want, I wonder? We always thought there was nothing there worth having. I suppose Duke Radulf would know more about military stuff... but did you see any soldiers? Is he building any forts? Did you see any good places to build a fort if someone were so inclined?" She spends a few minutes asking more detailed questions about the land you passed through and what you saw. She seems uninterested in the whole "sacrifice" aspect of the adventure, however. After she's done asking questions, she says, "I thank you for your information, and so does..." she looks briefly at the coin... "King Girard." She places it on a small table next to her. "If you wish to earn a few more of these, perhaps you can be of service? I must consult with Radulf and see what our move shall be. Meet me, say, this evening after supper. Tell the kitchens you have an appointment with me and they shall find you a place to eat."

[rax]

"No, no. The halflings are asking for our help. They said there's a bandit gang harassing them. The scouts the Duke sent down said that the bandits were being lead by a halfling, so the Duke said it was their problem. Laurens and I want to help though."

"Ah, sorry Sir Leclair, I misunderstood you then. Force of habit, I'm afraid. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen tall folk make scapegoats out of us Halflings. If you and Sir Laurens want to help the local small folk, then I'll ride with you for sure."

[Haval]

'I'd be the wrong person to ask but there is a lake. I'm no engineer, but I'd imagine it would be hard to build anything out there without drinking water.' She'll pocket the crown. 'Thank you. Let me know if I can be of any use.' She'll go looking for the kitchens before she goes to look for the others.

[dojango]

Going to the kitchens, Gabrielle finds it to be a bustling hive of activity. She overhears a muttered, "It's one of madame's pets, begging for scraps" and a hot roll is pressed in her hands. "Come back for the evening meal, miss, and you'll be fed more proper-like" a servant says, very politely.


Back in Sir Laurens' quarters, Sir Leclair shakes Severin's hand. "I promise you, we'll get to the bottom of this! The halflings are our subjects now, and it is the knight's duty to protect them, no matter what happened in the past. Sir Laurens will convince his father to give us his blessing and some soldiers, and we will hope to leave for Stralwald in a few days. Harvest-time is upon us, and I'm sure the bandits will want to make a play at the tax-collections."

[rax]

"Ah, yes, speaking of collecting taxes...about the loot from the Red Temple. I believe there's still the matter of dividing up the profits? When can we expect to resolve that matter?" Severin asks as politely as he can manage.

[dojango]

"Ah, yes. That." Sir Laurens sighs, and beckons you into another sitting room. On the floor, displayed on a large piece of cloth are the treasures from the temple. There is gold and silver jewelry, art, and valuable furnishings. The silver has been polished to a shine, the copper has been burnished and glows orange in the sunlight, while the gold, the metal of purity, glitters as it always has. "My father wanted to melt them down and coin them. But mother and I thought it might be worth more intact! But, uh, not really usable as coin, I suppose. He put us in charge of dealing with it, so I was hoping to find someone to give us good money for it. Do you have any ideas? If you are hungry for coin now, I suppose I can give you a letter of credit for your share while I figure out what to do with this stuff. Lena bought one of the statues, and I gave one of the bracelets to mom already."

[Haval]

Gabriele will take the bread with thanks before getting out of the kitchen workers way. Pets? How many other strays did Le Hoeut have?

Then she'll go looking for the others. She didn't think there could be that many Halflings here so Severin ought to stand out.

[Ionbound]

Alyssa listens calmly to Severin and Laurens discuss the halflings, but when the topic of loot is mentioned, she perks up and nods, adding, "Certainly they're worth more as art objects, though I don't know if it's possible for us to find a buyer. They are...Rather creepy."

[rax]

Severin shrugs at Sir Laurens' question. "If we were back in the Empire I might be able to rustle up some people that'd buy this stuff, but down here? Complete stranger, I'm afraid. If we're going to war I figure I might need some extra armour, but if your father's armoury happens to store Halfling-sized stuff I won't need to buy it myself."

[dojango]

"Hmm. There might be a few pieces of halfling sized armor in the armory. Tell the quartermaster I sent you, see if he has any pieces that might fit. Otherwise, I'm sure the merchants in Half-town could help you out. Of course, if you want to spend the coin, Master Gueguen might be able to commission a piece for you; my father hired him at great expense to come settle here. He's made armor for all the knights here..." Laurens proudly points to a well-made and ornate armor on a stand in his sitting room. "As far as the coin, then, if you are willing to wait I will try and find buyers for these pieces. Maybe see if the Tilean merchants will buy them. If you want something now, I can issue you a letter of credit at the dwarven bank and that can conclude our dealings with the treasure."

Spoiler: OOC

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So make a gossip test with a +20 modifier to see if the armory has halfling-sized armor, other wise you can buy it from the halfling market. Either way, you can just go ahead and narrate it in your post; the halfling slums ghetto enclave is just on the other side of the river. Or you can hire the master armorer to make a good quality version of it, but it will take some time. As far as loot is concerned, Laurens will try to dispose of it on his own, and then cut you your share, if you don't want to wait he will pay a lesser amount in the form of credit drawn on a dwarven bank. If you guys want to help him sell the stuff, he could use the help to try and maximize the total haul.