(@StrawBarrel: Demons can pass messages along to anybody with a projection stage (so long as they have been in contact with that person's projection stage before, or you have and can forward them the contact information), but you have to negotiate it first. Tiv's organization will pass messages to family for free, usually. There are demons who largely make their living passing messages around for a cost, and those that do usually have the skill set to find somebody you don't have the contact information for, again at a cost. Dean told you about two such demons a few turns ago.)
(I think I have enough to go on here for a turn. I'll dip into some of the earlier suggestions from before the dump and mini-turn as well.
...or shit can hit the fan and we don't even get to Thursday. That works too.)
2334th Year of Man, 4th Month, 31st and Final Day:
Saturday
During the conference call, you get a few messages passed back and forth with other members of the family. Farquad notes that if you agree to his terms, he would likely subject his three and a half year old daughter Windchime to the test of faith. The girl has already been accessed to have a talent for divine magic, so she wouldn't need to be subjected to Yukprong's interference first, and is young enough that Farquad has time to figure out how to undo whatever might be done to her before she can become a threat to herself and others. Your eldest also adds that some of his in-laws have expressed interest in aiding the cause, and that once you control either Port or Silver County he could round up a few hundred troops for you, perhaps more if it is clear at the time that he is in line to receive control of a County or even the Duchy.
Your mother isn't with the troops herself. She passes along that she sent your message that the Kinkaids are friend and the Marlowes foe by way of an airborne false angel, so it should reach them in time. The forces she sent are all riders, and should arrive in Silver County any day now, if they haven't already. She then gives a brief breakdown of the men deployed to your aid.
One hundred and fifty riders are lowborn conscripts from Bonedust controlled land; The conscripts are under the command of Marcela Bonedust, a young hotshot Dread Knight who married into the family. Two hundred and fifty riders are residents of Redleaf Duchy, a mix of nobles and lowborn, pulled from the front lines upon hearing of the death of their Duke; These local Knights have fallen under the command of Noir Strongcurrent, Redding's son from his first marriage. Lastly, your mother tapped into the ancestral vault and sent twenty five wights mounted on simple zombie horses made with scrap souls; The Wights are lead by Sir Evander Skorn, a truly ancient ancestor who predates the age of man.
The make up of this group worries you a bit; Many of the local riders hail from lands presently loyal to the Prince, and their commander Noir is young and may lack the experience necessary to prevent defection. To further complicate things, you know Victor Marlowe, the twin's younger brother, is a mounted knight on the front lines, and your mother is not sure if he is with Noir or not.
2334th Year of Man, 5th Month, 1st Day:
Sunday
You spend the day shoring up the home front and socializing with the household.
Dean is not terribly thrilled with the idea of subjecting himself to the test of faith. Ascending and taking a vow of fealty to a stronger demon is one thing, opening one's soul for two demons to do as they please in there is another issue entirely. Your youngest son then has the gall to suggest using Fortune, suggesting that giving another god a stake in the girl might throw a wrench into whatever Tetha is planning. In turn, you point out that getting Fortune mixed up in divine affairs could very easily be exactly what Tetha wants. Dean then counters by stating that teaching Fortune to use divine magic might give her better insight and control regarding the powers she already has.
By the end of the discussion it is pretty clear that subjecting himself to the test of faith is the last thing Dean wants to do, but although you are sure it would be a fight to do so, you are confident that you can get him to at least reluctantly agree to subject himself to the test if you decide to go that route.
You have a quick discussion with Mason. You note the scholar is nervous, but he waves off your concern by stating that he is not used to orcs, and being around so many makes him uncomfortable, but he is sure he will get used to it eventually. He reports no new developments with Fortune, and laments that if anything did happen, his insight would be a bit more limitted than usual as he left some key tomes back in Cleanriver Castle when he fled with your family and Glen Horton following Sylvester's death. He suggests a fresh pair of eyes might help, and implies that in a town with this many mercenaries, it may be possible to find somebody who actually practices the divine magic of the deep pantheon to give your daughter a looking over.
