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>>6157669

It was when he was lying on his bed (a true bed instead of a mattress ! What opulence !) that Mahmud came to a conclusion. If the mountain would not come to Muhammad (Praise be Upon Him) then Muhammad must come to the mountain. It was illusory to wait too much, he had to go back to his village, far away from this cold country. Back to the Nile valley where fig trees grow. His encounter with the strange arabyans that did not even praise Allah convinced him that he was too far away, and that he had to go to the south, even if these men were heathens they were from a kind of Sultanate, and from there it was certain that he should go back to his place. He decided to take back his old spear, buy some warm clothes, and, despite the snow, begin to travel down south. Here he heard of the sea, and from there he was certain to find a ship. He ignored the cold or the ominous dangers of the road, he only saw the eyes of Zahira, Fatima and sweet, sweet Aisha. His wives must be so afraid without him.

It was one day before his travel, after giving his thanks to mister Herouberry , this small hairy feeted man who was such a kind master, that he and the young Salim received a visit from an unexpected friend. Here, the man that they thought was lost in a mine, came back.

-Saddam ! By Allah ! How could you have been here !

The man answered in a hushed tone, like he wanted to hide.

-Listen my friends, I have no time to explain more. But this city is cursed, I saw people doing dark rituals down there in the mines, and jinns and demons.

Mahmud tried to reason him.

-Dear Saddam, we were about to leave for the south but you must take..

-Very well, very well, it is very fortunate... We shall go... I will lead you...

Salim tried to explain.

-Sorry but we want to go to the south.

-Anywhere, anywhere far away from here. Inchallah nothing good will come from this place.

These word made Mahmud shiver, just as the strange silver ring that Saddam wore. Had his ancient commander stolen it ? If he was fleeing with something stolen they would be pursued, but Saddam was the only one who could be a good scout, he always lead their parties, so he nodded and soon they were on the roads.

The cold, and the snow, were awful, and they were all shuddering on the first day when they walked. They stopped at an inn, paying and trying to be near the fire. It was at this moment that our dear Mahmud tried to talk to his ancient commander discreetly, it was better for young Salim not to know. After all closer you are to to the chief, more you know of his secrets such were the ways of the south. Approaching Saddam, who was looking sadly at the dying fire he told him.

-Saddam, this flight, it does not look like you. Why fleeing from here, and why were you underground for twenty days... We thought you died from a mining accident.

>>6157673

The mustachied man looked at him and answered slowly.

-I... Do not know what you are talking about. I am fleeing from nobody.

Of course, an Arab would never lose face like that so Mahmud tried to reformulate.

-I do not doubt it... I mean... You took a trophy, this ring...

The man looked at his silver ring, it was decorated with the image of a fountain. And he finally told, after looking at the fire.

-I... A trophy perhaps... Mahmud, you were always a poor soldier, but a good man. You helped me with my goats back in the village... When I could not keep them, and I helped you with finding some linen for your wives. So.. we can trust eachother. I shall tell you a story, can you listen to it.

-Of course Saddam, of course...

-When I was at the mine, a good work, well paid, there was an accident, rocks fell, and I became isolated from the rest of my group, the only survivor you understand ? I was wounded, and delirious.. I tried to find my friends in the carnage but nobody was alive.

He looked at Mahmud who silently nodded.

-I tried to climb to the surface Mahmud, but there were too much rocks, since I had water and a torch I decided to go deeper, it was the only way, we had found a kind of entry in a cavern... Soon I understood that it was not only a cavern, a part of it was sculpted, huge pillards, smooth surfaces .. it was a tomb Mahmud ! A tomb...

Mahmud listened with attention, as Saddam continued.

-I then found an old wounded man, he was fleeing from something. I tried to help him, he told me that he had to go to the surface... And gave me this ring, he told me that it was the magical ring of King Petroleum who was entombed here, and that vile men wanted to get him. You do not believe me ? By Allah it is true ! I saw that he was pursued, by strange men, with black robes and skulls and bones on them. They caught the old man, he told me that he had no strength to walk so I had to abandon him... They tortured him.. they told that they wanted the ring, they told that they were the Brotherhood of Death or something like that... Then when he refused to talk they had a bush dismember him.

-A bush ?!?

-Yes, a moving talking bush, who took him in his wooden branches and dismembered him, letting him bleed to death. I fled, they saw me... But I was faster with the help of Allah... But now...

-Why haven't you thrown the ring ?

-What if they found it, the man told that they could do great evil with it...

-Maybe it was just stolen...

-No, it is magical, look...

Saddam then touched the ring and a fountain of black oily liquid left the ring to go right in their campfire, it practically immediately burned, the dying embers replaced by a powerful fire. Mahmud recoiled in shock.

-By the beard of the prophet !

-Yes, you see... Infinite combustible ! It can lit itself on fire too, with this ring we can not fear winter.

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>>6157675

The possibilities were indeed great. Mahmud understood that Saddam did not think that he would slit his throat in the night to take such a wonder. He was too kind for it anyway. So he decided to nod, and assured Saddam that his secret would be kept. He ignored if these men with skulls and bones on their robes were sending someone after them but the further away this ring able to create fire was from these men the better it was. Plus they could then always sell it to other good Muslims in a bazaar. They could get several camels and many goods for it and begin a caravan business. Or buy goats for a farm...

Whatever, they continued, marching to the south by roads and ravines, fleeing sometimes from stray dogs and since they lacked money, sometimes helping to get a meal. Be it by collecting firewood or doing some chores. Salim got cold once but the magical ring kept him warm enough to recover. But after three weeks, a strange event completely changed the fate of their travels.

It was during one of these snowy days that Mahmud hated so much. Salim was shivering and trying to walk, covered in a heavy woolen cloak while Saddam led the way, cursing at the elements. Finally, when dusk came early in these northern lands, they finally saw some lights, an inn. Their tired bodies moved faster, motivated by the surge of wanting to be near a fire. Unfortunately they had no money left, but they were too tired to think about how to pay, they moved by instinct.

No sooner they were inside a young woman with chestnut hair and chestnut eyes fell to her knees. Imploring them, like in a pagan prayer she joined her hands and told.

-Please, brave adventurers, ugly rats have invaded my basement. I need help to clear them out.

They all looked at the tavern, there seemed to be at least ten good men there. Saddam did not know what to say and feared a trick, so Mahmud, who had three wives at home and so knew what a desperate woman looked like asked her.

-Us ? Of course but why these...

>>6157676

He looked at the men but they all looked at him outraged, one of them, a bearded man told.

-Us ? But we are not armed adventurers like you ! You know that a rat can kill a commoner easily...

As a good Egyptian Saddam asked them while Mahmud looked at them in disbelief.

-Have you thought of sending a cat ?

It was the woman who answered.

-No, the cat does not want to.

Salim looked at them, completely lost. What to do, if these people feared rats so much Mahmud answered.

-I imagine that if you could give us a r...

The woman cut him off, what insolence.

-No, no, it is an official quest, not only a room, but 15 gold coins will be given to those who kill the rats in the basement. It has been regulated by the adventurer's guild. By the way, what is the name of your party ?

Mahmud was completely at loss.

-Party ? Name ?

Saddam was quicker, he answered with enthusiasm.

-We are the Bath party... We want a bath in plus of the room.

He then smiled at the lady, looking dashing with his mustache and she reddened and quickly agreed. What to say, our friends descended five minutes later in the basement, ready to fight enormous monsters but ending by killing some rats with spears and clubs quite easily. Hah, a job well done. The true problem came when they emerged from the basement, three men in armor looking like local guards, one even with grey skin and ugly features were there. Their leader, a fat man with pig like eyes told them loudly in an accented tone.

-Oy ! Have you got an adventiuring loicense for accepting guild contracts ?

In what kind of mess have they gotten into ?

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>>6157677

MEANWHILE IN LASTHOLD :

You lived happily during those days in Lasthold, your head still full of projects. The day right after your arrival snow fell. The poor Rose was very upset that all her reserves of "hot chaucolate" that she had kept for winter were rotten for an unknown reason. She even cried and screamed at her old staff and at some peasant, ordering to give 20 lashes to three people. She then was full of tears and unsure of herself, because she thought that you would not like her and see her as an "idiotic young girl unable to keep a keep in order". Of course you kissed her, cuddled her, and told that you did not like the chaucolate aniway. You drank some of this strange plant called "tea" apparently you could put it in water and it had another color. It was strange. To change the mood of your sweet lady you decided to get outside as she wished, even if it snowed and it was cold.
While you walked together you decided, mischievously, to throw a snowball into her hood and she screamed "hiii" before laughing and throwing one right on your nose. She then tried to run, you pursued her and took her, kissing her passionately. You then deposed her on the ground and she tried to show you something.

She fell on the snow with her arms outstretched and waved them and her legs, when she rose she showed the pattern.

-Tadaa, see it my sweet Charles ? It is a winged person...

Looking closely yes, it looked like an angel, a snow angel.

-Mmmh, yes, an angel of the Lord... But the only angel that I see is right besides me my sweet lady...

And with that you kissed her again, she was cute with her red cheeks because of the cold, you got lost at this moment of tenderness. But when darkness, and the temperature forced you to go back to her tower the moment's innocence left you and you got back to your first work, recreating a worthy household guard from what she had.
She was determined to engage some new servants, those not killed by Baron Crook being clearly unfit to even keep this Chaucolate not rotten. You will deal with the troops. You had two men recruited on the road on the old lands of Lord Takable, the village smith of Lasthold, curiously very skilled as all smithes of this place, managed to give them spears and kettle helms while Rose and two village girls had woven her arms on their tabards and the men who were before this a middle aged peasant full of loyalty who remembered that Lord Takable send him a bit of money to save him of poverty and a young lad who wanted to escape village life in Dullway one of the villages of the road looked dashing.
You decided that it was time for a recruitment campaign. Since you trained them with the help of your knights you called all able bodied volunteers to join the guard of the keep. Since the last one was massacred you ignored if your recruitment would be successfull but what you saw shocked you... Shocked you terribly.

>>6157678

Oh, there were volunteers, you wanted five men, before that Rose had four men and her captain so five men could keep order and the tower. And here, in plus of the two men already recruited you had five volunteers ! Wonderful ! Glorious ! Let us rejoice ! Before looking at the sorry bunch.
First there was a kind of strange character, thick eyebrows, pointy ears, of middling height, with a strange look, thin features but a big nose and a bushy beard. He looked like some savage man that you saw on a banner. You wondered if he talked only in grunts. But then, next, you saw that all the rest was composed of women. Women ! By the beard of saint Jean you had forgotten that women were allowed to be recruited on these lands. What a shame.

Three of them were normal, one was young and healthy probably a milkmaid or a farmer's daughter, one was middle aged and a bit fat, probably having given birth to children and the last one was middle aged too but thinner and with greying hair. The fourth one was tall and thin with pointy ears, clearly a guelph with an haughty expression and long blonde hair. She wore pants, and you wanted her to get dressed properly but you did not even knew who should be insulted first. You decided to ask the first strange creature.

-Who are you, and why are you so hairy ?

-M'name's Mutt m'lord, my dad was a dwarf and my mother an elf. It's why i'm a dwelf.

That was... What the reproduction of short scotsmen with guelphs looked like. You immediately thought of forbidding it by an edict. Fortunately seeing how the Guelph woman looked at him in disgust you were sure that these things were rare. Still, better safe than sorry. But despite all of it, if the man terrified you he could terrify criminals and ennemies too so you answered.

-Then we will see what you are worth with a spear and a shield my lad. Cop, see if he can do some drills.

The sergeant of your own guard nodded and while they were beginning you began to tell.

-Women, war is a man's job, go knit or pray for the defense of the village, or make some kids who will grow into guardsmen, or marry some if you like polishing armors so much.

If the younger woman of maybe sixteen put her head down and the thin and old who looked like she was about to cry was silent the fat one answered you, rather roughly.

-We have m'lord ! My husband, was a guardsman... Just like hers... And young Alpha lost her father after losing her mother... He was beheaded by baron Crook Wickedson... We want vengeance ! Give us a chance to try...

The guelph lass was silent and continued to look at you, arching an eyebrow. To be sincere, this plea to avenge their families moved you, but we were no more in the time of barbarian tribes.

>>6157680

You had heard stories from some scholars about how the pagan wives of the germans who fought the romans at that time tried to avenge their husbands, it was cited as an exemple of barbarism by the Holy Church. Still, you had to answer something.

>The baron Crook Wickedson is dead, his guard's captain, who killed Captain Relic, has been killed by Messire Godefroy that you see at my right, vengeance has been obtained. Weep for your husbands and fathers and honor them. Do not try to imitate them.
>You want to escape poverty after the loss of a family member ? Lady Rose is in need of competent servants, go see her, I am sure that she will hear your pleas.
>Allright we will see what you are worth, give them some training spears and shields and see what they are worth my good lads.
>You are silent, Guelph, why did you want to join ? Is it the loss of a family member ?
>Other (write in)

>>6157682
>>Allright we will see what you are worth, give them some training spears and shields and see what they are worth my good lads.
>>You are silent, Guelph, why did you want to join ? Is it the loss of a family member ?

>>6157682
>You are silent, Guelph, why did you want to join ? Is it the loss of a family member ?
>Allright we will see what you are worth, give them some training spears and shields and see what they are worth my good lads.

>>6157682
>You want to escape poverty after the loss of a family member ? Lady Rose is in need of competent servants, go see her, I am sure that she will hear your pleas.
Welcome back!

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>>6158320
Thank you good sir, I am glad to be back. Unfortunately your choice was not the most popular but it was most wise.

>>6158105
>>6158263

You thought about trying to recruit some lads elsewhere but barbaric customs were still customs and you declared.

-Allright we will see what you are worth. Give them some training spears and shields and see what they are worth my good lads.

The women thanked you with gratitude. And while it was done you looked at the Guelph and told.

-You are silent Guelph, why did you want to join ? Is it the loss of a family member ?

The Guelph lady answered with an air of disdain.

-I have been an archer in the militia of lord Vetel a century ago and served him well. Give me a bow and you will see.

You found it laughable, a bow, you answered.

-With your small arms there is no way that you could draw a longbow.

