2334th Year of Man, 4th Month, 15th Day:As you lie in bed trying to sleep for the first time at Groghall, your mind returns to the issue of succession. You briefly offer serious consideration to the merits of naming Fortune Duchess of Redleaf. The biggest upside is a selfish one; she is only 10 and the law of the kingdom says a regent can rule in her place until her 22nd birthday - by appointing her you could keep direct control for the longest possible time. There is also the prospect of marriage arrangements; Men in the market who may have passed on her before might give Fortune another look if she has the word 'Duchess' in front of her name, and picking the right offer for Fortune's hand might land you the allies, money, and troops you need to retake what is yours.
You doubt these two upsides, however, are enough to cover all the disadvantages brought about by skipping over all the older siblings in favor of an anti-social blind girl who expects to die young, so you turn your attention to Joy, who is starting to look like a better and better choice the more you think about it. As long as Dean is willing to publicly renounce his claim to quiet any questions skipping him might raise, the only real downside to naming Joy Duchess is that Redding might decide that you have outlived your usefulness once you do so. Still, you control 60 swords to his none, and he knows enough about your dark magic to respect your ability to Hex him. As long as you keep a strong position relative to him, you doubt he would act.
Fairly confident in your selection of the next Duchess, you drift off to sleep.
2334th Year of Man, 4th Month, 16th Day:You wake up early. It is imperative that you assign Wednesday her task before Fortune wakes up. Your daughter considers the ghoul to be her best friend, and would likely mount a protest over you sending her out after just explaining that you couldn't repair any damage she might suffer.
"I need you to trail the mayor today. See what you can dig up." You command,
"I know the guy is a slimeball, but I'd like to know exactly what we are dealing with. Just don't push the envelope or get in any deeper than you feel comfortable going. Fortune will be pissed at me if you get hurt while I can't fix you.""That's the understatement of the year boss, but I'll get right on it," the tiny ghoul replies before leaving to gather her mission gear. You then eat a quick breakfast before deploying Dean, Redding, and Tuft to arrange for you meetings with Fugitap, Mayor Rothwell, and Chieftain Foot respectively.
With everything else out of the way, you and your goblin 'prisoner' Caddor dress for town and hit the streets to investigate the local potion trade. The first thing you notice is a strange lack of small time herbalists and potion dealers at the market-place. When you inquire about this to a passing sellsword, he tells you with an air of disgust that only three establishments in the entire city sell potions. With that in mind, you set out to visit each potion dealer in turn.
The first potion shop is called
Syzzik's Imports, although you can tell right away the name is a lie as the unmistakable smell of potions being brewed wafts in from the back room. The potions on sale all have exotic sounding names, come in beautiful hand-blown artisan flasks, and are priced about 10 times higher than you might expect similar potions to go for in the Hamlets around Cleanwater Castle. When you ask about buying brewing supplies, the young boy at the counter goes back to fetch the owner, Syzzik. Speaking with a thick accent that leads you to believe that he is either from exotic Titan Rock or a very good actor, Syzzik apologetically informs you that he doesn't have the faintest idea how potions are brewed because he imports his entire stock. Deciding that calling bullshit isn't worth the trouble, you thank him and move on to the next establishment.
At your next stop, a small re-purposed Orcish lodge called
The Flying Flask, things go a bit better at first. The owner, a plain spoken middle aged commoner named Zeph recognizes you, but when you ask about buying supplies and hiring help to start brewing potions in town, he gets very uncomfortable and changes the topic by giving you a tour of his facility. While in his kitchen, you note the jungle plants hanging from racks, and once Zeph confirms that he gathers them locally, you are quite certain that you can make at least healing, pain resistance, aura masking, and aphrodisiac potions using only what can be gathered from the jungle. You also note that Zeph uses unaged liquor as a base for his potions, which stretches ingredient supply but likely renders everything he sells at least 30 proof. The tour ends in the shop, where you notice the prices are only slightly better than those at
Syzzik's Imports.
