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[Ardas]

This is great news. I am in need of precise intelligence. I will have you know that whatever I do at the moment is only to ensure the stability of the kingdom and its survival, as per royal decree that made mt the acting regent.

Edgard paused briefly and sized up the spy with his eyes.

"You shall take a boat to the northern shore and head towards richard's vanguard. You are to make a detailed report of his troops and if possible blend in. If you can, get to Altaregia afterwards to find Fust Touchstone, king's Fool, and when there, make a report on that place too. He left the castle for Altaregia and never came back. But try to be discreete. They will know that you are a spy if ou are not too careful when asking about the Fool. Also, it will be too dangerous for you to send me messages or carry around boxes with carrier pigeons. Deliver me a wholesale report once you come back."

[Dragor23]

Theor was in the war room and watched a map of Stormstead. Thoughtfully rubbing his chin, he examined the outer walls, as well the gates. "Should we except an assault or will he starve us to submission?" The southerner excepted the latter scenario, becuase the prince was a logistic expert... But then again, winter was coming and it would be insane to wait out a siege in winter... But maybe he was willing enough to let his men die? "We need to prepare firewood and fat..." A good protection against cold was always a healthy portion lard. But where they would find tallow? "Argh..." He messed his hair out of frustation. "I need some distraction..."

Seek the regent for some exercise

[Ardas]

Edgard was loking out of the window in his chamber, watching as the soldiers went about their work with suppliesandsiege preparations. Edgard was not a war leader; he never had the talent for strategy or relaities of war, preferring to let others do it for him, but he had no problem with close combat. He was a brilliant swordsman and he considered that to be his chjief survival skill.

Theor entered his room, and Edgard turned to him. Theor was one of the generals nominated to lead the armies of the kingdom. and ever since the prince, who was also a marshal decided to rebel, Theor would be the man standing at the walls, helping Edgard get thourgh this mess.

Edgard felt a little restless for some time now, and the request for some training with Theor was a welcome change. The siege took up way too much of Edgard mind and he felt the strain of it.
They both walked down to the courtyard, and despite the cold of the autumn afternoon, both were standing only in light garments, as to not restrict movement while they moved around with their swords.

Spoiler: Training Results (click to show/hide)

Training results rolled up in irc channel by Shootandrun

53413 for Ardas, or +50
25462 for Dragor, or +20

After the training...

Edgard was breathing heavily, smile on his face betraying the result of the training.
"You are getting rusty, my dear Theor. Tis a second time I have bested you in training. He, he. and how are the preparations? Do you think Richard will assault the walls?"

[Dragor23]

Theor leaned his body on the pommel of the training sword, huffing rough. His face showed anger and a bit shame. "This time you won barely..." But he sighed and righted himself again. "I don't know what the rogue prince will do. I'm not a seer after all. But I suspect he will attack us... Unless he's eager enough to freeze his balls off and let his men die from the cold. Our supplies will be enough until spring, but I'm a bit worried about firewood and warmth... Even in the city, it will be cold without a fire and a warm meal..." He scratched his face, where a large bruise decorated his left cheek. "I hope the king will recover soon. I'm not eager to kill brothers, even northern ones."

[Ardas]

"Yeah. I cannot understand Richard. Is he really going as far as to beleive that I am responsible for Albert's ilness? I have shown nothing but loyalty to the king, and he treats me like a traitor.
I do not beleive that Richard is power-hungry, but he is certainly misguided. But how would one prove that this is not my doing?"

[Dragor23]

Theor gave a shrug " I don't know. I only know that I'm true to the king, so I'm true to you, his regent. The only way maybe is... To get the church on your side... Or find the true criminal who poisoned him. But maybe it's just natural... i doubt it highly, but it is possible."

[Shootandrun]

Sail to the Prince, and attempt to get a meeting with him.

[6-3] You reach Altaregia with ease, where you quickly learn that Richard, while he could certainly use your services, has left for Stormstead... Five days ago. The steward won't let your ship sail upriver; if you wish to catch up with him, you have a tough ride ahead of you.

Single-player quest time.

[1] Autumn is not a kind season in the north; the snows have started falling, and storms delay your travel. Even in a small band such as yours, it is hard to make a good time in these conditions; [5-1] nonetheless, you will manage to reach the nearest Haegar city in one month. Until then, you can try to get your traveling companion talking, or you can use other means to investigate what exactly is happening up North.