There were laughs by some men and she snapped back.

-We elves are stronger than we look.

You answered, quite amused.

-Give her one of the old bows of the guard.

Those were not as big as longbows but you were sure that she could not draw them still. You then ordered to see what the recruits were worth and the results were... Predictable. None of the women, even with all their grief, was worth something, the strange hairy scotto-italian was at least strong enough to hold even if he was inexperienced though and so you let him stay on the guard. But as for the Guelph. It was even more amusing. She tried to use her bow and held it like someone who had used one before. But she could not pull it strong enough, you could see that she tried but it was not useful. Soldiers and villagers began to snicker and she was becoming red. After several minutes you had enough of this comedy and ordered.

-If someone cannot pull a bow it cannot be an archer.

-But it's unfair ! This bow is not normal ! I can pull it normally...

-Yes yes yes... Go back to your home with the rest.

She cursed in her tongue and pointed at your valorous Ancel.

-He ! He has a short bow. Let me use it, and I shall prove that I am the best archer of this village.

You sighed, and Ancel had a short bow, she could try. He saw that you looked at him, and tried to look scandalised. You wondered what he was doing, some people spoke of petty theft in the village and you supposed that it was him, perhaps he deserved to have his bow borrowed to prove a point. You told.

>Allright, Ancel, give her your bow and some arrows, let us see what she is worth.
>Who needs a soldier who cannot fire a warbow ? You are to fight armoured ennemies, not pheasants or rabbits, no matter your precision. Go back to your home, guelph.
>Other (write in)

>>6158335
>Allright, Ancel, give her your bow and some arrows, let us see what she is worth.
Probably stole it off some corpse

>>6158335
>>Allright, Ancel, give her your bow and some arrows, let us see what she is worth.
good to see you back! hopefully we can over throw the guelph rule.

>>6158335
>>Allright, Ancel, give her your bow and some arrows, let us see what she is worth.

>>6157675
>Saddam, hounded by the Skull & Bones Society and a powerful Bush.
Kek, welcome back!

>>6158335
>Who needs a soldier who cannot fire a warbow ? You are to fight armoured ennemies, not pheasants or rabbits, no matter your precision. Go back to your home, guelph.

>>6158335
>>Allright, Ancel, give her your bow and some arrows, let us see what she is worth.

>>6157669
Welcome back!
>>6157675
Kek
>>6157677
>Saddam named them the Bath party
Kek
>>6158335
>Allright, Ancel, give her your bow and some arrows, let us see what she is worth.

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>>6158338
It was his once, before losing it during a game of dice to a burgundian, the burgundian was found dead during the next battle so the bow was clearly not useful to him...

>>6158447
Spoken like a true ghibelline (I shall make a prologue about Conradin one of those days).

>>6158759

>>6158797
Thank you very much good sir, I am glad to be writing again.

>>6158974

>>6159016
Thank you very much good sir. And yes, they could have been more than three but unfortunately their companion Bashar left the town in a hurry before.

====

You were in a mood to see some fun, and you wanted some time to think about where to find two more men for Rose's guard. So you ordered your brave Ancel.

-Allright Ancel, give her your bow and some arrows, let us see what she is worth.

Ancel began to plead.

-Que nenni messire ! Que nenni ! This bow, touched by a woman ! It is witchcraft and...

Your old Godefroi smacked him behind the ear.

-Silence Ancel, obey, we all know that you prefer for your sword to be touched by a woman but that is not a reason to disobey your master.

The troop laughed and he gave the weapon to the Guelph lady who tried it. You wondered what it would do. She nodded and smiled the kind of confident smile that you generally see among young knights and squire totally sure of themselves. She still complained.

-There is no way to touch something very far away with this shortbow.

-Try to touch this pile of hay...

She cut you off by losing two arrows right on this, it was moderately hard to hit but the two arrows were very close. She then told.

-This is an exercise for a human..

She turned her head a bit around when she saw a servant leaving and moving with an apple in his hand, he was perhaps thirty paces from her, she screamed "Heeey" and he stopped turning around, she then lost an arrow and pierced the apple. After the servants cry you were more than surprised, you had to think about closing your mouth then, how ? By saint Denis how ?!? Fortunately you managed to control yourself and ask a pertinent question.

-Is it witchcraft ?

Yes, you saw some bohemians at a fair playing with knives and doing this, but it was not at thirty paces, and it was obviously staged. The lady answered.

-Witchcraft ? No... Who needs magic aiming ? It is simply 80 years of training....

Your knights discussed amongst themselves and finally Cop, your brave man at arms, whispered to you.

-Elves have a good eyesight, the wife of Gardasil, that you expelled from the guard could do even better with a bow...

>>6159086

You raised an eyebrow remembering your deceased spearman... and then asked.

-Why didn't you tell me ?

-I... I thought that you knew everyone know this around and...

Seeing your raised eyebrow he corrected himself.

-What kind of soldier would contradict his lord ?

Against such an argument you had to admit that he was right. But still, this prospect remained terrifying. There were good archers, but if any Guelph could fire like this, they could easily kill unarmored horses, and mail, with some good arrows they could pierce mail and having to resist volleys of peasants hoping to touch something and this kind of excellent bowmen was a very different thing. Maybe it was why knights horses here wore some kind of metallic protections, you will have to think about it and order some. And this suits of full steel, so impractical, but so useful worn over mail, it would be needed against such people. You remembered that the baron had more than a hundred of such guelphs armed with bows from the royal army. Even if you were a loyal subject, investing into some suits, made more practical would be a good decision. Your military reflection remained mirred by a mystery still, why do so much men refused to wear helmets in a land were archers were so dangerous ? That seemed like a lack of common sense. You asked Cop.

-You are a soldier... Why did you all have open helmets ? And some men no helmets at all ?

He tried to think, your hypothesis, if you knew such words, was that the Guelph monarchy forbade it. He answered.

-I... Do not know... It looks perhaps better ?

Ah, yes, you forgot, these were the results of 80 years of peace. You will have to visit an armorer soon, but still, you had a pretty guelph woman satisfied of herself that looked at you with her blue eyes. And a decision to make about her, if her being unable to use a true bow would make her ineffective she could still be dangerous against poachers, unarmoured people or unshielded ones.

To be sure, you added to your soldier.

-The Guelphs see in the dark too ?

-Yes my lord.

You then nodded, decidely they were a dangerous bunch. You turned towards the Guelph woman and decided to tell.

>Rejoice for you are now a soldier in service of Lady Rose, obey her well and serve faithfully.
>You are a good archer, I will give you that, but I need someone who can use a bow. You can go back to your home.
>You are a good archer, I will give you that, but I need someone who can use a bow. We could use scouts and trackers once we will be married with Lady Rose. Do you know how to follow tracks ?
>It is said that you see in the dark ? If you shoot the damned owl that has the bad habit of making noise near my window consider yourself a soldier.
>Other (write in)

>>6159087
>Rejoice for you are now a soldier in service of Lady Rose, obey her well and serve faithfully.
Honestly not surprised so many aren’t wearing helmets. That being said, if we are going against elves and our men are fully armoured and we are near them, I think we will be fine.

>>6159087
>>Rejoice for you are now a soldier in service of Lady Rose, obey her well and serve faithfully.

>>6159087
>You are a good archer, I will give you that, but I need someone who can use a bow. We could use scouts and trackers once we will be married with Lady Rose. Do you know how to follow tracks ?
Let us not reject good feudal custom!

>>6159106
It is as this anon says: the skinny Guelph women who try to draw longbows against us will be flummoxed by their sudden -4 STR.

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>>6159106
Nobody should doubt about the victory of brave christian knights against cowardly archers. But limiting the losses, since we do not have many knights and men at arms, would be wise.

>>6159115

>>6159259
Well said good sir, you always speak with faith and common sense. Unfortunately the other bannermen have not listened to you ! Woe and treachery ! Perhaps lombards have bought them off !

====

ou were a generous man and if in these strange lands there were women warriors you could always tolerate them, so you told.

-Rejoice for you are now a soldier in service of Lady Rose, obey her well and serve faithfully.

The Guelph smiled and she answered.

-I am glad to serve, my lord.

And it was done. You happily let her go, thinking about finding a last warrior, perhaps a knight, Rose had some family members and she would need a "guard's captain" even when having only four poor guardsmen. But whatever, you would find it and her knights and soldiers will become yours soon. Still, you thought an instant about captain Relic, you had not known the man a lot but he seemed to be an honest man, and a loyal warrior, protecting the daughter of his lord even when he saw his lands confiscated and when she was kept under the guardianship of baron crook. He even helped her throw her evil tutors to the dogs. His death was a shame, you hoped that you could at least give him a proper burial but apparently all the corpses of the people executed by the baron were given to his nightmare horses that ate human flesh. You decided to pray for his soul, and for the soul of the old lord Takable. You will have to marry his daughter, give him a grandson, he has been wrongly accused and perhaps his soul found satisfaction in vengeance now that the baron had been beheaded. You should pray for lord Random too, if he wasn't dead you would not be here, and you would still be a simple knight without any chance of inheritance and not the master of a castle, of a household army and husband of a beautiful wife. Yes, perhaps, even if the India's were pagan and dangerous, and you were sometimes homesick they were an opportunity too. It was when you thought about an old man that another one found you because Godefroi told you.

-You look lost in your thoughts monseigneur, is everything well ?

-Y... Yes Godefroi. I was thinking about the Guelph, with her bow... If some armies have many bowmen like these, Guelphs... They must be really dangerous.

-Mmmh, indeed yes.

-Look, the baron has a bit more than 300 royal guardsmen, probably 100 or more will stay after winter... Two thirds of them are not frail lasses but quite solid men, even if all Guelphs look underfed. If they can put an arrow through an apple they could easily kill levies... Even men in chainmail, imagine 70 men firing at a knight and his mount with bodkin arrows, some will touch his helmet and do nothing, or his shield, but some will get his horse, or his chest or his arm...

>>6159584

The veteran, your mentor seemed to take time before giving an answer.

-It is perhaps the reason of the existence of these armors made of steel with ridiculous pauldrons. And the local horse's steel protections.

You smiled has he had the same conclusions as yourself.

-Yes... But why don't they use more shields, or bigger shields like the pavises. A line of pavesiers could break such an archer formation. Instead the guards have simple swords and bows. Worse many knights do not wear helmets.

-About the helmets remember this knave that I killed... Brutus Enforcer yes ? He had this headband that looked like jewelry but that by devilish magic stopped me from bashing his head with a mace, he told that it was as good as an helmet, perhaps it protects knights in time of battle...

-Not a lot wear such coronets.

-Perhaps they wear a kind of amulets, we ough to ask some local knight monseigneur.

True, you needed to ask. Or perhaps it was due to a lack of experience in war. Whatever, you decided to get back to lady Rose's tower and enjoy the afternoon.

Rose herself was sewing some tapestry and not without talent, her long fingers moved with agility and she smiled when she saw you.

-How was the recruitment Charles.

-Very well my sweet lady... And you, what are you doing... Is it a tower ?

You looked more closely at the motives on her future tapestry and were pleased to conclude that you found exactly what it was.

-It is, I am trying to make a representation of this place under the snow. We should get a view from the north tomorrow in the morning light, if you want it.

-You want to ride outside, braving the elements ?

-Am I not with a proud knight servant who will wrap a woolen cloak around me if I am cold ?

She answered with a mischievous look and a faint snicker left your lips. You got closer to the fire in her chambers and decided to tell.

-My lady, if we have enough men we lack a knight to... Command all of those. Would you happen to have some cousin or distant relative that has been knighted.. or even a squire who shall be knighted soon even if it would be better for him to be someone experienced.

>>6159585

She smiled lightly, perhaps she understood that it was not only experience but old age that you researched. Being near a comely young man could sometimes be an incentive for the worse sentiments of a lady, courtly love, even if platonic, was often between a knight and the wife of his lord. Plus, who has not partaken in the pleasure of the flesh with his cousin ? Your first kiss (from a lady, you discounted prostitutes) was with the second daughter of your uncle and your parents themselves were twice removed cousins when they married. It was only natural. She had a playful tone.

-Someone is jealous...

-I am not...

-You are adorable Charles, and be happy that I do not take it against you. What do you think that you cannot trust me ?

-I have no doubt about you my lady, but I can have some about someone I never saw.

She understood and continued.

-You remember I wanted to write to my cousin Billy, or to his family, he must be twelve today. He could be your squire... I will write to his parents to know if some of them know a knight of some renown.

You accepted this, plus having a squire was always useful. But still, you had much to discuss.

>So you want to go to the north of your lands, in this great emptiness to view your tower... What else shall we do ?
>Do you have other cousins or family that we shall talk about ? We will need to invite them to our marriage after all.
>Your tower is far too humble for your station my lady, but after our marriage we should still give it's governance to someone. Do you have one in mind ?
>After our marriage I shall have to travel to the Duchess's lands to give her back the locket that I found, it would be good to travel to the city together.
>I saw that you have some guelphs or short scotsmens on your lands but is there demons or other vile fiends ?
>Speaking of knights to help us protect these lands is there some dangerous threat here ? The fortifications of this tower are weak but I haven't seen something dangerous even when watching from it's highest battlement.
>Speaking about your family, could you give me some stories about them. Very unfortunately, coming from afar, I am not very knowledgeable about Indian history.
>Other (write in)

Choose 3 choices maximum good sirs Plus you lose 2 mudcore since you have not anymore a "all human army" and since you engaged a woman in a man's role... She might even wear pants ! The horror !

>>6159587

Your new stats :

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 5
XP : 840 xp (next level at 1000)

Stats

Combat : 51%
Intrigue : 30%
Rulership: 36%

Piety : 77
Mudcore : 65-2 = 63

With 63 Mudcore you have a strong field of gritty realism around you (150 meters), in this field heavy magic will not work and supernatural abilities will not work, oh, and women will lose 4 pounds of strength of course, plus in the field the people that obey you will act more like they would be in a dark fantasy setting. You have chosen Blood of Mud and so your mudcore field will become a bit bigger and stronger but could be transmitted to your children. Magic, even restorative, will become considerably weaker near you. Weak practitionners of magic (less than rank 5) are unable to cast in your mudcore field.
Next level at 70, your field will become 200 meters wide, magical objects will lose their properties in your mudcore field just like potions, crops who came from the columbian exchange will lose their taste and a medieval disease will enter your world.