When you re-iterate your request to purchase supplies. He tells you he cannot help, and you can tell at once you have somehow put him in an uncomfortable position. Before you can inquire as to what is wrong, Zeph makes a counter-offer: A 30% share in his business in exchange for a noble title and the eventual hand of your daughter Fortune for his 7 year old son. In response to this presumptuous offer, you promptly end the discussion by storming out in a huff.
At your last stop, the Orcish run
Mogpan, things get scary. You again note the stock is overpriced, and when you inquire about purchasing brewing supplies, the owner leaps up from his chair in rage an chases you into the street with an axe in hand.
On your way home, Caddor begins to put the pieces together.
"I think the three shops we visited are in cahoots. They work together to keep competition out so that they can set whatever prices they want. That Orc is scary, I suspect he is the enforcer who keeps the whole racket together. That last human wanted to help you, but was frightened shitless, so he may not be an entirely willing participant. Assuming he doesn't know who you are, I wouldn't be shocked if tall, green, and angry tries to have you killed for poking around. I'd stay in the mead hall or move with an armed escort for the next few days if I were you."You return home in time for dinner, and are informed that the three meetings you sought to schedule will all take place tomorrow. Wednesday returns shortly after you change into your eveningware. The ghoul reassures Fortune that she was merely getting a feel for the lay of the town, and not doing anything dangerous. She then waits for your daughter to go to bed before pulling you aside to give you her report.
"The Mayor has three live kobolds tailing him discretely at all times. I don't think they detected me but I couldn't get close. Not sure if they were his lookout, or if they were spying on him, but I didn't want to risk it." She says with a defeated frown, before breaking into a wicked grin,
"So I gave up and just broke into his office instead, his security sucks. I found a letter from Countess Charlie on his desk, and nobody disturbed me so I had time to transcribe it for you. You are gonna want to read this one boss."Your servant pulls a sheet of paper covered in small, neatly formed, words from her cloak and hands it to you.
Transcribed Letter Dated 2334th Year of Man, 4th Month, 13th Day:Dearest Mayor,
The Duke's death presents the opportunity to undo the damage he has caused us, and the time to act is now. Two of the four officers at Riverland Crossing are leaning towards declaring loyalty to the murderous Prince, and of the other two one is Partisan to those genocidal sodomizers of House Horton. My husband is busy leading a raid against Silver County to probe their defenses, so dealing with the crossing falls to me. I have hatched a plan to take the crossing, and will require some help from you.
Within the next week, my son Wendle and I will lead six hundred swords into town. The plan is for Wendle to take a hundred men, hire a ferry across the river, and head South to inform the mighty clans of Ivy, Spear, Shark, and Ape that the Duke is dead, his ban on their presence near the border has ended, and once we take control of the crossing the old status quo will be restored. Meanwhile, I will take the five hundred remaining men, along with at least twice that many mercenaries from town, and besiege the crossing from the North. Once Wendle rounds up the mighty clans and cuts off the south side of the crossing, we will have won.
For this plan to work, it is imperative that the host I control vastly outnumber the 600 strong garrison at Riverland Crossing, to discourage them from attacking before Wendle and the Orcs show up. Although you are not to talk specifics with anybody, I expect you to have at least five hundred swords from town already committed to the campaign by the time I arrive. If you fail me in this, I will see your family punished.
In other news, If the Duchess is in town by the time I arrive, I will try to push my agenda with her and her family. My chief concern is getting her endorsement of our actions as a just campaign to avenge her husband and restore her family to control of the Duchy. I will first try to butter her up by talking nice and offering her the resources she needs to pursue her own revenge. If I can actually get her to agree to actively and willingly aid us, her Dark Magic will be a huge boon, but if I have to threaten her into merely giving a reluctant endorsement, I will settle for that. I have leverage.
If her son Dean is around, I intend to try to lure him into coming with either myself or Wendle so that we may have him killed and blame it on combat. If this fails, I want you to arrange for his death to occur as soon as you can get away with it. With him out of the way, and her two oldest ones indisposed, she will likely make her daughter Joy next in line to inherit the Duchy. Joy served under me during my recent trip to the front. I respect her deeply as a warrior, love her deeply as a friend, and most importantly command her undying obedience as her commanding officer.