Head to the capital of Andrelis, and Charles IX's palace.

[2] As you march deeper into Arendalis, you realize how grave the situation truly is for the kingdom. Over the weeks, you find more and more abandoned (or burned down) villages, and you see enormous amounts of food that will go to waste with no one to harvest it. On the roads, everyone is carrying weapons; innkeepers mistrust you and peasants chase you out of their lands with crossbows if they think it is necessary. As you reach the Riverlands, the most densely inhabited part of the kingdom, you learn that the bridges were destroyed recently; going around will add a few weeks to the journey, but crossing by boat may be unwise, in times where all the nations along the Arendalis are sinking ships on sight.

head to the nearest Temple, to ask a cleric about divine assistance

[2] You find a cleric without too much trouble, but he seems confused about what exactly you want. Eventually, he gives you a half-hearted blessing of luck and sends you on your way - the priests of Stormstead have no time to loose these days, with half the city eagerly awaiting a siege and the other half trembling in dread.

Jitpau looks for someone who will sail him out of the city (and to Richard's camp).

[2+1] There is no ship willing to bring you as far as Altaregia in Stormstead - it is said that the Prince's loyalists are destroying boats that may be carrying supplies for the capital. However, one daring fisherman, inspired by the prospect of having a better chance to go to heaven, offers you to go on his dinghy with him as he goes to the northern shore of the Arendalis. He will not go any further, but still, it's better than nothing.

The siege of Stormstead

[6][2+1] An early snow storm notes the arrival of Richard Conricht and his army at the gates of Stormstead. The cold bites hard and is the harbinger of bad news - the harvest may take some damage, which will make the winter particularly harsh for the people of Windheath. [4+1] Richard's forces deal with the cold without problems; wagons of food are coming in from most of the kingdom to support them, and the efficiency and organization of the army means that within a day of their arrival, the entire camp is warmed by a thousand fires. [2] In Stormstead, however, the situation is much more dire; with the city cut off from all food, and now even the fishing industry in danger with the early cold, the city's enormous population is becoming aware that starvation is going to hit them eventually, and that it will hit them hard. The price of food explodes, and stores and warehouses are starting to be raided for food, even though there is no need for now. Riots shake the capital as the inhabitants show their anger with the situation, but they are quickly dealt with by the armed forces.

The equivalent of one month of food for the citizens is lost in Stormstead, due to the civil unrest. The army's food reserves are unaffected.

[6] Inside the city, the soldiers start becoming increasingly worried as they see the army before them. Richard's forces, in total, are apparently many times more numerous than Edgard's; and while the majority of both armies is made of peasant levies, a terrifying amount of troops on the prince's side are professional soldiers, of the royal army or from the nobles who sided with the Heir rather than the Regent. The banners of Altaregia, Northwatch, Dechire and War's End float above the besiegers.

[5663] A messenger is sent across the bridge, and he stops before the gates, where he speaks loudly to the soldiers watching him warily.

"Under the authority of Crown Prince Richard Conricht, Heir Apparent to the Throne and Marshal of the Realm, the city of Stormstead is now under siege. Although the Prince refuses to stand down his forces, he will allow, in his merciful wisdom, the rebellious nobles named Edgard of Arborvent, Theor Blackshield, Osir Revechig, and Harald Stonetree to stand down and surrender to his troops, if they respect his demands. His demands are the following:

All levies raised in Edgard's name are to be disbanded. All troops loyal to Edgard are to return to their respective fiefs for the duration of the Regency. The Nobles of the Realm will form a Regency Council, whose responsibility will be to take care of all royal matters during Albert's illness, and to investigate the exact causes of the aforementioned illness. The nobles named Edgard of Arborvent, Theor Blackshield, Osir Revechig, and Harald Stonetree will have a seat on the council, although because the previous offers of the Prince were rejected, their position will be that of advisers, and they will not have the right to vote. The vile scum who raided the lands of Dechire and Northwatch will be hanged, for harming the peasantry, and the rebellious nobles will be expected to compensate for the lost harvest come spring. The leader of the raiders and his men will be allowed to live if he surrenders as soon as possible and does not raid once again, although they will suffer more severe consequences; namely, their leader will be stripped of some of his lands if he possesses any, and will be expected to give all his income this year, no matter how it was gained, to the nobles who were attacked by his operations. All of his men will be sold into slavery or hanged, depending on the gravity of their actions. Edgard of Arborvent will also be expected to break the vassalage of Harald Stonetree, who will be once again vassal to the crown.

