The remaining regiment is to get to know the castle. Maps are to be found, architects and engineers in the city are to be rounded up and set on securing and mapping the castle and the city for defense and security. Also, new policy is instituted - proper disarming of all guests.
[1] They, like you, get lost in the long winding halls and empty rooms of the massive, sprawling castle. Most, if not all the regiment, has to be rescued at some point by a passing guardsmen. This, in turns, makes the older, more experienced veterans dislike the newbs. [6] No complaints are filed, but a number of the newer guards sport broken noses and bruised eyes after a few days, and the Veteran Guard barracks apparently have been moved.
[5] Few maps exist of the castle, but a number are dug up to assist in the efforts of the architects. A new one is rapidly sent in, showing a number of possible defense areas
[4] While the materials for the castle’s securing can be acquired from the ruins of nearby buildings and an old quarry, [4] labor costs are high, four ducats to be exact. Perhaps due to the cluttered state of the castle itself. However, the stonemasons and engineers offer to make the castle more uniform, and update its architecture to be less confusing.
Leave for Caedan with my PG, while leaving King's PG in the capital with him. Take the mercenary regiment with me if they agree.
Head to Caedan with my men.
[4][4][5] Upon nearing the mansion of the Duke of Caedan, you both notice a man clad in heavy armor. Blood stains the jaggedly-cut metal upon his chest, and blood-soaked bandages, obviously made from rags and leather, are visible underneath his armor. He leans against a heavy-bladed halberd-spear thing, gripping it tightly with one obviously mutilated hand, while the other holds…
The other holds an arm of decayed flesh, long, terribly sharp bone claws drag on the ground, the arm looking to have been severed at the shoulder. Stains the color of old, dried blood speckle the claws and the whole thing looks rotten and disgusting.
The knight- the silver ornamentation on his armor still gleaming under the congealed blood, some of it as black as night- is slowly hobbling towards the door/gate.
Araline leads the army to her land as logistics and defense coordinator, rallying her people to fight. She makes sure there are no delays!
[6] A band of peasants, some of which are exceptionally shady looking, having heard of this attack on the northern villages. They band together out of fear and march with you, whether you like it or not. Very few have any actual weapons and armor, instead most wield axes, hoes, and hastily made wooden spears. (+1 regiment gained)
[2] None of you notice the tracks until you arrive at the border of the village that was most recently attacked.
[5] vs. [2+2] You notice them, perhaps by scouts, perhaps by first hand witness, before they notice you. A massive pack of Wargs, blood still coating their fur in places from their recent slaughter, noisily chew on bones and bits of once was humans, some it still disgustingly familiar.
[2+
+1] The peasants balk at going up against the beasts once word spreads of them through the ranks. They stand their ground, perhaps realizing that if they flee now they might not make it, but are willing to try if it starts going bad.
[4] vs. [6+2] Then you hear howling in the distance a bestial sound that sends instinctual shivers down your spine. Your body begins to prepare adrenaline, readying you for fight or flight. It seems they have noticed you.
Send an herald to the lands granted to the Inquisition. Look for a proper place to build headquarters for the organization.
Look for engineers willing to build a temple / fortress in the Inquisition's lands. Inquire about their price.
[5] A nice hill is pointed out to your herald. It once apparently was a monument to the Flowering Maiden. And indeed, several trees and non-national plants grow on its slopes, of course nothing rare.
[3] An old man, with a number of sons, volunteers to build your fortress/temple for a single ducat worth of gold or a single parcel of land as collateral if you don‘t wish to spend the money right now.
[1] Unfortunately finding the stone is going to be a difficult job. The man suggests sending a missive to Amuis, Arbe or Isris, to purchase stone.
Cross into Visil Dru. Conduct a survey of the villages. Find out economic conditions, rumours and any particular issue that Korolle comes across. If questioned, simply say that I'm a Chronicler.
[3] A brief survey is all you get as you drift through the villages of Korolle after a swift ride over the border. Luckily, you aren’t harassed quite yet. [6] The villages are well-kept, spotless and well-arranged. Grey daub over wood seems to be the most common building material, giving each house a uniform look. The streets are clear of debris, and the peasants labor in fields irrigated from rain reservoirs and dams. Guards, clad in dark red under thick bronze armor, patrol the streets, cracking down on one thief you notice quite brutally. The peasants themselves all look skinny and fatigued, and you pass by quite a few burnt out ruins and un-buried skeletons.
[6] Recent rumors indicate that a peace treaty is being arranged with city-state of Amius, as well as a trade agreement with Isris, who Dru angered in the past, resulting in a cut-off of iron arms to the nation, forcing them to use bronze for armor, instead of the better forged iron and steel.
[2-1] However, you seem to have acquired some suspicion, and despite your credentials as a Chronicler, you soon find yourself surrounded by bronze-armored guards. “What’re you doin’ in Dru without a pass, Chronicler?”