Talents
-Cavalry Commander : +20 to martial when you have to lead a cavalry charge or a cavalry attack. Works only when commanding shock or melee cavalry mounted on horses.
-Foreign Etiquette : You focus on learning Indian etiquette with Oldfossil, you gain a +10 bonus in intrigue in your interactions with the nobility of your duchy.
->Basic Literacy : Your lessons with Oldfossil and Lady Takable finally paid off and you can read and write, even if you write with errors and move your lips still when you read it is a great leap forward.

Traits :
Leader : Your magnetism on the masses is glorious and your learning of speech could encourage many men to follow you. You may choose the best of 3 rolls when you try to speak in public to convince an audience, be it the Council of Many or angry peasants.

>>6159587
>So you want to go to the north of your lands, in this great emptiness to view your tower... What else shall we do ?
>Your tower is far too humble for your station my lady, but after our marriage we should still give it's governance to someone. Do you have one in mind ?
>Speaking of knights to help us protect these lands is there some dangerous threat here ? The fortifications of this tower are weak but I haven't seen something dangerous even when watching from it's highest battlement.

>>6159587
>>I saw that you have some guelphs or short scotsmens on your lands but is there demons or other vile fiends ?
>Speaking of knights to help us protect these lands is there some dangerous threat here ? The fortifications of this tower are weak but I haven't seen something dangerous even when watching from it's highest battlement.
>Speaking about your family, could you give me some stories about them. Very unfortunately, coming from afar, I am not very knowledgeable about Indian history.

>>6159587
>Your tower is far too humble for your station my lady, but after our marriage we should still give it's governance to someone. Do you have one in mind ?
>Speaking of knights to help us protect these lands is there some dangerous threat here ? The fortifications of this tower are weak but I haven't seen something dangerous even when watching from it's highest battlement.
>Speaking about your family, could you give me some stories about them. Very unfortunately, coming from afar, I am not very knowledgeable about Indian history.

>>6159587
>Do you have other cousins or family that we shall talk about ? We will need to invite them to our marriage after all.
>Speaking about your family, could you give me some stories about them. Very unfortunately, coming from afar, I am not very knowledgeable about Indian history.
>Your tower is far too humble for your station my lady, but after our marriage we should still give it's governance to someone. Do you have one in mind ?

File: Rose giving a lecture.jpg (88 KB, 512x512)

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>>6159600
>>6159799
>>6159822
>>6159958

You continued walking into the room, then returned near the fire, heating your hands near it and asked.

-Speaking of knights to help us protect these lands is there some dangerous threat here ? The fortifications of this tower are weak but I haven't seen something dangerous even when watching from it's highest battlement...

She reacted with amusement while continuing to sew and answered.

-No, there is not a lot of monsters here. It is a plain there is nowhere to hide. Maybe in the emptiness, we still need several day to find a barony... There is the hut of a kind of witch here, it probably kills off anything dangerous.

-A witch ! But you must burn it on the spot !

-I... I know that you have an hard-line view on it but it is beyond my lands and I never thought about sending someone to do it. Plus I am not old enough for it.

You frowned, this witch should be dealt with, letting spawns of satan do their bidding was never leading to anything good. So you told.

-You had nobody to do it, now I am here.

Rose answered.

-She lives two days to the north of this place. I do not think that it would be good to get her during the winter. And we never heard of her from a long time, several years indeed, perhaps she is already dead.

-We should send someone here.

-During the spring, perhaps..

You frowned at her and she looked at you with her adorable blue eyes, letting go of her tapestry and taking your hand.

-C... Charles... I fear for you.. I.. do not want you to take risks, even if you vanquish it, she could curse you, or you could take a cold.

>Then knit me a scarf and a woolen cape and I will not fear the cold my lady. I shall send an expedition in two days.
>Alright, I we shall deal with it in due time. During the spring, after our marriage and our travels to the city.
>Other (write in)

You then decided to change the subject, before she could try to answer. You pointed at her tapestry and told.

-Your tower is far too humble for your station my lady, but after our marriage we should still give it's governance to someone. Do you have one in mind ?

She bite her lip, clearly in deep thought, you found her sweet when she had this face and caressed her cheek, she then smiled to you and tried to rub her cheek against your hand, like a cat. And then she told.

-Your knight, Bohémond, he is a true knight like you... And Becky, together they are sweet.

-Yes they seem to appreciate eachother a lot, they will perhaps marry... Making him governor of this place, would be a good present for their marriage... I still worry... About the prophecy of this evil sorcerous Guelph..

She looked worried.

-That she is ill and would die... In several years... I... I am afraid for her too, she has always been my best friend. Or even my only friend...

>>6160350

You kissed her on her forehead, and then on her lips and for a while you were too preoccupied with more interesting activities to pursue your conversation. She tasted sweetly like a peach or some fresh fruit in the middle of winter. You then added.

-I promised, on my honor, to find a cure, we could perhaps begin to search when we will go to the city this spring.

-It is a good idea, yes.

She nodded and you continued kissing before Ancel interrupted you by entering here, he had a fish on his hands and looked very happy. The simple fact that he had entered her personnal chambers shocked you enough, especially when he told enthusiastically.

-That's a good fishy ! Caught in in the frozen river ! Hehe !

His eyes then became big as saucers and he began to mutter.

-M... Messire... G... Gente dame I... Wrong door...

He then disappeared before you could do anything and you concluded loudly.

-It is why we need guards... Really someone should always stand with a spear before your apartments.

Her crystalline laugh was priceless, you then concluded that she needed a bigger castle. Speaking of it you decided to ask.

-Your family had all these lands, but I know nothing about it... Do you have some chronicles about it's geste ? Very unfortunately, coming from afar, I am not very knowledgeable about Indian history.

This question seemed to brighten her up very much because she kissed her cheek and left your lap where she was cuddled, your proximity with her in this small tower had done wonders to make you closer but you had forgotten propriety a bit. She jumped towards the small library that she had and found a huge tome with golden and silver decorations representing a tree, her coat of arms. She then opened it before your eyes and explained.

-The ancient house of Takable is a descendant from barbarians chieftains who ruled under petty kings far even before the Empire came on our lands and taught us feudalism and magic. We were never counts, barons or dukes, but there has always been between ten and twenty lordships where the lords bore the Takable name in Bifuria, none of them were very powerful unfortunately and we are not very close, we do not even share a coat of arms, but a common ancestor that is true. The Takables of the Duchy of Tricked are the only ones in the duchy, our lordship has been founded by an errant knight, Thighton the Thighfisted two thousand years ago.

-Two thousand years ago ?

-Yes, it was well into the age of men...

-It was before even before Christ was born ! Romans and Gauls dwelled at these times !

-I do not know about them Charles, but he chose our sigil, we were already under the Empire and every nobleman had a coat of arms.

>>6160352

Already before Christ.. And already with coats of arms... Impressive... But then you remembered that the king's legists told that there was already a king of France who reigned on his lands during the times of the Romans, it was why they did not have to obey the Holy roman Emperor. And that Hector the Trojan, who knew how long ago he existed, was already a knight, were not Franks descendants of Frankus brother of Aeneas ?

You let her continue.

-Thighton Takable planted a magical white tree in the courtyard of his castle and told that as long as the tree was alive his line would survive. He then ordered to paint it on his green shield.

-Oh, I suppose we can still see it... I have seen olive trees dating from the roman times in southern France...

-No, the tree died two years after being planted but he said that it would be too costly to change his emblem. But it was held proudly by all his descendants. By the way Charles, you intend to use both of our coats of arms for our son's arms ?

-Of course, I have thought about quartering it since I already split mine with those of Lord Random.

She looked enthusiastic.

-It is excellent, I will enjoy sewing it everywhere on his things when we will have a baby. It should be on his lintle and on his clothes and...

-Yes, yes of course my lady... And about history.

-Yes, of course... Let us see...

Your sweet fiancée then explained you every episode of their history, how they befriended the so called "dwarves" to build their fortress, how they expanded their holdings against the neighbouring families and cleared the monsters and bandits around the Queste and Waifue rivers, sometimes invasions destroyed all the lands and they remained quite sparsely populated, when Rose talked about Lasthold in particular the story was interesting.

-My ancestors built this tower 800 years ago to keep the nomads living in the great emptiness at bay. It was founded as a romantical spot by Luckyon Takable, it is high in the style of the elves, he had an half-elf wife you know. We have a small amount of elven blood, there have been some marriage, the last one five hundred years ago.

-It can explain your enchanting beauty.

>>6160353

She became red, giggled like a little girl and continued.

-Then the first tower was destroyed after thirty years, the nomads attacked the lands of Notso Takable but he pushed them back and killed many of them ordering to cut their heads and plant them on spikes on the border. His son then tried to conquer them, he was called Hover Takable but he got killed in an ambush in an horrible way, they captured him and quartered him then they pillaged all our lands and the baron of Someplace had to intervene to help us, after stabilising the situation he bartered a marriage between Nowgot Takable, son of Hover and the daughter of Brutor, the chieftain of the nomads. Unfortunately the marriage, who was celebrated near the river, ended up being a trap and the nomads killed everyone, the baron of Someplace, Nowgot and two of his brothers. Only a nephew escaped, Yourlandis Takable. He will consacrate all the fourty years of his reign to the systematical extermination of the nomads. He will impale them to mark the boundaries of his lands, destroy them when they searched water, pursue them with cavalry and even mercenaries on griffins and pegasuses, endebting himself to gnomish bankers until none of them survived. According to legend, before he rebuilt Lasthold he executed the last one of the nomadic shamans himself on the "red rock" north of there and this wizard cursed him, telling that his family will have a lust for blood for generations... Sometimes I... I fear that it is the reason of my...

You caressed her kindly and stroked her hair.

-My lady, he seemed to be already a severe man, I am sure that this is just superstition, and those who believe in the lord fear no magic... By the way, these nomads had no honor and were pagans, so they had it coming.

She smiled a bit and nodded.

-Y... Yes... You are right.

She then told that four centuries ago one of her ancestors Surly was marshal of the royal armies and build some fortresses to keep the barbarians from pouring from the north.

>>6160354

Two branches of the family apparently even established their holdings there, in the Northern march. Two centuries later her ancestors accompanied, like all Bifurians, the Emperor Innocent Genocide to completely cleanse the barbarians from the northern mountains and pushed them towards the Northern Tundra the new marshal, Marshal Pettylades decided to call the new forts founded on the north of the mountains by his own name instead of honoring his predecessor, so they was no "Fort Surly Takable".
There were conflicts with B'beg the terrible, and a last barbarian invasion who completely ransacked the lands and was finally pushed back, new forts were built in the impassable passes but despite the Takable's petition.

It was already late when she finished, but it was a glorious history, a very glorious history indeed spanning many years. Still, this curse story would need to be examined, you shall ask Father François, but of course better not to tell this to Rose, she could get worried. She then looked at you, and you decided to react.

>I am sure that we will build a fort with the name of your ancestor, this injustice must stop. Or petition the king to make it gigantic.
>The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?
>So you tell me that first your family was friends with the short scotsmen, and then with the guelphs ?
>Is there some poems or chansons de geste written about your ancestors ? Some could have inspired poets.
>These barbarians seem to be a curse on these lands, I have heard that they besieged Local many years ago...
>Other (write in)

>>6160355
>The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?

>>6160350
>Alright, I we shall deal with it in due time. During the spring, after our marriage and our travels to the city.
Good time for a campaign
>>6160355
>The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?

>>6160350
>>Alright, I we shall deal with it in due time. During the spring, after our marriage and our travels to the city.

>>6160355
>>The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?

>>6160350
>Alright, I we shall deal with it in due time. During the spring, after our marriage and our travels to the city.

>>6160355
>The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?

>>6160350
>Alright, I we shall deal with it in due time. During the spring, after our marriage and our travels to the city.


>>6160355
>The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?

>>6160355
>>The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?

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>>6160364

>>6160411
Of course messire

>>6160608
>>6160722
>>6160764
>>6160847

You agreed to go after that witch during the spring, trying to travel two days to the north then return two days later in the middle of winter would be foolish. Especially if nobody had heard of the witch, four days of travels to see a dead old woman would not be worth it.

About the fascinating story of Rose's line you decided to ask about the nearest landmark.

-The red rock ? North of there ? Can we see the place tomorrow or is it too far away, perhaps old battlefields still remain ?

She smiled and nodded.

-With winter not a lot will be visible, and the battlefields exist but the dead have decayed and have been buried long ago. Still, the red rock is two hours north of there, perhaps three if the snow is too deep but today it's quite thin. We could see it of course.

She seemed happy with it and the next day you rode joyfully with her, Bohémond, Becky and Godefroi accompanied by two guardsmen who rode quickly. There was much mirth in your convoy the snow was beginning to melt, the last days having simply been a wave of cold. You rode well and Rose insisted, after an hour, to stop to try to sew a bit and compare her models with her isolated tower in the light of the morning.
You let her sew, and Becky too since she wanted to continue to make her art while you spoke with Bohémond and Godefroi about these great empty plains, there was no such thing in France, Champagne was fertile, it's hills and plains full of villages, vineyards and fields, protected by castles and tended by a happy peasantry. Every day the bells of the churches marked the time and rythmef the existence of everyone. This was civilisation. Here you were in a new kind of savagery, not the forest full of beasts or the mountain full of basques, aragonese, navarrese or other barely human rabble speaking incomprehensible dialects. It was the great emptiness of man, questioning the meaning of your existence, it could be frightening.

It forced you to think, taking you by the head, you preferred far more practical dangers. At least the beautiful sky dominated the landscape, such characteristics reminded you of Champagne, it was not the ever changing sky of the Norman coast, it was more calm, more serene but still able to show God's wrath by hitting you with a terrible rain.

You continued to ride and saw, finally, a quite small rock of red stone, high as two thirds of a man. There were some other rocks in these plains as if someone threw them from a gigantic trebuchet and left them there sprawling.

