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[Dwarmin]

Araline gave a slight smile, though her face was hidden in shadow-she took the moment to remove her hood, giving Logan a military fist-to-heart-to-salute motion with her right hand.

"...Well, they were quite large Dogs at that-it was not entirely boring. I am pleased to say the enemy has been completely routed-and my lands are safe once again. I present you with these gifts, King Logan, tokens of My great victory.

First, the promised price of the Kingdoms aid-as paid, so owed."

She motioned to the chest, which was open dramatically at that point by two servant girls-it was full of shining gold and silver bars, naturally. Araline had paid them from her own stocks, knowing the sales of the pelts would more than replace them.

"And, one of them had this to give you-I don't think he needed it anymore." She finished, as two more servants brought a magnificent gleaming Warg cloak forward for the King-tailored to his size and specifications. It was studded with spiraling dark blue Sapphire gemstones along the trim, and gave the wearer a menacing air-when on fully, one looked almost more beast than man. Araline had of course, had it extra padded against the cold and impact, with placement for armored inserts in case he wore it into battle-and inside, there were many hidden pockets for the discerning wearer. She doubted Logan would suffer another chilly night under it's own warmth. Or hers, for that matter.

Compared to Aralines snowy white cloak, this one was pure, void black. An amusing coincidence she had contrived.

Some would indeed remark, at times, the black fur cloak seemed to literally suck the light out of a room-and it's wielder could be more menacing if he chose to-that Logan afterwards would have the soul of a wolf to match his cunning nature.

It was all rubbish though-there was no magick in it. Araline had watched the Black Warg burn and would not have used it's parts for fear of evil magick upon them-a similiar, if slightly smaller black wolf had been harvested for this purpose. The intention was obvious-as legend of the Black Warg spread, so too would the thought that the Kings forces had bested it and he now wore it's very pelt on his shoulders.

[filiusenox]

"It seems you were not bluffing about visiting Dru, son of Amius. Do not be surprised by my presence here, I am but a Chronicler and I do have my mission of information to keep me moving."

Greet the Amius Diplomat.

[1] He blinks at you for a moment, before pushing to his feet, leveling a finger at you and looking to Jaklin, as he speaks quickly, "This man is a diplomat from Nocte and obviously using his credentials as a Chronicler to spy on Dru! I suggest that you arrest him and put him away somewhere far away."

[6] Jaklin, calm as ever, spits on the ground, before replying. "Don't you ever give me orders or suggestions, scum." she pauses, looking you over, before asking, casually, "Is this true?"

Make it back to the captial with all men. Make our way through Ceadan to pick my our prisoner.

Accompany Valerian to the Capital.

[6] The prisoner is handed over without due fuss, atleast from the guards. Indeed, he isn't even wearing  shackles around his wrist, his horse being brought up, the saddlebags full of his armor. The lance/axe weapon is strapped across his back.
He casually eats an apple while watching you, before addressing you in a polite, compliant tone of voice. "Shall we go then? Or am I to be drug behind my horse by my hands for trying to help you?"

[~]He turns, rummaging in his saddlebag, "I got some rope here we can use. But of course, I do have to warn you, I am from a noble family and my father will be upset by any damages."

"Shall we go then, sir?"

"Duke Raoul Sercynian of Ceadan. I am here to request an audience with your leader, if you would be so kind to arrange such a thing."

[~] The meet goes relatively well, when all is said and done. The princess deciding to take your treasonous offer under consideration, as well as the offer for your men to protect her city-state from harm. You're lead to a nice room and told dinner will be brought up to you, and that if you wish to wander the ancient palace, a guard is to escort you.

[Shootandrun]

Jarod's frown grew deeper as Araline spoke. When she patted his shoulder, he did nothing - whatsoever. His face became expressionless, his breathing's pace did not change, and his eyes did not even deign to look at her hand. He broke the silence after a moment of challenging her eyes - he sounded tired, now, and perhaps a little disappointed.

"You wish to ensure I shall take no glory for myself, or that if I do it will be as a supportive role towards you. If you must step so low as to take such tactics, at least I expect you to dare to call it what it is - it is not as though you could further damage my opinion of you by lacking tact. I had not intention of taking credit for actions which were not mine, and I would have willingly acknowledged that the victory was yours. I killed the leader of the beasts, and I lead a well timed charge - no more, and no less."

He shook his head and shrugged, seemingly dismissing some thought.