Unable to draw information reguarding his covert activities from the scholar, you next visit with the man who pointed Mason's leaking out to you: Redding. Redding gives you an update of the ferry situation; The assassinations and the take over that followed them have been a complete success, and the boats should be back to running at normal capacity by the end of the week. He then gives you even more good news - the mercenary group he was waiting for is back in town, so he intends to leave and visit his father soon. In regards to that, Redding has two requests for you: First he would like permission to negotiate freely on your behalf, as he suspects his father might try to impose terms or conditions on his oath of fealty. He also notes his eldest son Greent, who was with the mercenaries, is in town, and that Redding would like him to move into Groghall watch over Joy on his behalf while he is gone. You are not terribly comfortable with this; Greent was closer to Chasity and the Marlowe twins growing up than he was to Joy.
Your pregnant daughter is tracked to the barracks, where you find her talking military strategy and her father's legacy with some of the older orcs from Caiman Swarm who knew Sylvester. Joy informs you that she is more or less fine, and is using divine magic to nullify some of pregnancy's nastier side effects as she was taught to do at the cloister. She hopes that you will keep Snakeyes around, as she would like another member of the Steel Sisterhood to attend to her when she gives birth. Lastly, she intends to learn how to read orcish script, as there are some documents on military strategy and divine magic in the collection your purchased from Chieftian Foot. Joy would prefer to take lessons from you, but is otherwise going to draft one of the Groghall soldiers to teach her.
As you turn to leave, Joy pulls you aside to an empty row of beds, and speaks quietly to you in private. She informs you that Dean told her about the test of faith, and demands to be the one subjected to it. As somebody already well versed in divine magic, she argues she is the best fit. She then states she needs to be as powerful as possible to reclaim her Duchy and avenge her father. You try to argue that the process is risky and that Orcish Magic is illegal and unbecoming of a Duchess, but Joy is having none of it. You are sure she will be quite cross with you if she doesn't get her way. You are also sure that Dean, wanting to get out of subjecting himself to the test, told Joy about it expecting her to react as she did.
At night you check in with Wednesday, to see how she has been eating. As the ghoul inhabits a tiny kobold body, she dose not need to feed often, and doesn't even need to take a lethal amount of blood when she does. She has fed only once since arriving at Groghall, three days ago on a Typhoon Swarm Orc she caught napping at his post. She does mention she is bored and unfulfilled, and wonders if you are withholding the privilege of serving you from her because she did something to offend you.
2334th Year of Man, 5th Month, 2nd Day:
Monday
You decide to put aside your responsibilities as mother, head of household, and Duchess for the day, and attempt to enjoy yourself for the first time since Sylvester's Death. You send word to Syzzik that you will be joining him for dinner, and Dublin Kinkaid that you would like him to meet you in the basement of Groghall to muck about with some demons as soon as he can get over. While you wait for Dublin, you compose a letter to his mother, telling Charlie of the situation with Clan Ivy, although you are rather confident she has already heard about it from Gregory.
Dublin meets you in the basement, and after some brief and slightly awkward flirting, you get to work. Dublin has the power to force the demons from the necklace, and to draw favorable contracts from them by threatening their existence. You in turn can use summoning magic to bind demons to whatever contracts they agree to so long as they remain on the same realm as you.
Your suitor brings out the demons one at a time, threatens them into compliance, and waits for you to come to terms with or order the death of each before bringing out the next.
The Sorrow's Daughter is forced from hiding first, as she is more or less harmless so long as neither you nor Dublin are kind to her out of pity before getting her on a contract. Noting her precarious position, the demon offers you a contract of unconditional and indefinite servitude. She notes that she would prefer to be treated as her master's offspring while not working, and would like to be given a mortal name as Iztilatilpoqpoqlofug doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. The Demon also mentions that her mother, a sorrow fiend with a similarly unpronounceable name, runs a small ring of inter-realm smugglers and may offer a reward for her safe return. The Demon before you does not know her mother's hex sign, so getting in touch may be a bit of a chore.
