Send off the drake parts to the leatherworkers in Stormstead, and make sure that they remember to include a helm made of the drake's head.
Arondson and his associates get to work on the armour with all due haste, taking the drake corpses and
85 ducats in fees. Come
Autumn, you will have a fine set of Heavy Armour made from drakehide and steel backing. A quick look at the designs sketched up for you by Arondson reveals that the finished helm will look very much as if a drake is eating your head from behind - or roaring at your enemies, if you want to be romantic about it. [Upgrades your personal combat armour bonus to +2, but at a -1 to all skill checks that require freedom of movement, e.g. Stealth, Acrobatics, Agility.]
"Excuse me, Sir."
Talinth said before turning around and walking outside the inn. He was not yet done, though. Sahainn had apparently made them even more reticent to talk instead of intimidated. It was time to act as a pacient hunter.
Move outside the inn, hide somewhere near and stay on the watch for any suspicious movement along with Sahainn. If a suitable hiding spot isn't found, let Sahainn lead the way to one, worgs are probably better at those things.
[2] You aren't able to find a decent hiding spot, [6] but Sahainn proves a little more adventurous and alerts you to a spot where you could perch on the roof in perfect seclusion - a pair of chimneys that form a deep pool of shadow against the moonlight. Unfortunately you have to send Sahainn away to hide there, but you still have your wits and your gear about you.
[1] Nothing really happens for the better part of an hour and you find your cursed weariness setting in. As you drift off to sleep, you suspect that long hours at the forge are starting to tire you out for such night-time escapades. [5] You are woken by the sound of an argument below, [4+1] and are able to shift around in your spot to get a better view without being seen. [5] Once again you catch sight of the woman at the feast, though this time she lacks the familiar cloak you saw her in before. She is arguing with one of the men from the pub, who looks to be a little older and bears a clear family resemblance. [3] Their voices are a little muffled by intervening rooftop, but you get the gist of it; they appear to be arguing about some sort of lover or husband. [5] At the height of the argument, the woman draws one of the king's silver goblets out of a bag at her shoulder and thrusts it into the man's hands.
"Well you can bloody well keep it, you-" Your ears pale slightly at the string of expletives that follow. Sailors would turn blue with envy at that woman's mouth. She turns and storms off, tears in her eyes.
[5] "Bohromu's wings, Mary!" shouts the man after her. "Just give him the letter already! The kid's more important, you know he'll give her up if you... ah, damn it all to clay." He shakes his head and trudges back to the inn with the goblet, slipping it into his coat.
[4] You slip back down from the roof and reconvene with Sahainn back at the king's stables (she appears to be gnawing on some beef), musing over what you have seen.
Survey availiable information on the two foreign monarchs attending at the feast.
[2+1] Charles IX, King of Arendalis' character is a bit of a mystery to you and your informants. He is powerfully charismatic - an expert by birth and training - and is known for treating men with dignity and respect, but his charm masks any indication of the true character behind the statesman. [4] Charles has a great deal of popular support in Arendalis, but the long war has tired many of his nobles to the point where a very few have entertained defection - such as those whose daughters are marrying Duc Edgard. [6] Charles is extremely well-connected; he has blood relatives in practically every Adranic kingdom save Windheath and even amongst some of the Altanic nobility, though his three wives are all sisters or daughters of his most powerful Ducs. His sister is married to William III of Normark and he is actually fighting the long war against his own cousin, king of Donnerstein.
[6+1] William III, King of Normark's character is notoriously well-known to everyone. He is short-tempered, occasionally violent, belittles those beneath him and barely tolerates his few peers. He acknowledges nobody as his superior save the very Gods themselves and his sense of pride would put worgs to shame. Courtiers who have been to his court inform you that negotiations with this man are almost impossible. [2] The very fierceness of William keeps his own nobility firmly under his heel and he rules with an iron fist in his own country; rebellion in Normark is not unheard of, but the first rebellion he faced he depopulated the county and then razed and salted the fields as a message. [4] Apart from William's marriage to Charles IX's sister, he has no other wives and his daughters and sisters remain unmarried, [5+1] though you have information from a direct source that he is trying to get his only son to marry Charles IX's eldest daughter with little success. Apparently the boy is infamous for his womanising and has inherited his father's anger, to the point where Charles is seriously thinking twice about such a union for the sake of his own kin.
Your informants might have more specific information if you ask more specific questions.
Author
Topic: You are King III: Spring 938 AAL (Read 131568 times)