"Play your games if you wish, lady Araline. I recognize their use, and I also recognize your talent as a player - and for all your assurances that the game disgusts you, you are one of the players, whether you deny it or not. It will not tarnish the relation we hold. What will tarnish it, however, is mistaking me for one of your kind. As I have already said, I am no politician - remember that, next time you believe you must make sure I am no threat to your dominance at court."

He turned away from her, staring at the tent's ceiling. He did not seem particularly angry - more of a mix of displeased and disappointed. He made a move of his hand towards the exit, clearly dismissing her.

"If it pleases you, my lady, I would like to spend some time alone, to rest."


--------------------

Jarod arrived a few minutes after Araline at the king's court, intentionally. He stayed at the back, politely waiting for the king to be done with the duchess - or at least, to be ready to spare some attention away from his returned lover.

[Dwarmin]

Araline has seemed bored at that moment of his little speech, not bothering to respond to Jarods outburst-the man couldn't see her eye to eye, even after all they had done together-would do together, in truth...maybe it was merely his wounds affecting his state of mind, but it seemed terribly unprofessional-uncharacteristically blunt.

'One of her kind'. Hmph. What did he really know? Did he ever think how hard it had been to keep control of her own vassals-not being perceived as weak or emotional? Did he perhaps guess how many second and and third distant cousins had vied for the house Logerhain seat, considered solely because they were men? He swung his sword and he preached about his God, and the world was fair to people like him-though she knew he had not had an easy life, either...

She sighed, crossing her arms. Araline could no more fault him for his disappointment then her need for brinksmanship.

"Very well, Saer-I shall leave you to the care of more capable nurses. A shame, our conversation started so well and ended so poorly. I had hoped for better."

She had left quietly then, nothing lingering but the faintest scents of steel, sweat, blood and perfume.

[Ardas]

He caught up to his lord and attempted to broach the subject. "Lord, when we go into town, will you mention my heroic deeds to your peers? I may need other employment in the future if I want to slow down."

Valerian turned to Hrosskel. The man saved his life and yet, this would be the first time he speaks to him. The knight felt ashamed for a moment before opening his mouth.
"Oh, there you are. Forgive me for my lack of thanks, but as you can see, I wasn't really able to tend to anyone but myself those last few days." Valerian motioned with his hand as to show his injuries and bandages.
"Don't worry, Your actions won't go unnoticed. It would be ungentlemanly to twist the truth to glorify oneself, especially when its plain and simple to see that I was the one who got defeated and not you. On another note, While Remus might be leaving me after I pay him off, it would be sad to see you leave my side straight away. I owe you my life after all, thats a debt I cannot leave unpaid."

[6] The prisoner is handed over without due fuss, atleast from the guards. Indeed, he isn't even wearing  shackles around his wrist, his horse being brought up, the saddlebags full of his armor. The lance/axe weapon is strapped across his back.
He casually eats an apple while watching you, before addressing you in a polite, compliant tone of voice. "Shall we go then? Or am I to be drug behind my horse by my hands for trying to help you?"

[~]He turns, rummaging in his saddlebag, "I got some rope here we can use. But of course, I do have to warn you, I am from a noble family and my father will be upset by any damages."

"Shall we go then, sir?"

Valerian wasn't worried too much about the prisoner. Both were knights and noble born, he hoped that those things meant enough between them to make some things obvious.

"Your word that you won't run away will suffice. I am a noble myself so your word will be good enough assurance to me. Rope and chains are good for commoners and enemies, not for your peers and countrymen. Lets go."

[filiusenox]

"Your word that you won't run away will suffice. I am a noble myself so your word will be good enough assurance to me. Rope and chains are good for commoners and enemies, not for your peers and countrymen. Lets go."

A look of mild annoyance crosses the man's features at the last words, but shrugs his broad shoulders levelly, and without apparent pain, even considering the bandages that still litter his body.
"I won't run if no attempts are made on my life. If I'm scheduled for execution, I will take offense."

[Ardas]

As they got closer to the capital, so Valerian slowly was regaining his strength. He was still severely battered and knew it would take him a while before he would fully recover, but he wasn't wincing as much and could stay awake during the day.
He was feeling perfectly capable of appearing to the king as they finally got to the capital. He did not hesitate to make a point of it, heading for a direct visit.