Your Benevolent Mistress and Overlord,
Countess Charlie Kinkaid
The letter fills you with hope, sadness, and anger. Charlie clearly wants some sort of alliance with you, and would rather get it through diplomatic means than threats. It is clear that the Kinkaids consider you a potential asset, and will treat you as such until such a time you show them otherwise.
The sadness comes from the realization that your husband's legacy is being undone. The war Sylvester fought at the beginning of his reign accomplished three things: It removed the southern border from Kinkaid control, it banned the four mighty clans (large and particularly nasty Orc groups the Kinkaids allowed to raid lands they didn't control in exchange for help defending the lands they did) from the jungles near the border, and it took back Silver County from the Kinkaids. Charlie's plan would make sure the Prince dosn't control the southern crossing, and would gain your side powerful and much needed allies in the form of the Mighty Clans, but in doing so would also reverse two of your husband's major victories in one fell swoop.
Then the anger. They want to kill Dean. One of your children. The child who seeks to follow in the footsteps of his mother and grandfather. The young man who in some ways has already surpassed you as a Dark Mage. You cannot forgive this! ...But on the other hand, the plot can be easily averted. You take a deep breath. Pragmatism must prevail, for now at least. All you have to do is name Joy duchess, something that was likely going to happen anyway, and Charlie will have no reason to harm your son.
You thank your creation for finding and transcribing the letter, instruct her not to divulge anything for now, and retire for the evening.
2334th Year of Man, 4th Month, 17th Day:Fugitap arrives to meet with you before you even wake up, so you dress right away and arrange to have a private breakfast with him and Dean in your chambers.
The pair of you have been in written contact since he came to Redleaf Duchy four years ago, but you haven't actually seen your old friend since childhood. Luckily for you he doesn't seem to have changed much, and promptly upon entering your chamber flashes the pointed smile that can at once brighten and frighten a room.
You explain your situation, and after allowing your friend to express his condolences, ask if he knows where you can purchase the equipment you need to properly perform Dark Magic. The answer you get is pretty helpful.
"I think if anybody in this Duchy sold that sort of stuff, you would know about it Maeris. We had to drag workstation components across the jungle from home to get set up here, and it took two tries because the Orcs hit our convoy the first time. Luckily for you the Goblins of Bloodwalls Fortress acknowledge your uncle's law when on human lands, and by your uncle's decree all dark Mages answer to you around here.""Which means I can demand reasonable tribute of your mages..." you muse.
"Tribute which can come in the form of access to your workstations," Dean concludes. While your husband was alive and you had duties as Duchess to fulfill, you had more or less neglected your role as chief regional dark mage. Aside from sending a Wight to keep tabs on and pass the occasional order to the few you know of, you have done little to organize to local black magic community in your favor. Perhaps now is the time to start changing that.
"Exactly," the goblin agrees.
"Our base of operations is the Rivertower Knifehouse, a butcher shop and traditional goblin eatery two blocks west of the market. Your first visit should come when I'm on duty so I can introduce you to everybody. I skin the big reptiles our hunter catches at night every morning at dawn, and it usually take me at least two hours."---
Chieftain Foot arrives a bit after lunch, while most of your household is out exploring town. Only Fortune, who rarely ventures outside on account of her blindness, and Mason, who didn't want to pass up the opportunity to meet with another scholar of the divine, sit down with you and your old teacher at the big table. Foot is dressed just as shabbily as he was when you last knew him, and if anything seems to have gotten even thinner.