Some of the land of the rebellious nobles may be redistributed amongst those who remained loyal to Richard; however, that last condition is subject to change, depending on the willingness of the rebels to cooperate. If they refuse all cooperation and force the Prince to take the city with fire and sword, they will be stripped of all lands and sent into exile.

The Prince wishes to inform the rebellious nobles that he is willing to make individual deals with them, if the so-called Lord Regent is unwilling to honor the Prince's demands. Although he promises nothing, he will be doubtlessly more merciful and patient with any lord who would choose the best choice and abandon Edgard, if Edgard decides to remain in open rebellion against the Crown.

The Prince will expect a reply tomorrow at noon at the latest. However, if it comes later, his conditions will become harsher. The rebellious nobles are expected to come into his camp unarmed and alone if they wish to carry on the negotiations towards a bloodless peace. The Prince has sworn on the His Family, His Kingdom and His Gods that no harm will befall the nobles as long as they make no aggressive movement within the camp."

[Ardas]

Lot of noise, shouting and condfusin reached the courtyard, as news of Richard's arrival and unrest on the streets reached Regent's ears.

"You hear that Theor? Lets come inside. We need to talk about this."
 
Edgard did not wase any time in getting back to the war room.

"Here, one of the captains made a note of Richard's demands. Have a look at them."
The regent tossed a scroll to Theor, on it, the message brought to the walls of the city.

"His 'generous terms' involve me surrendering as if I were a defeated man and  he expects the South to submit to his will without a say on national matters. I wonder what would Albert say to that. Where is the golden Age now, heh."

[Dragor23]

Theor read the scroll with midly annoyed face, until he dropped it on the table.
"Oh well, time to give up and suck his dick like petty whores." he grumbled in a very sarcastic tone.
"Is this... boy... insane? Like we ever would surrender under such terms! This... stupid..."
He started to tear apart the scroll to let out his anger
"...asshole! Now he showed his true face, this treacherous snake, longing after throne!"
An angry snarl followed, barely human sounding and then the ramble went on.
"Little envious brat, greedy waste, spawn of a coward and a slut! Oooh, I will enjoy it when my sword stabs through his black heart!"
"ME! A rebell! Oh, he will regret the hour where this idea popped in his demented brain! MAY HIS HUMOURS BOIL IN HIS LIVING BODY!"
He drew his dagger and rammed it in the wood of the table. "I shall not give up. i will show him what honor is. By strangling him to death."

[Ardas]

Edgard recoiled slightly, seeing Theor's rage. But he did not scold him. The Regent did not know whether Richard was simply misguided about king's illness or whether he was truly planning a takeover, but he did not like the terms either. However, an answer had to be given.

"Save your anger for later Theor, you will need it in the field. But agree with you, those terms are outrageous and insulting. what shall i say to him though? Should i call him an idiot? Should I say nothing at all? I do not know however how other lords will behave though. I do not know to what extent they are loyal to the crown. The true crown that is. Richard is an usurper at present and I am slowly running out of ocasions to show leniency, he is forcing my hand."

Edgard slammed his fist on the table. He began speaking with an incerasing tone of desperation and bitternes in his voice.
" I am besieged, stuck without proof of my innocence and I am given an "offer" of being stripped of my vassals, land, honour and for what? Because I follow the order of my king? Because I am merely trying to be a good vassal? And Conrichts have the gall to spit in my face and call me a snake. How can one weather those insults witout hating them?"

[Dragor23]

Theor crossed his arms and tried to calm himself down to talk in a normal tone with the regent. "The Conrichts always were snakes and insects. They got the throne only trough dickery and deceit... They killed my family only to soothe their lust after innocent blood. Maidens were raped and killed, little kids slaughtered... And even after that, I hold true to the king. But what it gets me? His own brother denounces me, just to get his throne. I would not be suprised if it was him, poisoning his own brother. It is in his blood."
He grabbed the hilt of his dagger and drew it out the word, pointing with the tip at Edgard face "This. This, my friend, is the only answer you can give. With blood and sword we will show him what the south is made of. Even if we die, we will die as heros, showing Bohromu that we are worthy to be called Adran. Shouting and cursing we will fight. Well, I will do it. Gladly."