Dressed lightly and without weapons or a heavy knight's belt, Valerian looked very much like a courtier, but his face said enough that he wasn't one.
"Your Majesty, I have returned. We have found a barrow full of vile ghouls that molested duchy of Caedan. However, I managed to put them down, with Help of mercenaries Hrosskel and Remus, who saved me in a tough spot. They are being paid for and supplied already your Majesty, have no worry about their pay.
Also, I have captured the old Guard captain as he tried to cast a spell on me. I thought it prudent to being him to the capital and let you decide what to do with him."

[filiusenox]

Summer of 610fk

[4] Spring passes into Summer uneventfully. The fields return to silence after the beastly invasions of...beasts. The fields are re-plowed and a late crop of grain is brought up to speed with the ashes of villages touched by the beastly taint. Peace once more returns to the valley, and the Heat From Under Earth makes the summer scorching; a nice respite from the freezing cold.

[5+1] The people are content, glad their leaders can fight off the beasts that have terrorized them in their tales and legends with ease.  The bards begin to sing songs in praises of Jarod Goldhand, Araline
"Whitepelt" Blackberry, Valerian Vanguarde, Hrosskel Beast Slayer and the soldiers of their regiments.
 
[5+1] The extra tales about them and free drinks bought by wealthy and un-wealthy patrons, along with the extra money from selling Warg parts and other...trophies, increases military morale greatly, and they raise glasses to their commanders and cheer them on in their goals.

[3] The capital of Finister is still devoid of criminals, or atleast a large amount of them, the rate is slowly rising, but the guards, now calling themselves The Watch, can handle most if not all of it without issue.

[4] A trader, aged and bent with a great white beard, flanked by guards, sends in a proposal to the nobility and the king himself. He seems to wish to start selling Opium and Opium Derivatives(Longsleep, Auranum, Argentanum, and of course, to those with permits for such thing, Darkdream) in the Major cities of the nation, imported from the southern plainland plantations. No expenditure is required on the part of the kingdom, unless it wishes to purchase said goods itself.

[~] And the clerics of the kingdom press you to approve it, citing the increased tax revenue from such a venture and the increased happiness of the population proper. There might even be enough for a new road system!

Political Events

[4] Amuis and Visil Dru are officially at war, but Dru continues to only send barely enough soldiers to put pressure on the tiny city-state.

[3] Nothing else much happens, this season. Peace seems insured, at least for this summer.

[1]Nocte merchants come into conflict with Dru's own timber and fur sellers, a brief trade war between a set of merchant flares into a heavy battle, before ceasing as a victor takes control of his enemy's holdings and markets. A large trade fur-trading firm is shut down in Nocte, putting many trappers out of work and on the street. (-1 morale, -.3 ducat lost in the King's Lands, Blackberry and Caedan duchies.)

[Shootandrun]

Seeing how the King and the Duchess seemed to have settled down (after Araline had offered her liege the black warg's pelt, which was a good idea, despite the fact that any man who had been on the battlefield that day could know it was fake), Jarod advanced in turn. He bowed deeply not only towards the king, but also towards the lady. The motion was unusual - normally, he should only have done that if Araline had been married to Loghain. It seemed to imply he approved of the pair.

"I have returned from the north as well, Your Grace. I participated in lady Araline's little hunt, and the skin offered to you came from a beast put down by me.

However, I may have slain the packleader, but my sole contribution to the actual battle was a well-timed charge. The duchess would have won without my aid, and limited our shared losses with her tactical mastery. It seems you have chosen your King's Hand well.

He bowed again. He had said all that without looking at Araline, except at the end when he nodded politely towards her, as though he wished to signify his appreciation for her actions during the battle.

[Dwarmin]

Araline nodded in turn, not looking at him either, but giving the slightest of graces.

"...And likewise, has the King chosen well in his Kingdoms defender-I have never seen a more valiant foe against forces most foul and unnatural than Saer Jarod. When the beast was on it's last legs, it was he who found it's vital weakness of Gold, and allowed us to defeat it once and for all. Such cunning matched by a stout heart is a potent threat against those beasts who would rise against innocent Noctians." She commented idly, wondering what snaking thoughts ran through the mans head.

He had never really stopped glowering since they came back...

[micelus]

"If I was a spy I would have subtly asked for garrison locations, general morale, weapon shortages and about possible rebels to help in toppling your government. You know very well that I've only asked about economic information...which while slightly useful for a spy, is low on any potential spy's agenda."

"Besides, were I a diplomat I could have simply presented myself to the border guard and meet with your king; why would I waste my own money on purchasing a pass?"

Nope, definitely not a spy.

[Dwarmin]

After the meeting with the King...