Once the ladies were ready and you had already decided to kill your boredom by sparring with Bohémond with swords and snowballs,a very solemn activity that was absolutely and truly serious, even if your old Godefroi laughed at it, you continued towards this red rock covered on it's top by a thins pellicle of snow.

>>6161736

Some minstrel would say that it was tragic to come celebrating to the place of the death of the last member of an entire people but as a warrior you understood that they had it coming. If you do not want to get killed do not raid the feudal demesne of the local nobility. These knaves were no better than bandits, the vikings of old who prayed pagan gods or even Saracens who took slaves in southern France after disembarking from their swift galleys. In other words, they had it coming.

Once you were near the red rock and were about to come nearby Rose explained you.

-See, it is from here, in the middle of the plains that Yourlandis Takable finally put an end to his ennemies. It is said that the rock became red after being tainted by the blood of the last chaman.

Another Schamann, you remembered the German that you vanquished with his Ghibellines. Perhaps these barbarian nomads have been led by an old German, you pitied them, if it was so you were relative kin, even if they were direct descendants from the Trojans the Franks were a Germanic tribe.

Still these were heathens and not your brothers in Christ. You wanted to climb on the stone to see the view when Becky told.

-My lord... It... It is said that the stone is cursed and that those who touch it will have visions of great blood.

Rose sighed.

-We climbed on it when we were little girls and nothing special happened. And your father too did not believe in it... While being the kindest man that exists.

Yes... Indeed, it was a superstition. You decided to try to climb on it thinking about the events but, as you put your hand on the stone, it was if something strange happened.

Some men said that they saw God, you tended to believe them, but what you saw now, what you felt now was more than strange. It was as if you were pulled from this place in space and time, from your body. The white flash that you saw before your eyes reminded you of the one that was when you were transported in India and for a moment you feared that something like this happened. You felt a great anguish for the risk of leaving your beloved and your companions, but it was as if a reassuring breeze calmed you, and your blood changed itself into liquid, glowing gold pouring into your veins and filling it with courage. You were sure that it was a sign of the divine and you did the sign of the cross, praying the Holy Virgin for protection. It was when you were assaulted by hundreds of images, all blurry all surrounding you in a kind of sphere while you were as suspended in the sky, perhaps flying or perhaps being held by invisible strings. Calmed by this Godly presence but still surrounded by blurry images of blood and battle you tried to understand what was happening, and failed for it was probably beyond the reason of man. You tried to look, to concentrate around you, to understand what happened.

>Look to the left
>Look to the right
>Look before you
>Look behind you
>Look upwards
>Look downwards

>>6161737
>Look before you
Pagan or divine? Call it

>>6161737
>>Look upwards

>>6161737
>>Look behind you

>>6161737
>>Look upwards

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>>6161771
This is the great question.

>>6161825
>>6162000
>>6162059

You decided to look upwards, after all God was in the sky and if he was here you had to look up to see if he is here. And, as if to answer your faith, a powerful ray of light hit through these blurry scenes of death, and you received, perhaps illumination. This blinding light rendered you unable to see anything for a moment, your mind only in prayer, hoping for the Lord to protect you and the Holy Virgin to take pity upon you. It was when you remarked that you were hot, terribly hot, and it was as if sand hit your head... Wait... Sand ? In winter... No, no, no, no, you remembered this hotness, this place. You never were here physically, but the strange.. Experience that you had in the tomb of the brother of Leman, the desert, the saracens... You tried to advance under this blinding light when you saw a sea of tents... An host, a mighty host, but not a host of infidels, no, there were crosses on the banner and you saw several men in mail with christian helmets but sometimes with turbans and parts of clothes around them as to protect against the heath. But... It was absurd ? The crusades were no more, Acre has fallen 8 years ago to the great sadness of Christendom.

You did the sign of the cross, how was it possible ? Perhaps it was a raid from Cyprus, yes, probably, it was still in the hands of honest christians. You advanced and, as in your last experience a sentinel posted right before you ignored you, as if you were invisible. You continued and what shocked you was the vision of the main tent, in the middle of this army of perhaps four or five thousand men. It bore the emblem of the realm of Jerusalem, an entity today inexistant. Had a new crusade been declared in your absence ? Has God sent you this sign so that you assemble an army of Indians to march against the infidels from the East ?

You moved towards the tent, and entered it, and what you saw shocked you to the core. The banners, the emblems on the tabards... Ibelin, Granier, Courtenay, Châtillon... And the man, the very young, practically a boy, but very tired king who had to be transported in a chair and seemed to point towards the men, he had the coat of arms of the kingdom of Jerusalem on his tabard. And the bandages, he was a leper... By Saint Denis, it was Baudouin IV of Jerusalem, the leper king... And the men... Dead, they were all dead a century ago ! The brothers Baudouin and Balian d'Ibelin, Renaud de Sidon, Josselin de Courtenay, and Renaud de Châtillon... The last one, a champenois compatriot of yours, did not look like his descendant, he was taller, with a face that was once probably beautiful but now hard and marked by deprivation and torture, still he looked like to like battle. He seemed to be bored. You looked then around and saw two serious men who discussed, the Grand Masters of the Templar and Hospitalier orders, Eudes de Saint Amand and... If you remembered it well Roger de Moulins.

>>6162267

It was more or less a reunion of french noblemen far away from home, like you... Men that you had listened epics about.But why... Why seeing them... You tried to recover from the shock and listen to their conversation. Renaud Granier, count of Sidon, was speaking, his simple crest of a chief of gold on a blue field was enough to recognize him, he looked like he was in his forties with a tired face.

-My son, messeigneurs...

Why did he called him is son ? He was'nt his father... Perhaps he was stepfather of the king, they seemed to be close.

-The enemy has captured the arrière ban that we had called and left the siege of Ascalon, he thinks that the realm is ripe for the taking, Saladin sends his dogs to rampage the countryside. Ramla has fallen, he pursues to Mirabel and Lydda. And probably wants to march right towards Jerusalem after taking them. According to rumours he has ordered to kill the prisoners that slow him too much.

There was much consternation amongst the barons, the arrière ban, rear-banners, was the reserve, made of armed peasants or knights too old or too young to ride with the ban, convoked only in time of great peril. Clearly the situation seemed dire. The young king answered, tiredly.

-I pray the Lord for victory, but against such multitude, we only have a meagre host... At least you came Grandmaster.

The templar spoke, his coat was full of sand and dust, as someone who had ridden a long time.

-I brought you my 80 knights, all of them armed and armored, we are ready to march at dawn.

One of the two d'Ibelin, the older, who was soon supported by the younger, added.

-We must attack now, before the enemy has the time to regroup.

-Yes, arrange a battle, and try to kill their leader, they will scatter.

De Moulins, the hospitaller, speaking with a Norman accent that was almost comical, answered the king.

-Even with 80 templars we have less than five hundred knights, and five thousand foot and light horses, against a host six times that numbers. The enemy has turkish horse archers, mamelukes and the best troops that the infidels can assemble. An open battle will not end in our favor vostre majesté.

-And what do you suggest ?

-We shall do a maneuver, try to attack their supply lines, give the city some time to prepare to a siege. Hope for reinforcements from the christian states, you had written to king Louis and...

-And he has answered that he could not spare any men... Nor could the venetians... We are alone...

This was met by consternation by everyone, everyone but Châtillon, an experienced warrior who advanced and fixed everyone with his blue eyes. He hit the table with his fist, perhaps in a too uncouth manner, and told.

-And to hell with them... Majesty, messeigneurs, we are not as numerous as the enemy, that is not important, the strength of our cavalry, and the element of surprise will be enough. But we will not march right towards Saladin, no....

>>6162268

He did some gesture with his hand.

-We will pass by the desert, march quickly, the enemy is slower, we will come to him by the North East, not the South. Then we will come to his rear. He has an important baggage train, especially after having pillaged the countryside, we will plow through it like a knife through butter.

The younger d'Ibelin protested.

-This is madness, the desert, half our men will die there !

Courtenay approved for a moment.

-With all due respect monseigneur, some of the men are tired, others, not well.

It was about the king, everyone understood but Châtillon answered.

-Even if we have 300 men, that is not important, it is the morale of the men. I have passed fifteen years in the geols of the infidels, I do not wish to be captured again... But I know that they will scatter once they see that the battle is not to their advantage.

The grandmaster of the templars approved of the plan too, against those two lasts. Finally, the young king spoke, his frail voice trying to explain.

-I... I know that I shall not have the strenght to lead our men in battle, but if the men shall keep faith in victory, I will need to be here. Let us march, with the True Cross and under their king. Renaud, you will command the host, we leave at dawn.

You knew the rest, you knew all of it, it was history, and you felt extatic to be able to see it. When everything faded to white again you knew that the crusaders managed to surprise their ennemy, and that only 300 knights, who had survived, surprised 30 000 saracens and put them to flight, you were sure that the chance to witness this victory, considered as a miracle of God, was some sign, some symbol. You remembered that you had an ancestor there... And when you could see a small, half arid plain where a kind of small half dry river crossing was full of scrambling infidels. Their baggage train was here, some troops were returning from raids and riding towards it, because up a hill you saw it, with your own eyes.

The True Cross, it was raised, the Lord chose to show you the True Cross, where He was crucified and died for the sins of mankind, you fell to your knees, just like the young king, and the rest of the crusader army. Praying symbolically you closed your eyes. It was a miracle, a true miracle, and when you saw no more the true Cross but a snowy rock near you, and the face of Rose, and some of your companions you were a bit lost. Godefroi asked you, his familiar face with his wrinkles and nose perhaps too red because of the cold and too much love for wine seeming strange after such mystical experience.

-Monseigneur, is everything well ?

By Saint Denis, how ? It seemed that you returned just when you "left", it... it could make sense, God existed beyond such concepts has time, He was there before the creation of the world. But why sending you this. Why ? The True Cross and the victory of a few good christians against many heathens. You decided to answer still...

>>6162270

>"Yes, yes, I am well Godefroi..."
>"God sent me a vision."
>Nod and try to touch the stone again, the vision was perhaps incomplete, you did not see the battle.
>Kneel and do the sign of the cross, this could only be answered by prayer.
>"Yes, yes... By the way, Becky, tell me, this stone.. What are the legends about this vision."
>Other (write in)

In plus roll an intrigue check please, as to help you understand what is this all about.

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>6162272
>Kneel and do the sign of the cross, this could only be answered by prayer.
>"Yes, yes... By the way, Becky, tell me, this stone.. What are the legends about this vision."
It was holy

>>6162272
>"God sent me a vision."
>Kneel and do the sign of the cross, this could only be answered by prayer.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>6162272
et le lancer de dés, désolé!

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>6162272
>>Kneel and do the sign of the cross, this could only be answered by prayer.
>>"Yes, yes... By the way, Becky, tell me, this stone.. What are the legends about this vision."

File: Praying the Lord.jpg (776 KB, 1142x1600)

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>>6162324
Of course, by the way all of you passed the test.

>>6162341
>>6162343
Merci bien, mon fidèle banneret !

>>6162808

Inspired by this mystical experience you knelt before the rock and did the sign of the cross. Some people watched and by instinct your knights did it too. But at first you did not care about it, you prayed, you prayed hard. Thinking about reciting the Pater Noster before doing the sign of the cross and continuing. You tried to ask the Lord.

-Ô Lord, explain me, please, explain to your humble servant what you meant, you sent me a vision, a sign, but I am clueless to interpret it... Should I act bravely, like the young king... Or count on the fear of heathens and surprise, as Renaud did when he exposed his plan ? Was it to give me courage. Or was it meaning that pagans are not subject to the rules of honorable battle ? The Pope himself told that crossbows can be used against them and that you did not have to agree on a field of battle or stop hostilities on sundays against them... Ô Lord explain me please.

You continued to pray and recoiled almost immediately, images flashed of the battle. You saw heathens fleeing in absolute fear of the charge, Courtenay and the Ibelin brothers charging through ennemy infantry with their knights, hospitaliers breaking ennemy heavily armored cavalry. Even the young king on his horse hitting some fleeing enemy with his sword. Châtillon was charging, his sword full of blood and barking orders while cutting left and right. It was at this moment that you heard him scream.

-Villeroi ! There is prisoners alive here, cut their chains and let them arm themselves and order the men at arms to do it before they start pillaging the camp.

By Saint Denis, a man looking like you, André de Villeroi probably, a distant ancestor who married a burgundian Noblewoman... He nodded and stopped a man from trying to grope a female slave probably from the harem of an infidel leader... Was this man strangely looking like Ancel ? And they broke the chains of a group of christian prisonners who began to attack the saracens too. Efficiency first. Yes...

>>6162960

Efficiency... You opened your eyes and almost lost, as everyone looked at you, the Christians, by reflex, were in prayer. And you asked.

-By the way, Becky, tell me, this stone.. What are the legends about these visions.

She seemed afraid and began to whisper with your lady. She told.

-It... It can give visions of victory or defeat... It... It is said that it gives tactics on how to destroy your enemies, or how to be destroyed and can curse some people... It is said that those...

Rose answered.

-It is superstitious nonsense...

-It can give glimpses of the future... I have read a book about it, if you look to the left when in a vision you see the past, before you you see the present and to the right you see the future... It gives it rarely... Did you... You see the future ?

You wanted to answer but were a bit struck.. You looked upwards, not to your own future, but to God, granting Him the power to show you what you wanted. Before you could tell you had an illumination, of course, the strategy, God Himself has intervened and had clearly given you instructions. Instructions on how to win against the infidels. The cunning battle plan, the panic of the heathens, the True Cross, the need to free the prisoners before pillaging you understood clearly now. You murmured.

-Our three weapons are fear, and surprise, and ruthless efficiency... and an almost fanatical devotion to the Church... So it makes them four... Whatever...

And you understood that you had not to be afraid, you did not know against whom there will be conflict, probably the lord of Darkplace, or other vile scum but you were ready. You knew what to do, strike them before they could muster an answer. God had granted you a vision of victory. This will be by this way that you could use your victory. Your companions looked at you, wanting to ask questions.

>Explain your vision.
>Do not explain it.

====

You gain a bonus good sirs, in a battle, if one time during a battle or a campaign your plan will include Fear, Surprise, Ruthless Efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to the Church nobody shall expect it and you could choose the best of your three rolls instead of doing the average of the three.

