Investigate the deaths of the Conrichts in Oathbreaker.
The following notes are delivered personally to Rakon Tengrim and not made public to PC or NPC knowledge.Your agent in Oathbreaker Fort has difficulty finding out details since Henry Conricht, his brother and niece are all dead and interred in the family crypt (eliminating the entire cadet line). A bastard nephew has taken the throne in lieu of Crown authority (the fief would otherwise default to the Crown). The spy delivers his reports in several letters, which cease suddenly.
In his initial reports, the spy reports the suspicious arrival and stay of a blue-robed old man a week before and after the deaths of the Conrichts, but investigation into his origins and disappearance prove of little use. A little breaking-in and badgering reveals that the Conrichts were all given gifts as part of an annual summer faire; matching blue garments in Pactish wool. The spy was able to acquire one of them, which he found somewhat coarse for a noble gift, but no indication of poison or hidden blades in the clothing.
His last letter reports a lead on a merchant in the Pact and a concern about his own health, but then he ceases communication. The agent sent to make contact with him reports the spy's demise from the Grey Death.
You send the reports to your spymaster in the Pact, who sends back several ledgers copied from the books of local traders and her own assessment. Trade in Pactish goods of all sorts exploded after the Iron Queen's trade restrictions were lifted; Pactish wool, gems, grain and even furs. She draws your attention to one noble, the first noble to die of the peasant's disease in the country. This minor baron owned a valley fief devoted to grazing and wool spinning, and had made a large amount of money in the recent trades before dying of Grey Death. The nurse who found his body revealed in a drunken conversation at a tavern that he had bought a large consignment of blue dye before his passing, though no record is found within the baron's books. Not long after, the nurse herself passed away of the Grey Death also.
News filters in from the South that a previously unaligned party has added its support to the war. Lord Blow of Oathbreaker (a Conricht byblow who succeeded after Henry Conricht and his immediate heirs were wiped out by Grey Death) has agreed to join the side of the Regency, having been shamed by diplomatic communications for his cowardice. He has brought his full force from the fort and rendezvoused in Lorvese to help secure the bridges.
Comte Blow, the de facto Comte of Oathbreaker Fort, has left the fort and taken three Disciplined Archer regiments north to Lorvese, taking residence in the fort there."We best know how the city before we try anything."
Enter the city and begin conducting initial intelligence:
a.Enter the temple of the Fortmag* and commune with the gods, asking the local priests the god's disposition on the current jarl.
b.Go to the equivalent of the markets of the town and find out how trade is going.
c. Carefully approach people in taverns to find out the general wellbeing of the town and their views on the jarl.
Unlike Sigmund, a Varchban (the lineage of rulers), you learn that Jarl Eirek is of Projban birth (the line of warriors). [3] The local priests support such a ruler, as although he is not of ideal birth the present times call for warriors as much as statesmen. [4] Interestingly, you learn that you are yourself a Varchban based on the clan lineage of your grandfather.
[5] Trade is extremely erratic, based upon when slaving fleets from distant shores return. You learn that slaving and raiding on the nearer Adranic and Eldanic shores has almost ceased completely, though the reasons for this are apparently not spoken of. The city is struggling, and there is a lot of support for any move that would bring fresh wealth back to the citizens.
[3] Difficult as life is, people are generally behind their jarl. It says something for the Haegar mentality that the worse things grow, the more steadfast they become. Rebellions and treachery seem to happen most when things are fine. Even so, there are a handful left who were loyal to the old order.
Walk the streets and alleys of stormstead looking for the street dwellers, If I find any give them a message
"If you seek a chance to raise yourself from this life then join me brother and together we will avenge the wrong we suffered on a world that abandoned us.
Also listen to what people say as I walk in case anybody has a job that needs doing.
[3] While there are plenty of petty vengeances in the city, nothing stands out as worthy of your time (or pays enough). Of course, no doubt the nobles all have enemies who might pay their killer well, but otherwise work is short. News does float down to you about multiple killings related to the storming of a local tavern to bust a thief ring, and there are of course the old tales of a Ralkarian assassin who cleared out a whole ship in Spring.
[1+1] There are plenty in these times who are down on their luck and looking to make money, and the riots have only made matters worse. On the other hand, efforts to stamp down the riots have significantly increased policing efforts and it isn't long before your recruitment is noticed by a member of Marquis Stonewood's personal guard. [5] The lone, armed guardsman corners you in an alleyway and strongly suggests you come with him if you know what's good for you; no doubt the Marquis will want to 'talk' with such a dangerous rabble-rouser personally.
