"Send a message to the spy ordering him to move on to the Undars."
"Take this to the Magnar stronghold."
((Actions must be at the bottom of the posts and should summarize what the action is, not reference to a previous mention in the post. While this may seem like an unimportant detail, it saves some of the GM's time, it leaves no room for interpretation, and it keeps the post short and to the point.))
He sizes up the man and tries to recall what he knows about his battle prowessin order to challenge him for clan power.
[3,?] As far as you can remember, the man has no particular skill in battle - or, in any case, he is not known for any particular skill in battle. Still, the last few decades were a time of peace, and there weren't much battles were prestige could be acquired - but it seems to be a good indication of a lack of any great talent, since he apparently never boasts of his skills.
[4] As for whether or not the clan would actually accept a foreigner as a leader if he beats his enemy in a duel... It is likely that they would, by pure chance. Your two clans have been close in the past, and as Highlanders you all have a similar way of being; however, despite the fact that they might accept you as their leader should you win, you would not make a lot of friends. It is likely that most of the man's bondsmen would desert rather than fight for a man they swore no oath to, and what they might do once they have deserted is unknown.
[5] The rules of a duel in this clan are as usual: to the death or until one of the two abandons, in which case it is up to the other to decide whether or not to give the fatal blow. There is no precision on weapons used - you would not risk being at a disadvantage if you choose to go forward with your plan.
Will you challenge this man for the rule of his clan? ((Note that if you go forward with this plan, you place your PC's life in the hands of the dice, if he looses and your enemy does not spare him : this is to avoid duels becoming the easier alternative to war. You have been warned.))
Scout only the clan that seems to be weaker, even if it provokes war
[2] You scout the clan which seems to have the weakest army - meaning that you pick one of the two at random and send scouts over there. Your men visit the Sandor territory, and... [1] They do not return. Instead, you receive a messenger who claims at your gates that his clan protests your violation of the established territories, and that if any more troops cross into their border, they would counter such an action with war. He leaves before you can interrogate, perhaps because he fears you will not show any more mercy towards him than his lord apparently had towards your scouts.
Now that your relations with one of your neighbors is ruined, you might as well go to war with them - they won't be your friends for a long time. You would be, however, walking into a relatively unknown territory with no idea of what is waiting for you at the end of the road. Leaving them in peace may look like a gesture of appreciation, and might convince your other neighbor that you did not intend to invade them, but then again not replying anything to an affront like that one may also make you look cowardly... What do you do?
Have the scouts sent to the neighbouring clans try and gather data on the clan's military strength.
Given the veteran's absence, search for someone who might be able to teach Graharg logistics instead.
[6,2] You send scouts in your neighbor's lands, this time attempting to evaluate their military strength. Those going east return with the news that they were unable to infiltrate Aryad lands, but the ones who visited the Beyads inform you that... [3] Their military force appears to be significantly smaller than yours, although they were unable to give you a precise report on the enemy forces' location or movement patterns.
[6,2] There was an outstanding logistician in your clan some time ago... He went with the veteran to visit the King. While this may seem like terrible luck, it makes sense in a way: the King fought many wars in his youth, and forged many friendships which lasted throughout the time of the peace with some of his commanding officers.
[3] One warrior of your clan claims that they were not, thankfully, with the King when the old man went hunting for the last time. Where they are now precisely, though, is still unknown: the King's Hold is a good bet, but then again they're warriors by nature; they might have joined some of the bands forming to stop the raids along the coast.
"Missing envoys. And the Valdrim ignore me. The fools,I would not spill our blood so freely."
Milenas paced back and forth in his map room. Before summoning up his runners.
Summon 3 regiments (1 plain, 2 heavy), March to the Kaldrim clan hold, request a meeting with the clan-chief.
You go forth with your troops, [3] effectively declaring war on Kaldrim unless the clan lord forgives your intrusion in his lands. [3] Upon arriving at the hold, the gates are not opened, but no arrows are fired towards your direction, which can generally be described as a good sign. The Lord of the place arrives upon the walls to address you and your host.
"In the days of the King, messages could be exchanged between lords without envoys disappearing or armies marching upon the lands of old friends - but now the king is dead, and it seems the days are changing. What brings you here, neighbor, with an army at your back despite our agreement to participate in your meeting?"Scout the two tribes out again, trying to note any weaknessses in their positions.
[5,4] Both clans have fairly strong fortifications and defenses, but their troops are not mobilized inside them - instead, the soldiers mostly patrol the land to ward it against potential raiders or bandits. As such, one could easily assault them in a position that would favor the attacker and not the defender.