Araline sat in her castle suite, crunching numbers and figures with a quill pen and parchment-as she spent many of her nights, until recently.

She had figured the state of affairs in Nocte was settled-for the moment, anyway. It was unfortunate about the downturn in the fur industry, but it was not surprising-a demand for Warg predictably made anything else momentarily cheap. She decided to seed some money there...hopefully, she could keep her own people happy and paying their taxes on time.

After, she turned to foreign affairs. The small war between her neighbors intrigued her. Perhaps some idea of how-in her mind-the inevitable war between Dru and Nocte would play out could be sifted from the whole mess.

Personally, she was also fond of Queen Amelia, and once in a long forgotten past, they had spent some time together making trouble and chasing boys-before the calls of nobility and rulership, and the gilded shackles that came with it. But, that was ancient history-and she did not think Amelia was one to be burdened by the past, believing her no less cunning and devious than she herself. Things changed, though, and it had been many years. Who could say if the years had softened her mind or hardened her heart?

The Duchesse decided she would like to meet her old friend, and talk business. Perhaps they could both find an appealing outcome for both their nations...and catch up on old times.

Finally, she ticked off the last box-hiring someone to sharpen up her blade skills on the road and at home. She couldn't let what had happened before, happen again. What use was all the plotting and stratagem in the world if some Forest Troll ate and shit you out in some random nameless cave somewhere?

Action 1: Invest 2 ducats into blackberry Duchy to try and stimulate infrastructure, business and increase revenues.
Action 2: Spend the season training Swordsmanship. Spend 0.5 D looking for a good trainer.
Action 3: Araline, sensing potential in the Dru-Amius dustup, arranges for a trip to Amius, and a meeting with Queen Amelia Crystophe to learn their general state of affairs and perhaps more.

[Ghazkull]

At the Meeting
Logan took the cloak from the servants hands and put it on. It gave his grim face an all the more predatory and viscious look, which was broken up by a broad smile.

It's quite heavy. You padded it that it protects against blows didn't you?

his grin went broader took an altogether strange look. One that propably nobody had seen for decades in Logans face...mischief. Ignoring anyone else present, he quickly swept her from her feet in and whirled her around in an embrace before kissing her and whispering

You have no idea how much i missed you.

he quickly put her down and turned around to the Inquisitor his usualy scowl on his face.

Very well i have to thank you both for your...hunting skills. However sicne you had so much fun you won't object to some work Lord Inquisitor. I want you to bring our Spy Network up to par, as well as our scouts. We are virtually blind. I want to know everything about my own Lords and the movements of Dru and Amius.

Aral, you take 3 Ducats from the Treasury. I want you to bring roads to Nocte. We've been stamping through the mud for too long. Also make sure that that Opium shit is only sold to doctors and healers. I don't want that stuff among my populace.

I will meanwhile sent Diplomats to Claine offering wood and pelt trade and try to strike an allliance with the Isrils.

Send Diplomats to Claine, offering Wood and Pelt Trade.
Send Diplomats to Isril offering the same Trade and measuring if they would be willing to strike an alliance.
Find out where the hell our River leads...

[Shootandrun]

At the mention of a spy network, Jarod grinned. On another man, it would have looked fine, but between his scars and his missing eye, it made him look like a mass murderer.

"If you want spies, you'll have spies. However, I'll need a budget. I do have funds of my own, but I highly doubt my investors would approve of church funds spent on spywork, and I also doubt that you want the priests to know what I'm doing for you. As such, unless you want your spies to be street rats and peasants willing to work for a few coppers, I will need more money. A ducat should suffice to bring the network up to par within our own kingdom - for the neighbors, two to four will be necessary."

He looked around. He had been speaking relatively softly, making sure the guards could not hear; when he looked back at the king his grin was slightly smaller.

"Also, I think you'll agree that besides you and Araline, nobody needs to know the extra work I will be doing. A man's duty can become considerably harder to do when he receives an assassin from his targets for every spy he sends out."

Train swordsmanship for the season ((since the wound happened very late in the season, I assume this is possible))
While recovering from the warg / specter incidents, go through all the books available in the city and from Araline on the subject of creatures. Look for weaknesses of the most common and the most dangerous foes.

[Urist_McDrowner]

Hrosskel took the downtime he had in the capital and put it to good use; he never particularly liked sitting idle. After informing his master of his whereabouts should he be needed, he went to an abandoned building, set up a few dummies, and went to work.

Train Weapon Proficiency (Maces)