The Star Beast is stronger and more prideful than the Sorrow's Daughter and would rather face death than offer unconditional and indefinite servitude as she did. He notes that he was created by the Deep God Urchurn, who you know to be a deity of Law, Treasure, Light, and Fire. Urchurn sent this particular demon, who insists you call him Starling, to the mortal realm to sniff out stockpiles of demonic goods left behind by wandering demons, smugglers, and dark mages. The contract he offers places Starling at your disposal during the week, and allows the Star Beast to pursue the work he was sent to do during the weekend, so long as it doesn't conflict with your interests. The contract offered lasts until he finds a stash of significant value within your reach, at which point you will split the treasure 50-50 with Urchurn and allow the demon his freedom.
The Tentacle Demon is a bit larger than expected, closer in mass and volume to a hippopotamus than a horse. This particular specimen is covered in pink barbs, which you suspect can inject various nasty toxins into its victims. The creature is half crazed and starving, and you get the impression that it has been sealed away for far longer than the other two. It agrees to serve you for the rest of your mortal life on two conditions: that it first be allowed to go to Silver or Cleanriver County to feast upon the locals until it's appetite is sated, and that you agree to never seal it away again. You note it must have some mind reading capabilities if it knows enough about the political situation to name the two closest hostile counties.
Neither the Star Beast nor the Tentacle Demon seem willing to budge from their offer, and they both would stick out like a sore thumb in your presence. Should you choose to have any of the demons killed, their corpses would likely fetch a good price from mortal merchants, and might even be worth a few souls to a demon looking to buy them.
When you are finished, Dublin notes that he found the experience thrilling, and that if you feel the same way your next date with him should be a bit more dangerous; He wants you to take him fishing. In dark magic terminology, fishing is the extremely reckless stunt of spiritually prodding around other realms with a summoning circle, picking something you think you can handle based on feel or instinct, and dragging it into the mortal realm before knowing exactly what it is. Needless to say, it is one of the many things your dark magic instructors told you to never, ever, do.
---
Joy gets a kick out of donning a disguise to visit Syzzik, and upon entering Syzzik's apartment a bigger kick out of his decour. It is clear the cartel is far from the man's only source of income; He lives more opulently than you and Sylvester ever did. The walls of his home are decorated with fine art, what appears to be several artifact weapons, and various impressive hunting trophies. The living space is about twice as large as the common area at Groghall, but you doubt Syzzik has nearly as many bedrooms. A three-piece band set up near the table plays exotic wind instruments made from brass, which your host informs you are called trombones.
You and your daughter sit down with Syzzik and his, and a goblin you recognize from the Knifehouse brings out a large waterfowl, slaughters, it, and begins to prepare it nearby. Your host mentions that one of his regular goblin customers told him that you frequented the Knifehouse, so he thought he would serve you food you like and try Goblin cuisine for the first time himself. Mable is impressed with the show of the bird being butchered, but Joy, who you had never exposed to Goblin style meals, is a bit grossed out. Syzzik seems to have strategically set the table to keep his back turned to the whole bloody affair. As a distraction, Joy turns her attention to the younger girl, who proceeds to fawn over her idol with more flattery than her father pays you.
The talk is mainly craft while the food is being made. Syzzik asks your advice on potion brewing; As a personal project he is trying to learn how to brew potions of haste, which you suspect might be a bit above his skill level, but give him some advice to point him in the right direction. Joy and Mable talk magic, with the former quickly getting depressed that her Drowish blood prevents her from divine casting, and the latter cheering her up by calling on Weneth to make sparks and streaks of light dance across the room. The bird is served seasoned with bitter and tangy spices from goblin lands and next to a side dish of mashed local fruit.
After eating, Mable invites Joy to the basement of the building to show off her gun collection to your daughter, and with the children gone talk turns to cartel business in general, and eventually poking fun at Peat in particular. Syzzik goes to great lengths to explain how terrible the Orc's bookkeeping is, and you promptly share the story of Mackie's daughter and the bottle of mead. The merchant takes his flattery up a few levels at this point, and by now you are almost positive it is only the fear curse stopping him from making a move. The closest he gets is mentioning that he rents the basement of the building as well, and is considering setting up the space for you to teach brewing to some of the spare orcs from Mogpan as you requested. He invites you to check the space out with him, but you know the girls are down there, so nothing particularly romantic is likely to happen.