"Blessings upon you in your time of grief," The old shabby Orc begins,
"May your tears burn hot, and lead to the tears of those who wronged you. To what do I owe the honor of this invite?""I just thought it would be wise to consult with a respected teacher," you answer with a respectful bow,
"to see how he is doing, and what services he is offering that may be of use to me in these trying times.""Don't inquire about his condition, mother," Fortune urges in the prophetic tone she sometimes adopts,
"it will only make you sad.""The girl has wisdom," The defunct Chieftain admits,
"you gain nothing from learning of my plight. Instead let me just tell of how we may help each other. Right now, I am will to test youngins for the potential required to be a divine caster, this process takes two or three days, and I charge a three meals and a bottle of wine or liquor for it. I am also looking for two students to train as divine casters of an Orc Deity of their choosing. I intend to charge one of these students with providing my meals during their time under me, and the other with paying my rent, 11 Silver a month.""You are willing to take students for food and rent?" You ask appalled,
"how bad are things for you? Have you eaten today?"The old Orc waves off your concern.
"You were my student once, so you will always be my student. It is my role to give you help in your hour of need, not the other way around. I am however looking to get back on my feet by selling my personal library, the asking price is 1500 silver, and I couldn't think of anybody more worthy to own it than you.""1500 Silver for you whole library?" You swallow your saliva in shock,
"You have individual books worth more than that!" An understatement if you ever made one. Some of the documents in Foot's collection are one of a kind, and thus priceless.
Foot shrugs.
"I didn't think you could afford much more than 1500 silver under current circumstances...""...Honestly, I can't even afford the 1500 at the moment," You sigh.
"Don't feel bad, we all die in the end no matter how much money we have." Fortune chimes in merrily, doing her best to be helpful. Foot turns to stare at her, before glancing at you.
"So what is up with that kid?""You see," Mason says to enter the conversation at last,
"Lady Riverland's youngest daughter here has been, in some way, touched by a goddess of dark prophecy and disaster from the deep pantheon...""-What the boring old man is trying to say is that some drow diety is in my head, and she lets me see bad things as they are happening, or even before they happen," Fortune interupts. The old Orc looks sufficiently impressed.
---
Still wary of a potential hit placed on you by the leader of some potion brewing cartel, you have Typhoon Swarm escort you to the mayor's office just before sundown. Upon arriving, it becomes apparent that bringing thirty orcs with you has the added bonus of frightening the mayor, who's office, according to Wednesday, is only protected by five fully armored Kinkaid House Guards and fifteen mercenaries, most of whom are young human females chosen more for appearance than combat effectiveness.
"My Duchess," he exclaims as you walk into his office flanked by Tempest and the five soldiers she has the most faith in,
"I-I've been waiting for you. I just got word from Lady Charlie's advanced scout. She should be in town around Midnight, and has asked if she and her son Wendle could lunch with you at Groghall tomorrow.""I suppose." you answer curtly. No harm in having the meeting at your place.
"G-good. Now to w-what do I owe this visit?" He is sweating heavily, for once, you'd like to think, not because he is wearing furs in the jungle.
"I'll be blunt. We both know you are not the most honest mayor in the Kingdom, Gregory. I want to know what you are willing and able to do for me, and at what cost," with a sigh, you decide to break the illusion of danger you have created and continue,
"please do not mistake my escort as a threat to you. I fear I may have drawn the ire of some of the locals and my life may be in danger."The mayor takes a deep breath and calms down.
"Oh. You mean Peat. The Orc. Yeah. He was in here last night, he wanted to hire the city guard to kill you. I explained you were off limits. It completely slipped my mind that you brewed potions, I should have warned you to stay out of that business here when you first got into town.""Or you could have told them to let me in." You firmly suggest.
"I might do that yet, my Duchess. Hell, I could have them all executed for price gouging if I felt like it, and turn their assets over to you. I think the degree to which I am willing to work with you depends on how your meeting with Lady Charlie goes tomorrow," as the mayor's confidence returns, so does a smug grin to his face.
"Just know that whatever you need done in this city, I have the authority to do."Feel free to suggest matters of discussion to bring up at any of the above meetings that take place on the 17th Day, and any actions to complete tomorrow morning before your meeting with Countess Kinkaid.
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Topic: (SG) The Redleaf Epic (Formerly Widow: A Duchess Scorned) (Read 66320 times)