You gain +1 piety and lose 1 mudcore.

>>6162961

Your new stats :

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 5
XP : 840 xp (next level at 1000)

Stats

Combat : 51%
Intrigue : 30%
Rulership: 36%

Piety : 77+1 = 78
Mudcore : 63-1 = 62

With 62 Mudcore you have a strong field of gritty realism around you (150 meters), in this field heavy magic will not work and supernatural abilities will not work, oh, and women will lose 4 pounds of strength of course, plus in the field the people that obey you will act more like they would be in a dark fantasy setting. You have chosen Blood of Mud and so your mudcore field will become a bit bigger and stronger but could be transmitted to your children. Magic, even restorative, will become considerably weaker near you. Weak practitionners of magic (less than rank 5) are unable to cast in your mudcore field.
Next level at 70, your field will become 200 meters wide, magical objects will lose their properties in your mudcore field just like potions, crops who came from the columbian exchange will lose their taste and a medieval disease will enter your world.

Talents
-Cavalry Commander : +20 to martial when you have to lead a cavalry charge or a cavalry attack. Works only when commanding shock or melee cavalry mounted on horses.
-Foreign Etiquette : You focus on learning Indian etiquette with Oldfossil, you gain a +10 bonus in intrigue in your interactions with the nobility of your duchy.
->Basic Literacy : Your lessons with Oldfossil and Lady Takable finally paid off and you can read and write, even if you write with errors and move your lips still when you read it is a great leap forward.

Traits :
Leader : Your magnetism on the masses is glorious and your learning of speech could encourage many men to follow you. You may choose the best of 3 rolls when you try to speak in public to convince an audience, be it the Council of Many or angry peasants.

>>6162961
>>Explain your vision.

>>6162961
>Explain your vision.

>>6162961
>Explain your vision.

>>6162961
>Explain your vision.

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>>6162978
>>6163048
>>6163073
>>6163087

You decided to explain your vision, after all everyone was looking at you and you told with a strong voice.

-I saw a vision, sent to me by Our Lord Jesus Christ who has been crucified in Jerusalem and Resurrected three days later ! Listen to me, I saw the deserts ! An endless expanse of sand...

Godefroi, who had been to the crusades of king Saint Louis told you.

-With a blue cloudless sky and a sun that blinds everyone and hits heavily on the heads ?

-Yes... Yes ! I saw it ! And I saw a crusading host ! A host that was from the past ! The host of the king of Jerusalem ! Four thousand soldiers, before the battle of Montgisard, I saw all the crusader lords, the heroes of the battle, the leper king, the Ibelin Brothers...

Bohémond asked you, interested.

-You saw the young king Baudouin leading the troops ?

-He... Prayed before the Holy Cross, I saw it... Beautiful, the Cross where Our Lord was crucified.

All did the sign of the cross, only Rose and Becky who seemed to be at a loss about what you were talking about before you continued.

-But Châtillon led the battle, the king was too weak, even if he fought a little and was on his horse...

Bohémond frowned.

-This is not what is written in the songs...

This made you think, perhaps... Perhaps the song and account had been changed, the Lord wanted to show you... The truth probably, you thought too that the saracens were surprised directly but now it appeared that they simply had not enough time to regroup but saw the crusaders coming since the prayer before the cross was in view of them, striking them with terror. God had the goodness to show you how it was, and not how the minstrels sung. You wondered if it was true for many other battles... You then added.

-I... I know, I saw my ancestor too, André de Villeroi. God gave me insight, he told me what to do in case of battle. He wants to inspire us.

The men did the sign of the cross and finally Rose asked you.

-Charles, I am very happy but, the king ? The Crusades ? Mont... Gisard ? Who are all these people ?

You smiled towards her, it would be a long discussion...

-You, see, Rose, in the year of our lord 1099 the Pope Urbain II from the city of Clermont called all the knights...

>>6163188

You spoke recounted and told tales about these times when you rode back towards the tower and during the evening Bohémond sung songs about the crusades, of Thibaut de Champagne and other famous minstrels who sung of such glory, he was entertaining with his luthe. And Rose, who loved tales of chivalry listened wide eyed with her handmaiden. Finally, even the ladies asked "Why don't we have holy wars here ? That seems sooo romantic." so you passed your time well. It was only during the evening that Rose demanded you to come near and asked in a small voice.

-Charles... I thought about the stone... And... If it seems that your God has sent you a message... I... Fear for a thing. This stone is told to be not only an omen of seeing the future but an omen of war... And your vision, perhaps it was the stone, perhaps the divinity... But war or not... Promise me to be careful.

-Of course, I shall be my lady.

She then looked at you and you kissed. Still she told.

-But even about all of this... Do... You really think that there will be a war soon ?

To be sincere you planned a limited feudal war, like those that happened all the time but since they were rare and forbidden in these lands you understood that war was seen as cataclysmic by Indians. They lived with tales of peoples entirely killed, of barbarians rampaging all their lands 60 years ago... Or something like that. You saw that despite all these romantics depictions of war Rose had the soft heart of a woman and she feared for you. You then answered her.

>Not this year my lady, it is already winter "chuckle".
>Kiss her
>Perhaps, perhaps not, the realm does not seem to be as stable as we could have thought.
>Perhaps, we heard a lot about this B'beg fellow, he does not seem to be inactive for too long
>We never know my lady, these decisions do not depend upon us.
>If I manage to obtain what I want we will crush the Lord of Darkplace in battle.
>No my lady, India seems to be an exceptionaly peaceful land.
>Other (write in)

>>6163189
>Perhaps, we heard a lot about this B'beg fellow, he does not seem to be inactive for too long
It’s a toss up

>>6163189
>Perhaps, perhaps not, the realm does not seem to be as stable as we could have thought.
>We never know my lady, these decisions do not depend upon us.
It's in God's hands. We'll do as The Lord dictates, and conduct ourselves with good Christian chivalry in any case.

>>6163189
>>Perhaps, we heard a lot about this B'beg fellow, he does not seem to be inactive for too long
>>We never know my lady, these decisions do not depend upon us.

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>>6163205
A pessimistic view good sir.

>>6163217
Of course, as befits our position.

>>6163516

You told her, in a calm and carefree tone, to not make her afraid.

-Perhaps, we heard a lot about this B'beg fellow, he does not seem to be inactive for too long.

-This is not reassuring...

-We never know my lady, these decisions do not depend upon us. It is in God's hands.

She seemed to be afraid and you took her hands in yours to reassure her. The next two days were then quite sweet but you had to leave, after all the tower was well guarded now and you had to deal with your own lands. The farewells with Rose were quite long but as many men before you you had to choose duty before love, even if a separation was always painful despite the fact that you will see eachother again in a few months. You almost fell ill on the road back home and sat in your great hall, Oldfossil your precious councillor explained you that unfortunately the early snow could have had a detrimental effect on your apple trees you hoped that not too much would be lost.

Whatever, you had a winter to pass, this dead season was not a moment of huge activities, building was stalled because of the cold, crops could not grow and we waited with what we had reaped before, you were perhaps a bit tight on it. Travelling was hard and in general you spent the season like a bear, hibernating. Still, you had three and half months to "kill" if you could say that, and you expected to use your time for something more productive than drinking beer (even if it was excellent). What would it be (besides eating and drinking a lot during the cold season) ?

>>6163633

>Spar in the courtyard, your defeat at the hands of lady Sue still stings at your pride. You shall use the winter months to train even under hard conditions. (Combat roll)
>Hunt in winter, nothing is better than a winter hunt, be it the bear, the boar, the wolf or any exotic winter beast (combat roll)
>Try to design an effective barding for your horses in case of war and make your blacksmiths do it, it shall cost you money that you do not have now but it could be useful later, then train your horses to don it (combat roll)
>Discuss deeply with Oldfossil and read treaties about the land and it's people, you need to know a lot to become a better lord (Rulership roll)
>Try to encourage conversions amongst tour population, you have to christianise them all or at least try. Father François will be very useful in it (Rulership roll)
>Listen to the pleas of your people and councilors and try to rule fairly, see if there is some need to change or better some pagan customs of India (Rulership roll)
>Try to better your relationship with a part of your subjects be it the inhabitants of a place (Cresus Farms, the Dwarven community) or those of a particular trade (lumberjacks, farmers, cattle herders) and listen to their pleas (Intrigue roll) [you can choose this option multiple times for different categories of the people, some will be more numerous and harder to please than others]
>Try to know deeper one of your courtiers or inhabitants of the castle and spend time with them (chose whom and roll an intrigue roll) [This choice can be taken multiple times]
>Try to send messengers to one of the nearby noblemen to keep contact with them and maintain relationships for the foreseable future (choose whom and roll an intrigue roll)
>Other (write in)

Choose 3 choices good sirs, with 3 rolls please, so 3d100, I shall do the average of the different rolls for the different choices. If you have a write in it will be a roll too (I shall choose what it will be but it will be what is closest).

Of course since it will be Christmas I will hibernate too, and hope that you hibernate too and pass a good time with your family, I shall be able to answer back the 26. Merry Christmas to you all good sirs !

Rolled 35, 13, 58 = 106 (3d100)

>>6163634
>Spar in the courtyard, your defeat at the hands of lady Sue still stings at your pride. You shall use the winter months to train even under hard conditions. (Combat roll)
>Try to encourage conversions amongst tour population, you have to christianise them all or at least try. Father François will be very useful in it (Rulership roll)
>Listen to the pleas of your people and councilors and try to rule fairly, see if there is some need to change or better some pagan customs of India (Rulership roll)

Rolled 63, 99, 65 = 227 (3d100)

>>6163634
>Spar in the courtyard, your defeat at the hands of lady Sue still stings at your pride. You shall use the winter months to train even under hard conditions. (Combat roll)
>Try to encourage conversions amongst tour population, you have to christianise them all or at least try. Father François will be very useful in it (Rulership roll)
>Listen to the pleas of your people and councilors and try to rule fairly, see if there is some need to change or better some pagan customs of India (Rulership roll)
Merry Christmas QM

Rolled 43, 36, 30 = 109 (3d100)

>>6163634
>Try to encourage conversions amongst tour population, you have to christianise them all or at least try. Father François will be very useful in it (Rulership roll)
>Listen to the pleas of your people and councilors and try to rule fairly, see if there is some need to change or better some pagan customs of India (Rulership roll)
>Try to better your relationship with a part of your subjects be it the inhabitants of a place (Cresus Farms, the Dwarven community) or those of a particular trade (lumberjacks, farmers, cattle herders) and listen to their pleas (Intrigue roll)
Dwarves

>>6163634
>Reassess the female guardsmen, especially the guelphs, in light of what you discovered in Rose's lands
>Try to send messengers to one of the nearby noblemen to keep contact with them and maintain relationships for the foreseable future (choose whom and roll an intrigue roll)
>Hunt in winter, nothing is better than a winter hunt, be it the bear, the boar, the wolf or any exotic winter beast (combat roll)

Rolled 51, 69, 37 = 157 (3d100)

>>6163634
Oh, and a roll.

Merry Christmas, QM!

>>6163634
>Hunt in winter, nothing is better than a winter hunt, be it the bear, the boar, the wolf or any exotic winter beast (combat roll)
>Try to encourage conversions amongst tour population, you have to christianise them all or at least try. Father François will be very useful in it (Rulership roll)
>Listen to the pleas of your people and councilors and try to rule fairly, see if there is some need to change or better some pagan customs of India (Rulership roll)

File: You are unfortunately not(...).jpg (335 KB, 1260x799)

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>>6163644
>>6163670
>>6163678
>>6164486
>>6164727

MERRY CHRISTMAS dear bannermen, I hope that you found joy on this day and had many presents. I am back and I am glad to write to you... The rolls have been quite bad unfortunately and if two choices have been chosen (Conversions and Trying to rule) sparring and hunting got 2 votes each so I will allow you to break the tie, after all we are talking about a 3 months interval. Since there was a 99 rolled, a critical failure, I decided to even add a flavorful event. I hope you enjoy it.

====

It was harsh to admit but the winter did not pass very well. You tried to focus on your lordly duties, first trying to convert the people. It was... Moderately effective. Of course some good and honest men were converted yes, you even had the first proper Christian burial of the lordship, of an old woman who did not survive winter, Paradise was her name... You hoped that she was now in the place where the name came from, near God and His angels but many more remained neutral and even hostile. It was sometimes after what Father François considered to be Christmas that you saw something awful breaking the cheer of such a good day in the middle of winter. Some scum, some vermin, dared to throw a torch and try to burn down the church.

Notre dame de Local, the first Christian church in India was the victim of a tentative of arson who burned a small part of it. Apparently pagans thought that monotheism was a kind of blasphemy against their idols. You needed to riposte. But how ? Some like Godefroi defended harsh measures when Oldfossil, who knew the locals, told that it if the punishment should be harsh it should not be too violent, Father François even told that you should give the criminal, if caught, a chance to repent, to show him the Lord's mercy, if he refused burning him alive should be more than appropriate. You agreed with it, burning an arsonist had something ironic in it.

But still, you needed to catch the dastardly scum who did it. Should you try to lead the inquiry yourself or give it to one of your retainers ?