2334th Year of Man, 5th Month, 3rd Day:
Tuesday
You are roused early when the city guard warns you that a group of around one hundred riders flying the banners of Southjungle County and House Horton enter town. You barely have time to get dressed and order an early breakfast prepared before Glen and his men enter Groghall.
The once youthful Count Horton looks to have put on another fifteen years since he reunited you with your family and assigned you an escort to Groghall. He announces that he defeated an incursion of several hundred traitors onto his land. He had the survivors crucified alongside the main road, but the two highborn traitors who lead the incursion have invoked their right to appeal to the Duchess, so he has brought them here so that you may uphold their death sentences. He then adds that afterwards he would like a private meeting regarding his status as general.
After you serve breakfast to Glen and his officers, you ask him to bring the traitors out. He does so reluctantly, and once they arrive you promptly spot the reason for his reluctance - he knows these are people you would never consider executing.
The first 'Traitor' is Count Virgil Gulf, a close friend of Sylvester and yourself, and ruler of Gulf County - or, as he explains, former ruler. "The Crown sent Clarence Rothwell with a host of twelve thousand to remove me. I barely managed to escape with my personal guard, but they have my wife Maeris! They have Lanette!"
Glen smacks Virgil across the face with his gauntleted hand, drawing blood, and admonishing his fellow count for swearing fealty to the snake of a prince.
The second prisoner is Lindwurm Strongcurrent, second son of Count Ernie and mayor of Port Lionfish, who explains he had been sent by his father to escort the clearly distressed Virgil to your side, and negotiate terms of Port County's loyalty to Sylvester's descendants.
"Quiet, WORM!" Glen barks, "have you no honor? An oath of fealty shouldn't be bargined for like a common mule! My Duchess shouldn't even accept the loyalty of swine who would dare denounce our late beloved duke! I can't wait to have your whole rotten family on pi-"
Count Horton is abruptly cut off by a spine of sharp rock erupting from the ground, breaking through the floor, and flying towards him at high speeds - barely missing his neck. You turn to see Redding in his casting stance, looking rather distressed over the condition of his brother and pissed about the talk of his family. "I've heard about enough out of you old friend. One more word about my family, and you've screwed your last Duke, understood?"
"Oh my sweet Redding, you should just relax. I can't just forgive those who would denounce Sylvester; that would be akin to dancing on his grave. You are safe. I wouldn't harm Sylvester's kin by marriage... Unprovoked." A smile spreads across Glen's face as soon as the immediate shock of the attack passes. He hadn't come hoping to pick a fight with Redding, had he? The hands of soldiers in the room begin to migrate towards their weapons.
You take stock of the situation and find it quite dire. Thirty of Glen's knights are in the room, but, aside from Tuft and Tempest, only twenty of Groghall's soldiers, including the doomed pair of Greywing and Dunlap, are present. There are plenty of non-combatants to get hurt, sort of including yourself; Troublemaker is strapped and ready to draw beneath your dress, and if the battle lasts long enough for bodies to pile up, necromancy could come into play, but beyond that your options in a fight are limited.
Fortune is at the table, and would be in deep trouble if hostilities broke out. Virgil and Lindwurm are both bound on the floor, and likely to be trampled in a fight. Dean, Caddor, and Joy are not dressed for battle, and although your son and his goblin friend may be smart enough to stay out of harms way, you have no doubt Joy will want to get into the thick of things.
Your undead, and any demons you may have contracted, are hiding from the polite company in the basement just below you; The sound of combat may or may not draw them out. A large fight will eventually draw the rest of Typhoon and Caiman swarms to the main room, but you do not know if the rest of Glen's forces are in earshot; If they are, Clan Gruel's warriors will be outnumbered regardless.
Feel free to respond to the other events of the turn, and not just the major shitstorm at the end! Next turn will only wrap up events from this turn though... Kinda hard to plan ahead when you don't know who is going to survive the next five minutes.
I might do an infodump if next turn is particularly short. Since I see it coming, I'll take requests for the topic to be dumped on.
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Topic: (SG) The Redleaf Epic (Formerly Widow: A Duchess Scorned) (Read 66540 times)