3821, the fourth month of the year, and the second month of spring.
Adeeb Wasirri, Lord Governor of Dhum-Blud
20 years old
Health and Physical Abilities
Fit
Healthy
Social Skills
Practiced in Court Manners
Rogueish Charm
Practical Skills
Competent Swordsman
Competent Tumbler
Mediocre Rider
Novice Sneak
Novice Field Commander
Personal Possessions.
A well bred riding horse. (Mare.)
An aging riding horse. (Stallion.)
A Fine Duelling Saber.
Several Sets of gentleman's clothes.
Walders old clothing and perfumes. (The former is gaudy and a little big, and the latter is a little too strong.)
Councilors, Vassals, Allies and Agents.
Formal Councillors
Aldagor. Barrister, Elderly noble courtier.
Balpher. Garrison Commander, noble courtier.
Desan. Steward, young noble courtier.
Elerik. Junior Garrison Commander,Low-born Wasirri Guardsman.
Agents
Vest. Friend, Lowborn duellist and former smuggler.
Eduard. Lowborn Courtier.
Adventuring Trio.
Vassals
Mayor Veera
Sir Madagor
Holdings.
Bonewatch
-Tiny Stone Keep on a hilltop.
--Sparse Furnishings
--Well Stocked Larder (Decent quality, including wine, salt pork, local spices and the other imported goods)
--Small dungeon under the castle. 12 cells.
-Stables (11/25)
-Barracks (Sufficient space and bedding to hold a little over a hundred men.)
-Armoury (Stocked with Spears, swords and bows of mediocre quality. Stocked with Quilted armour and padding of poor quality. Stocked with plenty of poor quality arrows.)
-Rickety wooden outer palisade.
-patchy overgrown "dirt" roads.
-Mostly Unmanned rickety wooden watchtowers.
-a handful of wooden homes within the walls.
-A well with plenty of fresh water.
-A few nearby farming families.
Bleak-Haven
-Village
--The Wretched Mut A seedy Tavern
--A well maintained Windmill
--A small shrine to the local patron spirit
--A few scattered homes.
--A few poor craftsmen.
-Your Manor
--A few Fine furnishings.
-Overgrown Patchy "Dirt" Roads
-An interconnected farming community in the local area.
Military
-Bonewatch Garrison. (53 soldiers of passable discipline and mediocre combat training, but decent morale. Armed with bows, spears and short-swords of varying quality. Girded in quilted linen armor, steel caps, and the occasional breastplate. Wearing the King's colours.)
-Unnamed Fortified Watchtower Garrison (20 soldiers of good discipline, wearing the King's colours.)
-Household Gaurd. (19 Skilled Fighters trained in urban and close-quarters combat. Armed with arming-swords, bucklers and longknives. Girded in Quilted Doublets, steel breastplate,open-faced helms, greaves and bracers, all of good quality. Loyal to your family and wearing your family colors.)
-Bleakhaven Community Watch. (A group of locals that fluctuates in number, protecting, keeping watch on and patrolling the town and outer farms.)
-Bleakhaven Garrison. (6 soldiers, functionally identical to Bonewatch Garrison)
Assets
-A heavy bag of gold "Crowns" (7/8)
-A chest half full of Silver "Crowns" (Many clipped and restamped.)
-Nine Light Riding Horses (local breed, frisky and quick, but also small and unsuited to long hard travel)
-4 Rickety Wooden Carts
-6 Months worth of poor quality local grain. (at current consumption)
-4 Months worth of Imported Food-Stuffs (at current consumption, includes beans, pickled vegetables, salt, butter and wheat flour all of decent quality)
You decide against dragging the matter out or presiding over the trial yourself. Aldagor seems pleased you are leaving the ceremony of the trial to him, even as you effectively render the verdict before the trial begins. You do however watch the proceedings and stand as the official arbitrator. Your court, the accused parties, and relevant witnesses are all brought into your audience chamber, and first of the trials begins.
The deserters are tried first. One by one, each is brought before you, and the witnesses testify to the ill deeds of each. Thievery, trouble-making, bullying, nothing that would normally see a man hanged, but all the same Aldagor seems to have done a good job orchestrating the case against each. Desertion would be enough to see any of them dead, but it certainly helps to convince those assembled that these trouble-makers arn't deserving of the clemency you've provided to others. Aldagor speaks firmly, with the voice of an orator, and you notice his back is a little less bowed than usual as he strides around the room, making a show of addressing you and calling up witnesses. One by one you sentence each to death by hanging, and they are ushered away in chains by your gaurds.
Finally, Arin is brought before the court. His trial is much shorter, the gaurds and servants who were there to find him over the corpse, coupled with his own confession, is well beyond damning. There is little ceremony in this fourth trial, and you render your judgement. "
I have thought long and hard over the fate of this prisoner. Arin, you have no house, and are regarded as a troublemaker, yet still i bear sympathy for you. Still, one cannot let the death of a royal representative stand. I, Adeeb Wasirri, with the royal authority invested in me by the crown sentence you to death by beheading by the headsman's axe. I will afford you a dignified death, and carry out the sentence myself." With your sentence given, Arin is dragged out from the audience chamber, and brought back into the dungeon, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Many of those present gasp in surprise, probably at the details of the sentence, but you soon dismiss the court.
...
The following day, in the morning, the sentences are carried out publicly. Many of your household subjects and guards are there to watch the executions, as well as some of the injured parties from the day before.It's a quiet morning, with a cool breeze that whips through your hair as you consider the axe one of your gaurds is holding for you. Gallows have been assembled in preparation, and Aldagor reads over the sentences and charges for the benefit of those gathered, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind over who is dying or why. One after another, each of the sentenced offer last words. The first chooses to ask that his property be sent to his still living mother, the second curses your name inneffectively, and the third admonishes his former comrades for not speaking on his behalf.
When each has had their neck cleanly broken, the fourth prisoner, Arin, is brought up. His last words are clear and simple. "
We all know he had it coming. Maybe so did i." This is received with reserved nods by many watching, but it does not save his life. He goes down on his knees, and is chained in place. You are not used to the weight of the weapon you are handed, but it is not hard to bring it down, and your aim is true. The head comes cleanly off, and with it comes a spatter of blood that you do not entirely avoid. You hand the axe back to your gaurd, and with the eyes of those assembled on you, leave to clean yourself up.
...
The rest of the month passes with little else of note occurring beyond your efforts for the month continuing onward. Your adventurers return, bringing with them more maps detailing the locations of nearby landmarks, as well as the location of what they believe to be a bandit fort. It's built on the ruins of what seems to have once been an abandoned castle. It's overgrown and crumbled, but they've improvised with palisade and stakes driven into the dirt wherever there would otherwises be holes in the defences. It's closer to Bleakhaven than it is to Bonewatch, though not much more than six day's ride away either way. They believe there to be at least thirty fighting men there, and Balpher states that would make it the smaller and probably closest of the outlaw groups, which he states would explain how they have avoided detection until now. The adventurers avoided any more skirmishes, though that doesn't mean they avoided all detection while they were snooping around. After reviewing the maps that they've brought your scribe notes that they were hardly thorough, but that this goes a long way towards updating the maps currently in the castle records, which are beginning to show their age. The land is quite vast and wild however, so comprehensive maps would likely require a concentrated effort by more than lone adventurers and occassional patrols.
...
Soon, you receive word that a small force of men are approaching the castle, bearing the standard of your Vassal, Sir Madagor. A score of footmen, and a dozen on horseback. It's not exactly an invading force, but it's hardly an appropriate armed guard for a man of his rank.