Reestablish order in the City by any means possible. Sent Regiments to crack down on the rioters, at first in a peaceful manner, but respond with violence should they refuse to disperse. Hang particular violent rioters and the leading figures should need be.
Meanwhile scour the city for mercenaries willing to hire themselves out.
[6] You aren't a diplomat, but force speaks for itself. Rebellion and rioting is crushed and personal freedoms are extremely curtailed in the name of order. Violent criminals, dissidents and any people who even seem vaguely suspicious or foreign are rounded up and publicly executed to make a point. People are angry and unhappy, but they don't grumble lest their tongues be cut out. The legacy of your work are silent, still and very orderly streets and a city square lined with noose after noose after noose. [+1 to Urban unrest. No more riots.]
Lord Stonewood has acquired the epithet "The Hangman".[4] Mercenaries are never particularly liked in peace-time, and in war they are even less popular. That said, your own court provides a solution. Lady de Braganca has contact with an Altanic company from her homelands, [5] a company of armoured knights called the Artulan Band [Heavy Cavalry]. They could be hired for an initial fee of three ducats, plus half a ducat per season for each season after the first. If hired now, they would arrive in Windheath at the start of Winter.
Just as Parnoth requested, all of Edgard's brides/wives to be are sent on to Lorvese to be kept safe there. They cannot leave the country however.
Parnoth ferries Edgard's wives to Lorvese, where they are given good quarters and placed under the protection of Lord Blow. Then Parnoth orders all his troops onto his ships...
At the meeting on the bridge...Lords gathered, riding out to a safe distance to face one another, preparing themselves for another round of speeches and accusations. Just as the Regent and Prince prepared to have a second go at it a runner hurtled up the bridge from Richard's side, halting in his tracks as scores of bows were drawn in suspicion of treachery. He shouted out his message from a distance.
"Prince Richard, I bear ill tidings! One of our scouts along the Arendal reports that Parnoth's ships have set sail and are close to Westwatch. They say he has brought his whole army. If we move now, we might still-"
Another messenger arrives on the bridge, exhausted and riding an even more exhausted horse. He collapses off the saddle and delivers his message in a ragged croak before passing out on the bridge.
"My liege, Westwatch! Westwatch has fallen!"
Espionage: 4 versus 5. Failed to spot, therefore no logistics roll to catch up.While Richard and his whole army were focused on the meeting at the bridge, at rooting out potential spies in their ranks and expecting treachery from Edgard's archers, all eyes were turned away from the south of Stormstead. With the bridge fallen, five white pairs of sails slipped past the island in the night and had reached the mouth of the Arendal long before a breathless runner even came within sight of the army camped north of the Stormstead bridge.
The ships made a rough port in the early morning and waded out onto the beach at Westwatch*; five battalions of two hundred men clad in mail with mace and sword. Westwatch's high battlements rose above the rocky cliffs on the eastern edge of the island, upon which the fearful garrison clutched their blades and prayed to Ziamdaka to take their souls with care. They were poorly equipped and outnumbered five-to-one, even with the powerful defences of Westwatch at their side.
5 Heavy Infantry, Aggressive Commander.
1 Garrison Infantry, +2 Fort bonus.
[11] versus [3] = 6 v 1.The fort fell within an hour of simply rushing the gates and fighting up the narrow stairwells until the fort commander lay dead, thrown from the roof onto the rocks below. Within two more hours, the bodies were cleared, clay-packed and buried and the fort was taken. Preparations began to burn the northern bridge...
If Parnoth's attempt to burn the northern bridge is opposed, a successful Logistics speed check will mean that an army can reach there in time to stop the bridge being burned. If not, it will just burn. Parnoth has no Logistics bonus.*Situated at the eastern-most point of the Arendal, Westwatch's name is believed to date back to a time when Altaregia was its own independent city. The keep was not meant to guard Windheath's eastern border and coast, but to guard Altaregia against everything else (i.e. everything to the west). This has nevertheless confused cartographers and historians for centuries. Alternate suggestions include the idea that one may look out or watch westward upon the whole of Adrania, the possibility that it was built by a Lord West or perhaps that its original patron was just a sadistic bastard who enjoyed irony.
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Topic: You are King III: Spring 938 AAL (Read 131344 times)