>>6165593

>You shall do it yourself first by interrogating the witnesses who were there around the church this night.
>Oldfossil should lead the inquiry, he knows all the peasants of the region.
>Godefroi is a good knight and he had to find bandits sometimes. You can trust him.
>Bohémond is young, he can prove himself by bringing the Guilty one.
>Father François's church has been ransacked, he is beloved by a part of the community, he can probably find the culprit.
>Brother Louis has dealt with infidels in the past during the crusades and even interacted in a half friendly way with them, he can perhaps understand who did it.
>Captain Crumbling is captain of the guard, his job is to find this kind of ne'er do wells, he has many decades of experience, he should find them easily.
>Elana is skilled in subterfuge and a fervent Christian, she should be useful to spy on the potential seditious peasants and find the culprit.
>You do not pay mercenaries for nothing. Bob Denarius is not stupid, he could do a fine job finding the scum who did this.
>Who knows how to smell tracks well ? And to do dirty work ? Ancel ! He shall be useful.
>This is a work for adventurers, we should contact one of their guilds, perhaps one of those where we haven't killed anyone yet, and write a contract. It would be a curious and entertaining experiment.
>Other (write in)

>>6165594

Besides one other occupation of your winter was trying to govern your fief with fairness and goodwill. Unfortunately it was not very effective. Yes you listened to them, yes you thought about their opinions but it appeared that everyone thought only about it's interest. Each peasant was begging to have a parcel of land near the river instead of it's neighbor, or paying less taxes while it's neighbour will pay more and you were tangled up in a terrible mess, it was only at the end that you understood that listening to the people was an error. The people was made to be ruled, not listened, and only the wise decisions as a nobleman, taken as a force of nature and not as something that you can sway could keep them in check. Unfortunately, of course, you had lost so much time to listen to the pleas of the populace that word got out that you could be swayed by honeyed words by the middle of winter. So you had to order your guards to beat much people with batons and whip other at the end of the cold season. Why could not they behave normally ? Probably paganism... But you thought that peasants in France were not so different. That and the arsonists that tried to burn the church disenchanted you with the populace as a whole, you decided to only listen to those of noble birth, it would be simpler.
To end on a positive note you respected king Saint Louis even more for his ability to be fair to the commoners when they were not even fair to themselves. You prayed for his intercession to guide you, but to no avail, perhaps you should dedicate a chapel to the canonised king one day.

The only joyful time that you had between the cold and the problems was dedicated to two genuinely amusing activities : hunting and sparing in the courtyard. To hunt wolves and boars in winter was a great training for war and an enjoyable endeavour. You felt your blood rush when you pursued the beasts be it in the plains or the forest or when you ended it with your boar spear, the barking of the dogs, the joyful participation of everyone, including Oldfossil when he was on his pills (besides Brother Louis who had sworn to only hunt the lion as a brother Templar).

The other activity was more demanding but helped you end the stress, you fought hard, not looking at the time after all battle could come under heavy snow too, even in a small scale skirmish because rare were those who could feed an army through winter. You were training every day when you were not hunting until your arms were sore. The fact that you lost, because you slipped, against a woman was shameful enough, you decided not to slip and to train to fight even on ice... Let us say that you fell a lot before finding your footing. Still, you had the sense that you needed to train more, be it by fighting or by hunting.

>Focus on the hunt
>Focus on sparring

>>6165594
>Elana is skilled in subterfuge and a fervent Christian, she should be useful to spy on the potential seditious peasants and find the culprit.

>>6165595
>>Focus on sparring

>>6165594
>Oldfossil should lead the inquiry, he knows all the peasants of the region.
I believe offering them a chance of repentance to show them mercy is good, but follow oldfossils advice afterwards
>>6165595
>Focus on sparring

>>6165595
>>Focus on sparring

>>6165594
>Elana is skilled in subterfuge and a fervent Christian, she should be useful to spy on the potential seditious peasants and find the culprit.

>>6165595
>Focus on the hunt

>>6165594
>Elana is skilled in subterfuge and a fervent Christian, she should be useful to spy on the potential seditious peasants and find the culprit.
>Who knows how to smell tracks well ? And to do dirty work ? Ancel ! He shall be useful.
Together!

>>6165595
>Focus on sparring

File: Elana.png (1.08 MB, 1024x1024)

1.08 MB PNG

>>6165609

>>6165801
Excellent idea good sir, but it seems that it is always a small minority who is always right. I think that it is the better proof of the supremacy of the aristocratic form of government that we defend so much.

>>6166032
>>6166159

>>6166224
This too was a grandiose idea, Elana and Ancel form an epic team together.

====

You decided to send someone to deal with the arsonist problem. You knew exactly the person. Elana was crafty, clever, knew how to infiltrate in any fortress and you were sure that she could track any criminal too. She was very religious now and was at all the masses, and often with Father François. You ordered her, before Oldfossil and your knights.

-Elana, I want you to find the scoundrel who put a torch to the church.

-My lord, it's an honour but...

She seemed unsure of herself and you understood. She was young and inexperienced, you reassured her.

-I know that you can do it. Trust your capacities, you are subtle and clever, I am certain that you will be able to end this story.

She slowly nodded and simply told.

-Yes my lord.

Oldfossil, once she left, raised some doubts about her ability to do it, she was young after all and he told that assassins like her were better at committing crimes than solving them. You answered him that since she wanted to do another thing than killing people she should be motivated and will have some skills.

Despite your previously mostly unsuccessful moments when you tried to rule your subjects and convert them you spent most of your time (when you were not on a hunt), sparring in the courtyard. You sparred twice as normal, four hours a day, Bohémond having more vigour to follow you, the guardsmen being often out of shape and Godefroi and Brother Louis, if they were good at the beginning of the day, even better than you, being worse at the day's end. Bob Denarius was a quite good swordsman too but not as skilled as a knight. Speaking of your guardsmen this regime maintained them well trained and you thought that they were perhaps the best drilled in the region.
Some help was given to you by Elana, who loved to spare in her free time, when she was not doing an inquiry, about fighting on ice. She had a very good balance and you even saw her being able to walk on hands like an acrobat.

She could even spin in a kind of pirouette if she wanted. Of course such things were not useful for a knight and you even doubted if it was useful in a fight but she knew that movement, especially trying to flow on the ice for exemple instead of trying to walk normally was more effective and helped you get it done. On your side you corrected some of her sword strikes.

On the other side you rode through winter and trained with the lance, and of course you sometimes wrestled with Bohémond or even Denarius. The mercenary was strong as an ox but you had more a more refined technique.

>>6166528

It was during the middle of winter that you were going outside to breathe a breath of fresh air when you saw Elana, all dressed in black, crying on the battlements. You seemed to be distressed. Why was the girl so sad. And she must be cold. You took a blanket, as any good knight would do and asked her.

-Something bad happened....

She became red when she saw you and, as many young girls when they were panicking she burst into even more tears. You put an hand behind her back and told.

-Shhh, shhh... You had an argument ? Is it with Denarius ? I saw how he looked at you and..

She looked at you, still in tears but clueless. Answering simply.

-No. No ! I... We are not together my lord... I.. will you punish me if I tell you ?

You told her, bemused.

-It depends, if you tell me that you have tried to poison me again I shall probably be angry.

You saw a small smile on her features and she answered.

-N... No. Not this... Of course not... I simply... How can I live with this... I am an horrible person... I sinned my lord... You were always good to me but I sinned...

You frowned, letting her continue.

-I... I haven't managed to catch the peson who did it... I... Never was trained to do an inquiries, to investigate, simply to eliminate targets... I... I feel so stupid.. B... But worse... I.. I found some man who I thought was responsible, he spoke against the church... Against you...

She then continued.

-It was the first lead that I had and probably the last since time will pass and people will forget who was where... I even learned that someone saw him running on the day of the arson. I followed him, he is called Culprit..

You snickered "cul pris" amusing name. But you then looked concerned again.

-I... Found that he has the motive, that he, even if not from local but Nearby, came on this day to sell the meat of one of his chickens... I have gone to his home one week ago and I found..

She burst into tears and you took a handkerchief, offering her to get inside since it was cold, her small but quite athletic frame looked so vulnerable near you. She did not look like a fearsome killer but a girl of seventeen in need of comforting. You had a lot of trouble with seeing women being hurt and you wanted really to calm her.

-You found something horrible, that made you afraid. You should not be ashamed. If he is a... Bandit or even a child boiler I shall deal with him.

-N.. no my lord... I found that he was deathly afraid of fire. His wife was the only one putting firewood into the fire, there were no torches but expensive glowing crystals, and he had burns, burns from many years ago... On his chest when he disrobed for a bath... I asked questions and... It seems that the man's old home was burned and he escaped the fire by a miracle, it was why he was so pagan, he thought that he was saved by the Fireman, good of saviours against fire... He could not even lift a torch, the thing scares him, he... He could have not done it...

>>6166529

You raised your shoulders.

-Sometimes we do not find what we seek, look one time in Normandy I found a casket of cider instead of a casket of...

-N... No... Sorry to interrupt my lord but if I... Was afraid, and sad... I do not cry for this... I cry for... I tried to forge... Fake proofs, b...buy some changing face powder, disguise as him and walk with a torch, en.. encourage people to.. denounce him.

Telling that you were taken back was an understatement, you answered her.

-But why ? By Saint Denis why ?

She looked at you with her pleading green eyes and shivered.

-I... May the Holy Mother of God pardon me but I was... Afraid... Afraid of you and.. I know you are brave, strong, noble, a true knight but.. I feared to loose everything, and... When in the assassin's school we failed we were punished... Sometimes... People died in punishments... I... I saw you hitting Ancel and... Me... I remembered the... The charcoals that you made me walk into... I... I am so ashamed... I..

More tears, you put your hand on the back of her head, she stayed against your chest, taking several moments to calm herself.

-I am so sorry my lord... I thought... A part of me, an evil part of me thought that you needed someone guilty, for an exemple... As Oldfossil said, he is very wise you know. And fearing punishment I decided to frame an innocent man, to lie to you my lord... To sin a lot... I am an awful person... I should.. I hate myself for doing this...

Well she had not accused him yet, and you found her story touching. You felt bad for the girl, women were not done for such pressure. You still heard her soft sobs and it touched you right in the hearth. Still, her morality was admirable, Ancel if he had not found would have framed someone innocent, probably after extorting some money from him. But Ancel too would have found the true culprit. The idea of framing someone who was openly praising paganism was not bad too but burning an innocent... Well he was not a brother in Christ so it was not so important and rejected our lord but he was innocent of the crime committed. The fact that the guilty party will not be found would mark you as weak. It was bad too. Elana looked at you, a mix of apprehension, hope and perhaps something else in her eyes.

>>6166530

>You shall not be punished, everybody can fail, I prefer an honest report of failure than being misled by my councilors. Do not worry.
>You failed, and you took one week to tell me that you found nothing, time was lost and I will have to look like a fool or to accuse an innocent man because of you. It is a grave failure.
>Kiss her
>Do not worry, I hit Ancel because he is solid and works like it. You are a girl, and a knight would never hurt a woman, I even forbade the torture of women on my lands. I am not the upjumped commoner of Darkplace, you have nothing to fear by admitting that you were unable to do a task, understood ?
>Other (write in)

Another question remained what to do with the arson affair ?

>Do nothing, you have lost the opportunity to catch the guilty man.
>Send another person to try to lead an investigation on it (choose whom).
>Frame this Cul-Pris... It would be a pagan less.
>Frame the Jews, they always do such kind of things and those of these lands are so small that they could have done it unsighted by all.
>Other (write in)

====

By the way your focus on sparring, and ancient good rolls mean that you have a choice :
>Gain +5 combat for the next time that you will need to fight someone or something blade in hand (it will not be used for exemple if you command during a battle)
>Permanently gain +1 combat (it will be used permanently and in general)

>>6166533
>Do not worry, I hit Ancel because he is solid and works like it. You are a girl, and a knight would never hurt a woman, I even forbade the torture of women on my lands. I am not the upjumped commoner of Darkplace, you have nothing to fear by admitting that you were unable to do a task, understood ?
>Frame the Jews, they always do such kind of things and those of these lands are so small that they could have done it unsighted by all.

>>6166533
>>6166605
forgot
>>Permanently gain +1 combat (it will be used permanently and in general)

>>6166533
>You failed, and you took one week to tell me that you found nothing, time was lost and I will have to look like a fool or to accuse an innocent man because of you. It is a grave failure.

>Send another person to try to lead an investigation on it (choose whom).
Oldfossil

>Permanently gain +1 combat (it will be used permanently and in general)

>>6166533
>You shall not be punished, everybody can fail, I prefer an honest report of failure than being misled by my councilors. Do not worry.
>Send another person to try to lead an investigation on it (choose whom).
Old Fossil
>Permanently gain +1 combat (it will be used permanently and in general)

>>6166605
I like your idea, too, but the local Jews gnomes? are not yet our enemies, and we may need to borrow money at some time. We can betray them after, of course, but not before. Instead...

>>6166533
>Do not worry, I hit Ancel because he is solid and works like it. You are a girl, and a knight would never hurt a woman, I even forbade the torture of women on my lands. I am not the upjumped commoner of Darkplace, you have nothing to fear by admitting that you were unable to do a task, understood ?
and
>Ask Elana if she can frame the Lord of Darkplace in the same way, or one of his agents rather, to give us casus belli

>Permanently gain +1 combat (it will be used permanently and in general)

File: Medieval Investigation.jpg (142 KB, 1280x720)

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>>6166605
>>6166647
>>6166887

>>6166923
Yes indeed, the very small jews are gnomes (because of their noses), and we cannot "betray" them, they already betrayed Christendom with their blasphemy and their killing of our Lord. We can only defend ourselves against them. By the way, your write in is very wise, I shall give you 5xp for this excellent idea and add it to the options since the rolls that I made for Oldfossil were unfortunately very bad.

=====

You were saddened by simply seeing a poor girl crying like this on your shoulder. And you were proud of yourself because you did not even lusted after her while you had not had any woman in the last month, trying to cease a bit with Stacy to prepare for your marriage. Perhaps it was why you trained so hard in the yard ? Frustration can be a strong motivator. Whatever, you decided to reassure Elana, she was overwhelmed and had the honesty to admit her guilt. And clearly the things that her ancient master, who had stolen her soul (you did not even imagine it being possible) did terrified her. You looked at her pleading eyes intensely and spoke slowly but clearly.

-Listen... I do not wish for your worrying. I hit Ancel because he is solid and works like it. You are a girl and a knight would never hurt a woman, I even forbade the torture of women of my lands. I am not the upjumped commoner of Darkplace, you have nothing to fear by admitting that you were unable to do a task, understood ?

She looked at you, grateful but still worried.

-B... But... When you made me walk on burning embers..

-It was an ordeal, to prove your innocence, look, you proved it, if not then you would have been executed. Sincerely the evidence against you was overwhelming to say the least.

She put down her eyes and told.

-Sorry my lord... Of course... But the rat ?

-What rat ?

-When you... You menaced of having my innards broken by a rat while putting a torch on a bucket placed upon my belly and...

You laughed.