[Tiruin]

Renart moved about the camp, watching over the soldiers of differing banners carry out their work. Most of them were levies, and kept to their profession other than training for battle, but at least there was productivity.

"Milord." He said, bowing to Richard as he entered his tent. "The Northern regions stand by your side, however I am one to note that our forces as a whole are divided."

He looked at the map that was set upon the Prince's table of the realm. "It feels like the early days of the Iron Queen again, and the years before that when I was just a lad. North against the South. Can we not send in one of our people to personally speak with Edgard? I know the reasons why he wouldn't face us in person, yet I do not think he will yield to the terms stated by your messenger.

"By the Gods, if we do fight in this position, even in the best of circumstances, the realm will suffer. Is there no other plan of action but this?"

[Shootandrun]

Richard was looking at a map of Stormstead... And a drawing of the northern bridge, made by a few engineers, with a few red "x"s on it. The Prince looked up and smiled as the Marquis entered. However, the smile disappeared as he spoke, and in the end he shook his head before responding.

"I agree with you, saer - the realm will suffer if this ends in battle. However, I was left little choice. I sought to negotiate with Edgard many times, and on all occasions he refused to even answer my demands personally. I offered him negotiations when Harald visited me to ask for a reasonable discussion, and he spat into my face. I offered a council of nobles when the armies started mobilizing, and again I was given no positive answer. I originally had the intention of simply outlasting Edgard by cutting him off of his taxes, which would have eventually forced to disband his armies... But things have changed, Renart.

I hold from a, ah, secure source that Edgard sent a messenger to allies in Arendalis, asking them to lead their armies into the realm to turn the tide of the war in that snake's favor, and he sent raiders in our countryside, attacking the peasantry and ruining the harvest. He invited a foreign invasion into the realm, Renart, and already he is trying to kill it from the inside. I know for sure I can deal with Parnoth, even if the entire realm of Arendalis followed him into battle, but my armies will bleed... And I cannot do it with Edgard on my back.

Because of his folly, my men will die. That is inevitable. He caused blood to be spilled - it did not happen yet, but it will in the end, thanks to that trice be damned Parnoth. Well, I say - if he wants blood, he shall have blood. I have made reasonable demands and he refused all of them - and now my demands will cease to be reasonable. Tomorrow, two things may happen - either that Duc will get his ass off my brother's throne and come here so we can negotiate an honorable peace, or I will burn down the northern bridge and leave him there to die, before leaving for the west, where I shall collect Parnoth's head and his lands while I'm at it. There is no other choice - I could send someone to negotiate and achieve a peace where they would have better terms, but I need them as hostages and their armies neutralized if I am to eliminate Parnoth without fear of treachery behind my back... Which somewhat limits my options during the negotiations."

[kytuzian]

[6-3] You reach Altaregia with ease, where you quickly learn that Richard, while he could certainly use your services, has left for Stormstead... Five days ago. The steward won't let your ship sail upriver; if you wish to catch up with him, you have a tough ride ahead of you.

Attempt the voyage.

[King_of_the_weasels]

Cyril sat back in his chair leaning it against the table Richard was pouring over, taking a large bite out of his apple before turning his head and speaking. "I'm suprised you haven't gotten a positive answer about the council from Edgard.  It's not like him to turn such a thing down." Cyril swallowed. "Then again I barely know the man. But are you sure he's even heard your proposition before hand?  Granted, it's a bit too late to try again, unless he doesn't get the last message you sent.  Then.. we could try again?  But what would be the point, the courier would just get lost again.  Maybe someone's... preventing him from recieving your messages?  Imagine a dark force is plotting every action, they want the civil war!"  Cyril jumped up and put his hands to his head gripping his hair slightly, before slowly bringing them down to his sides and sitting down.  Taking another bite from his apple he slowly turned to the others in the tent, "Oh.. sorry you were talking about serious things weren't you?" He blinked slowly and took another bite.

Unless told to do something, remain bored and look around the camps for something to do.