-It was to make you afraid, I would not have done it.

This time her face was no more full of tears but perhaps a bit outraged.

-YOU.. Tricked me lord Charles ?

-We can say that yes.

-You !?!

-What is so exceptional in it ?

-You are the most straigthforward person that I met, a true knight, you always say what you think and act with an honor that I thought lost in these lands. Perhaps only Paladins are like you... And... Well I have been trained to deceive people, in theory.

You snickered a bit and put her closer to you, you were both sitting near a window.

-You almost killed me, a trained warrior, when you weighted half of me, sometimes we can be deceived by the appearances. And in this case, tricking you was for a good end.

>>6167442

Her face brightened lightly in pride now perhaps happy anew, she reminded you of your little sister when she cried, you had to make her feel better about herself, even if it was sometimes difficult. The memory of your family saddened you so you tried to put it aside.

-You are right my lord. You are right... I... Promise that I will never fail to report you anything, and that I will do my best in everything that I do for you, or for lady Rose. I know that my life is not enough to repay the debt that I owe you, my lord, but I shall try my best.

She clearly idolised you, well, you had brought her the true faith and saved her from a vile and mean man. When you thought about it it was another maiden that you rescued, like lady Rose. You were a rescuer of maidens, a true knight from the legends, you thought about the possibility of minstrels singing songs about your adventures hundreds of years from now. No, it would be strange. Still, if people idolised you, you should always act knightly. That was a minimum, you had the reputation of Champagne, of France, to uphold, the country that had the best knights of all the Christendom. After seeing that she was better you ordered her to return to her quarters and got to sleep yourself.

The next day you decided to send Oldfossil on the mission, to catch the culprit would be very hard but he knew everyone here and you trusted him. He asked honestly, telling that he would need the help of Captain Crumbling, who knew how to maintain order and had a knack for these kinds of investigations to find the guilty man. He said too that it would be very hard indeed because most of the people would not remember who was here on this day and that since nobody bragged about it amongst the people the arsonist was prudent.

Oldfossil deduced that it could not have been a fakely converted Christian since the fire was done from outside and it would have been simpler to sabotage something from the inside if the person was going to church. Since it was an ancient temple of Monsanto he told that it was probably not a cultist of this idol too, so not a farmer.
Captain Crumbling told that it was not some drunk, because he would have talked about his drunken adventure in one of the taverns or told something. They were thinking about someone who had thought about this crime before acting on it. Someone who had premeditated it and could strike again. They decided to set a trap, as to bait him, have a guardsman speak in a tavern about a small cross that shall secretely be drawn on one of the buildings near the central squares of each village, for an unknown ritual of "purification and blessing", they told christian villagers to secretely keep watch over it and to see if someone would try to erase something so small.

>>6167444

Father François accepted to draw it and even bless that with holy water, after all houses could always be blessed and exorcised and we waited. Unfortunately nobody decided to strike, apparently the arsonist was too afraid even for such a small act. Or he was not going to taverns or listening to rumours. Perhaps you will be able to catch him next time. Still, you needed to decide what to do.

>Do nothing, you have lost the opportunity to catch the guilty man.
>Frame this Cul-Pris... It would be a pagan less.
>Frame the Jews, they always do such kind of things and those of these lands are so small that they could have done it unsighted by all.
>Try to frame the Lord of Darkplace, it would be one more casus belli
>Other (write in)

====

Your new stats :

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 5
XP : 840+5 = 845 xp (next level at 1000)

Stats

Combat : 51%+1 = 52%
Intrigue : 30%
Rulership: 36%

Piety : 78
Mudcore : 62

With 62 Mudcore you have a strong field of gritty realism around you (150 meters), in this field heavy magic will not work and supernatural abilities will not work, oh, and women will lose 4 pounds of strength of course, plus in the field the people that obey you will act more like they would be in a dark fantasy setting. You have chosen Blood of Mud and so your mudcore field will become a bit bigger and stronger but could be transmitted to your children. Magic, even restorative, will become considerably weaker near you. Weak practitionners of magic (less than rank 5) are unable to cast in your mudcore field.
Next level at 70, your field will become 200 meters wide, magical objects will lose their properties in your mudcore field just like potions, crops who came from the columbian exchange will lose their taste and a medieval disease will enter your world.

Talents
-Cavalry Commander : +20 to martial when you have to lead a cavalry charge or a cavalry attack. Works only when commanding shock or melee cavalry mounted on horses.
-Foreign Etiquette : You focus on learning Indian etiquette with Oldfossil, you gain a +10 bonus in intrigue in your interactions with the nobility of your duchy.
->Basic Literacy : Your lessons with Oldfossil and Lady Takable finally paid off and you can read and write, even if you write with errors and move your lips still when you read it is a great leap forward.

Traits :
Leader : Your magnetism on the masses is glorious and your learning of speech could encourage many men to follow you. You may choose the best of 3 rolls when you try to speak in public to convince an audience, be it the Council of Many or angry peasants.

>>6167445
>Try to frame the Lord of Darkplace, it would be one more casus belli

>>6167445
>>Frame this Cul-Pris... It would be a pagan less.

>>6167445
>Frame this Cul-Pris... It would be a pagan less.
Some pagan girl.... we can call her a witch.... a pyre to warm us all for the winter

>>6167445
>Frame the Jews, they always do such kind of things and those of these lands are so small that they could have done it unsighted by all.

Alas, my idea was not so clever as to rally the other bannermen.

>>6167445
>Frame this Cul-Pris... It would be a pagan less.

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>>6167538
>>6167727

>>6167786
This is a man, even if with several people we are unable to understand.

>>6167956

>>6168016
Bannermen are fickle and prone to infighting, it is very hard to unite them but once they are united they are able to best everything.

>>6168336

===

You decided toframe this man, Cul-Pris, who feared fire. After all even if he was innocent he was a pagan, and a pagan who decided to blaspheme against the Holy Church if not in deeds then in words.
Of course you shall not burn him alive but force a confession out of him, that was the idea at least, you were not a complete monster, not yet. You ordered to bring the man in your castle, completely chained. Oldfossil argued for mercy, as a way to pardon the criminal if he had done wrong, with only a flogging and a conversion, Elana, guilty of having tried to frame him, agreed. And, even if you you had your interest in politics you were still an honorable knight and would not burn the innocent man alive for having tried to burn the church, his blasphemy deserved death, yes, but he was barbaric pagan and by definition did not knew what he was doing, and still, he was innocent of any church arsons.

When he was brought before you you told him.

-You are the pagan called Cul-pris ?

-C...C... Culprit m'lord, i'm Culprit, and i'm innocent, I did nothing wrong, I never bu..

-Silence ! There were proofs that you were there, and you were running away from the deed on the day of your crime... Make the witnesses enter.

The witnesses who had seen it agreed about it. One woman even told more, how she saw him running with a torch while the rest simply told that they saw him running.

He began to tell.

-B... But I cannot carry a torch ! I fear fire ! I am full of... Of burning marks... I... Almost died in the burning of my house when I was young, I lost my p...

Oldfossil cut him off and turned towards you, more for the comedy that for telling you something new. He wanted to "take the controversial decisions on himself" like a good steward. So that the people could blame the councillors and not their lord, he was a wise man who understood this, you prayed to thank God for having such a councilor.

-Perhaps yes, perhaps not, sometimes, my lord, fire can lead to fascination, and madness. We have witnesses my lord that saw him carry one.

>>6168922

Then the people of his village, ready to be naysayers, began to tell that they saw him (in fact Elana in disguise) and many asked for his death. The people could be cruel and many Christian men wanted vengeance, still in their pagan ways and not understanding mercy. You were moved by the pleading of his wife though. A plain woman who was the mother of three kids, making them orphans would weight on your conscience. She sobbed and told.

-My lord I... I can assure you that my husband fears fire... He... He can be a harsh man, perhaps he spoke against the new ways that you imported... But please.. m'lord... Spare him, I know that he did nothing of the sort, if he fled from the fire it would only be in panic... Not with a "guilty expression".

The testimony of a loving wife did not mean much in this kind of affair. But still, you had an occasion to appear merciful. What will be your decision.

>This man has tried to burn the house of God, let him be burned alive so he could die as he has sinned.
>Let us submit him to an ordeal... Since he could play the part of the afraid man in an ordeal by fire let us do one by water. Bring water !
>If Culprit the Cul-Pris confesses his crimes, and accepts baptism I am ready to pardon him. Our God is a God of mercy, and if this arsonist is a rotten dog who deserves death his wife does not deserve to become a widow nor his children to be orphans.
>If the man confesses he shall be simply punished with batons and enserfed to the church, if not then he shall be tortured to admit his crimes and then burned alive.
>Other (write in)

===============

Happy new year to all of you, it has been a pleasure playing together, I wish you a year of successes in battle and in love, a tremendous harvest and of course much joy. I am sorry if sometimes my updates will not be daily as before, because of the festive period, but I shall try to keep it up.

>>6168925
>>If Culprit the Cul-Pris confesses his crimes, and accepts baptism I am ready to pardon him. Our God is a God of mercy, and if this arsonist is a rotten dog who deserves death his wife does not deserve to become a widow nor his children to be orphans.

>>6168925
>If the man confesses he shall be simply punished with batons and enserfed to the church, if not then he shall be tortured to admit his crimes and then burned alive.
But in a tie, I can back >>6168982. I just doubt the sincerity of his conversion.

>>6168925
>>If the man confesses he shall be simply punished with batons and enserfed to the church, if not then he shall be tortured to admit his crimes and then burned alive.

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>>6168982

>>6169324
He could be of course faking it like some Albigeois.

>>6169650

You took a decision, since the church must be powerful it shall have lands and serfs, so you ordered.

-If the man confesses he shall be simply punished with batons and enserfed to the church, if not then he shall be tortured to admit his crimes and then burned alive.

You did not even need to order to show your torture instruments, the man was immediately begging, the idea of being burned alive sufficient to have him telling.

-I... I don't know anything b... But I shall confess... I... Thank... Thank you m'lord for your mercy...

His wife was happy too, and the people seemed to accept the thing, even if some wanted something harsher they told about "mercy". Father François was the most lost in this decision, he now had a pagan serf and did not knew what to do with him, he was already trying to ask if the man had some bee hives to bring him free bottles of mead every year, you smiled at that, you liked your good old priest. At least this was done now and you were glad of it. Seeing him beaten twenty times with batons did not disturb you very much, the man was a pagan and spoke against the church, even if he was accused for another motive he could not be a completely good man and had it comoing.

You passed the rest of winter joyfully, after all your sparring and your eating of your not so considerable reserves you were solidly built, when the snow finally receded you were very happy. You learned too, with much joy, that only a fifth of your apple trees on your orchard did not survive the winter because of the early snows. It was a good number.
While your hearth was full of spring and joy you remembered that there was only two months towards Rose's Birthday, and so your marriage and you had many projects in the meantime. You had to give the Duchess of Tradnod her locket, and had been summoned at court by the queen. So you decided to prepare to travel, a summon to the queen should not wait of course. Apparently if you took the road to Briberopolis, the capital of Bifuria you shall be here in three weeks while riding fast to the South West, while Tradnod was two and half weeks away and in the South. Still you could after two more weeks reach the capital from Tradnod.

You will have to choose where to go.

>Pass by Tradnod before going to Briberopolis.
>No time to lose, let us go directly to Briberopolis, Tradnod could be a destination for the future.

Then there was the question of companions for the travels. Of course you shall need Ancel, he follows you everywhere and does not need a horse but who else shall be brought. You could take as many as you want, the bigger the party, the more secure it is, but the slower it is.

>Travel lightly with two guards.
>Bring four guardsmen on horses.
>Bring all six of your mounted guardsmen.

>Bring Bohémond
>Bring Godefroi
>Bring Brother Louis
>Bring Bob Denarius
>Bring Elana
>Bring Oldfossil
>Bring Captain Crumbling
>Other (write in)

=====

You loose 5 piety and gain 1 mudcore for your framing of an innocent man.
You gain +28 piety for all the weeks of winter passed (14 weeks, your church gives +1 per week if your pray and +1 more since it is consecrated to the Holy Virgin).

====

Your new stats :

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 5
XP : 845 xp (next level at 1000)

Stats

Combat : 52%
Intrigue : 30%
Rulership: 36%

Piety : 78-5+28 = 96
Mudcore : 62+1 = 63

With 63 Mudcore you have a strong field of gritty realism around you (150 meters), in this field heavy magic and supernatural abilities will not work, women will lose 4 pounds of strength and the people that obey you will act more like they would be in a dark fantasy setting. You have chosen Blood of Mud so your mudcore field will be weaker than in the other options could be transmitted to your children. Magic, even restorative, will become considerably weaker near you. Weak practitionners of magic (less than rank 5) are unable to cast in your mudcore field.
Next level at 70.

Talents
-Cavalry Commander
-Foreign Etiquette
->Basic Literacy

Traits :
Leader

>>6169866
>Pass by Tradnod before going to Briberopolis.

>Bring four guardsmen on horses.
>Bring Bohémond
>Bring Brother Louis
>Bring Elana

>>6169866
>Pass by Tradnod before going to Briberopolis.
>Travel lightly with two guards.
>Bring Bob Denarius
>Bring Elana

>>6169866
>>Pass by Tradnod before going to Briberopolis.

>Bring four guardsmen on horses.
>Bring Bohémond
>Bring Brother Louis
>Bring Elana

>>6170081
>>6170149
>>6170394

You decided to travel modestly with four guardsmen, Fed, Gepees, Carius and Dummy. You decided not to bring Cop because he was needed at your keep to continue to train most of your men, and let us be honest he was a good fighter but fat and slow on a horse. His oldest son, Fed, would be leading the guards, behind the knights of course.

For the same reason you decided to leave Godefroi in the keep, with Captain Crumbling, Oldfossil and him you knew that everything would be alright. Your mentor knew war and knew how to defend a fortress, you trusted him. You wanted younger people to serve you on the road, they would be able to ride faster. So of course you choose Bohémond, your good friend, a fine warrior and an excellent man, he would be able to give you his counsel. But, if he was sympathetic and played the luthe well he was illiterate, and since you were barely illiterate too you needed a scholar and a warrior in your troop, even if he was aged : Brother Louis would join you.

Of course you needed servants, you had Ancel of course but someone more delicate might be needed. You thought about some of them before deciding on Elana, she could be very sweet and help prepare your bed or pour you wine in the morning while being able to dispatch most of the wolves and bandits that you could encounter if she was attacked.

So you assembled your small company, eight persons, not bad. Something seemed to whisper in your ear that nine people would be better but you dismissed it. It was already enough. With a bit more horses than people (each knight travelled on three horses) and much money you were ready to leave the gates.

But before you left you saw your old mentor, Godefroi, approach you. He seemed tired and his blonde mustache with some white reflets in it reflected his sadness by it's neglected state. He told.

-Monseigneur... A moment please...

-Of course my dear Godefroi, what do you need ?

-I... I wish to ask you... Since you will travel.

-Yes..

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>>6170949

ou remembered that he felt alone and wanted to see his family again. He even wanted to leave your service, you felt a ting of fear for the old knight, you knew that he was good friends with Oldfossil and Captain Crumbling but still. Perhaps he would feel alone. He told you.

-Monseigneur... I, would want to have informations, about the lay of the land. When you will be in the capital... Meet some merchants and travellers please, in my name. As I said, I will gladly follow you but I need to get back to France, my wife, my kids, all of them... I cannot leave them like this. I suppose that France is in the West, this Briberopolis is in the south west, it should be a center of trade. Merchants travel, perhaps someone would have been to France. And, maps please, Oldfossil told that Indians have rather precise mapmaking skills and that their maps can be used to know precisely the lay of the lands, he told that there is some good cartographers in the capital, could you buy them a map ?

His homesickness sadenned you, but it was true, he had responsibilities back home, his own tower, his own lands. You felt bad for him. At the same time your time in India has shown you that not a lot of men have traveled there after Alexander the Great. One part of you wanted Godefroi nearby too, so you decided to answer.

>I shall ask for the direction of France, of course my dear Godefroi.
>I shall ask for the direction of France, of course my dear Godefroi, but a map would be costly I think and our finances are not what they were.
>I fear my dear Godefroi that nobody will know of France here.
>I shall try to buy a map, it will always be useful to learn the lay of the land, perhaps we shall find the realm of Prester John if we do not find France.
>Other (write in)

Another suggestion came from Oldfossil, you wanted you to buy something to Lady Takable for your marriage, as a gift. Cities had good craftsmen, in France or India and it would be a waste not to profit of it.

You still hesitated about what to do with that, asking the old man if Tradnod was better renowned for it's craftsmen than the capital he answered that apart from woodcarving and shoe making it was not. But that commanding something in Tradnod and returning by the place when you got back to Local would permit a craftsman to have time to do something exceptional. He said that they had good horses too in Tradnod. Still, you wanted something more interesting and decided to.

>Buy Rose a dress of the finest indian silks, she is always an elegant woman.
>Buy Rose an illuminated book, she had learned you to read and seems to like reading a lot.
>Buy Rose a tapestry, she always liked decorative ornaments and embroiders very well herself.
>Buy Rose a piece of jewelry, it is the best token of love.
>Buy Rose a horse in Tradnod, she likes horse riding, perhaps a white horse would be of good taste.
>Other (write in)

>>6170952
>I shall try to buy a map, it will always be useful to learn the lay of the land, perhaps we shall find the realm of Prester John if we do not find France.

>Buy Rose an illuminated book, she had learned you to read and seems to like reading a lot.

>>6170952
>>I fear my dear Godefroi that nobody will know of France here.
>Buy Rose an illuminated book, she had learned you to read and seems to like reading a lot.

>>6170952
>I shall try to buy a map, it will always be useful to learn the lay of the land, perhaps we shall find the realm of Prester John if we do not find France.

>Buy Rose a dress of the finest indian silks, she is always an elegant woman.

>>6170952
>I fear my dear Godefroi that nobody will know of France here.

>Buy Rose an illuminated book, she had learned you to read and seems to like reading a lot.
>Buy Rose a dress of the finest indian silks, she is always an elegant woman.

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>>6171025
>>6171053
>>6171297
>>6171477

You promised Godefroi to buy him a map, it would be useful and beautiful at the same time, maps were rare and always a symbol of power, plus it will show that you are a learned man or at least that you pretended to be one. You never trusted learned men before but apparently the Indians did, so why not impressing them.

What else, ah, yes of course, you decided to buy Rose an illuminated book, in the capital. You planned your travels too, it would be simple : Local-Someplace-Pleasantville and then the road to Tradnod, perhaps there would be other small towns and borroughs on the way.

Your first stop, on the first day was the watchtower now guarded by Guelphs, apparently Justdoing and Myjob had not been tested as good enough with the other lads on the tower. They waited spring to move, you remembered your offer to take them in your lands and you hoped to have several new families settle here.

Then of course you had to continue by stopping in the High Mandol Inn, and what was your surprise when you saw, again, a vision of beauty in the springtime. Spotifia ! Her enchanting voice, her blonde hair, a bit shorter than Rose's, and her voice, her voice that could shatter Venetian glass, she was singing about some forgotten love you were delighted. You always had much love for blondes and remembered your interesting night with Spotifia, before you knew Rose. It was a pleasure. Still, she was a nice woman too, she never told Rose, when she saw her, about your night together and she had a sweet demeanor, nothing like those gipsy singers of Paris. She was a true beauty, the only fact that could be scandalous about her was that she did not have a dress but some thighs, like an italian gentleman (you rarely saw the difference between them and women, as much perfume and as much courage in battle). But seeing her legs like this was scandalous, you became red for an instant, like Bohémond. Even if you were accustomed with Elana when she rode it was still very arousing, be it even on a lady like Lady Sue. No wonder it was forbidden in civilised lands.

You see, there was two things that could arouse a man and were "improper" to show, if we consider it like this : breasts and legs (and what was above legs but as proper Christians we will not talk about this). And if every lady with an elegant dress will show her breasts in a décolleté, as in France... To be risqué but with some pudor too... A prostitute will show some leg to bring clients of course while having a décolleté but it was whorish behaviour and a great lack of finesse. A proper lady will never show her legs, perhaps, after many rendez-vous a noble knight could ask for a glimpse of her ankles. But in India you discovered that with the shameful habit of some women wearing pants degeneracy was the norm. O Tempora ! O Mores ! You would have said if you knew latin.

>>6171594

But still seeing the pretty minstrel singing brought joy to your heart, as much as when you ordered the inkeeper to throw out the fat merchant who was occupying the best room and you waited for the end of her song to throw her a bit of money, she caught it with a smile and sat on your table. Everyone greeted her with cheers, only Elana looked at her with some suspicion. Perhaps jealousy. The pretty bard asked you, after a bow, while putting her pretty hat on the table.

-Lord Charles, vainquisher of the assassin, I am so glad to see you again... How is lady Rose ? You will marry this spring is it not ?

Elana looked in shame, she now knew that you killed the first assassin right here.

-I will and I hope that you will perform during our marriage.

She smiled pleasantly.

-Of course my lord. By the way, are you going to the baron.

Before you could stop him the eternal Bohémond, who even if he was in love with Becky could not stop bragging before a beautiful minstrel, being a luthe player too, told.

-Lord Charles is coming to the capital ! Briberopolis ! He has an audience with the queen of the realm herself !

You smiled modestly while the pretty singer gasped, impressed, you decided to add.

-We are first going to Tradnod, to...

Why was Elana looking at you with big eyes from behind Spotifia, and forcibly shutting her mouth ? She looked like a small fish, it was kind of cute. Still you continued.

-Give the duchess her locket back.

-Her locket ?

-Yes, I found it amongst the treasure of some wooden people that I had to cut down, we were chasing a half naked black guelph. She was hanged at the hand.

You did not tell about the mass rape of the said guelph by your men but some of your guardsmen, and Ancel, smiled at the memory. Even if apparently she had managed to almost tire them all out with her insatiable appetite. Ancel added.

-They were vile trees !

Spotifia answered.

-Trees ?

And Fed, one of your guardsmen corrected.

-Dryads and Treants. Over a kind of holy grove.

You nodded.

-There was an immobile tree who talked, he accepted to convert to Christianity.

On this Elana was as much surprised as Spotifia, Brother Louis added.

-It was a wise oak indeed.

The bard decided to tell you then.

-My lord, you seem to bring adventure with you wherever you are, can I, please, accompany you on your journey. The monkeys of my merry band of musicians left me alone and I want to write new songs, the one about your battle with the assassin in this inn had much success. I have a horse of course and everything. Plus, visiting the capital should be marvellous, and I would feel safe with such an escort.

This seemed to ravish Bohémond and your men, even Brother Louis approved. Elana seemed suspicious because she saw her the first time but Spotifia was someone who you knew you could trust, at the level of a minstrel, because she never sold you out and was as loud in bed as out of it, hon hon hon.

>>6171596

>Of course you can come with us, we will be the merrier with such a voice among us. We shall be back right before my marriage.
>I try to travel lightly I fear that you will not be able to keep up.
>Have you already travelled to the capital ? Is the road so dangerous ?
>Your other musician friends abandonned you ? Why ?
>Other (write in)

>>6171597
>Your other musician friends abandonned you ? Why ?
>Of course you can come with us, we will be the merrier with such a voice among us. We shall be back right before my marriage.

>>6171597
>>Your other musician friends abandonned you ? Why ?
>>Of course you can come with us, we will be the merrier with such a voice among us. We shall be back right before my marriage.

>>6171597
>>Your other musician friends abandonned you ? Why ?
>>Of course you can come with us, we will be the merrier with such a voice among us. We shall be back right before my marriage.

>>6171597
>Your other musician friends abandonned you ? Why ?
>Have you already travelled to the capital ? Is the road so dangerous ?
>Of course you can come with us, we will be the merrier with such a voice among us. We shall be back right before my marriage.

>>6171597
>Of course you can come with us, we will be the merrier with such a voice among us. We shall be back right before my marriage.
>Your other musician friends abandoned you ? Why ?

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>>6171755
>>6172517
>>6172563
>>6172588
>>6172819

You asked the young woman before you.

-Your other musician friends abandoned you ? Why ?

She looked at you sadly, the memory probably painful, and explained.

-It... Is complicated. We try generally to play at a tavern in winter or in some court, instead of travelling. And here a powerful merchant from Podunk was offering us to stay in his home to play with his friends. He was called mister Epstein.

You frowned.

-Never trust a German... I am sure he was from the Rhine.

Brother Louis shook his head.

-It's a Jew, never trust someone who was not baptised.

She shook her head.

-My lords, I cannot say about this but it was not his actions but his death that sent us into disarray. We had no master and no place to stay, some wanted to play on the streets but it was harsh. Paul... The eldest of us, tried to force his views upon us and wanted to be the leader, we always saw ourselves as equals... John was pursuing a new love interest, I dislike her by the way she distracted him from his art, and George wanted to broaden is musical writings and to compose... So... I guess they just all wanted to go on their way, perhaps it was already visible several years ago but... You know how it is... So I am alone now... Sadly.... We have been travelling together for ten years, I was fifteen, I am twenty five now...

Twenty five and not married. By the Saint Denis, what kind of mores had these travelling musicians. But she looked like less to be sincere. Whatever, she was kind and you told.

-Do not worry I do not wish to stirr up bad memories, you can of course come with us. We will be merrier with such a voice among us. And we shall be back right before my marriage.

She smiled kindly and accepted. She even sung for you for all the evening. So it was in a merry disposition that you got to the next step of your travels, towards Someplace, where your liege lord, baron Endoftutoriel reigned. Of course you had to stop on the way.

You had to present your respect to the baron and what you saw astonished you. There were no more impaled criminals in a dark fortress but the streets were verdant, the caste had been painted in white and elegant towers where being built, spikes were gone and new banners adorned the place. Sincerely it was far more pleasant even if a bit "off" a new structure was built in the town too, apparently a temple to some elven deities, the dragon temple so important to the previous baron being still here. You thanked the fact that you were born a Christian, you could annex some,territory of a nearby French lord and not have to build new temples to strange deities.

Still you had to present yourself, since you had to give the baron a present and had nothing ready you took the decision to give him a song of Spotifia, that would do marvelously. Still, you were received flawlessly and given good wine, not as good as burgundian wine but it was a pleasant change over the normal diet.

>>6173080

The Baron was here with his guard's captain Lynddien, the white haired guelph woman with a scar, Demisel, the "half-guelph" as they called them, who was his councillor and who had now a far more decorated green tunic than the last time and a brown haired guelph that made you think of a lombard banker, Tel-Salaad, the steward of the land. Cristmasel the witch was in her tower for two weeks apparently and so was not here. Still, you bowed of course and saluted your liege politely, he finally greeted from his throne made of white wood.

-Lord Charles ! It is a pleasure to meet you... I guess that you are going finally to answer Her Majesty's summons. Let us feast in this occasion.

-You are too good monseigneur...

-Oh, my hospitality is far from grandiose if compared to the royal court.

A feast, it was too kind, you decided to answer.

>Believe me my lord, your hospitality is far more than the one of your predecessor, you made this castle infinitely more pleasant.
>You are too kind your lordship, I hope to render you your kindness when you shall be invited to my marriage.
>You are too kind my lord.
>Other (write in)

He then led you to the great hall where you could eat with your knights while your common born servants ate at the kitchens, you were of course given a room for the night. After one of the guelphs servants sung, and after her Spotifia sung too the Baron, who had decided to make you sit at it's right side, engaged the conversation.

-Lord Charles, tell me, you will travel to the capital, and have never been here. Do you have a place to rest there ?

>Unfortunately not my lord, do you know some place to rest ?
>I shall try to find some place my liege, do not worry.
>I shall travel first to Tradnod to give our duchess her locket back. I will then go to the capital.
>Other (write in)

>>6173081
>You are too kind your lordship, I hope to render you your kindness when you shall be invited to my marriage.
>I shall travel first to Tradnod to give our duchess her locket back. I will then go to the capital.

>>6173081
>You are too kind your lordship, I hope to render you your kindness when you shall be invited to my marriage
>I shall travel first to Tradnod to give our duchess her locket back. I will then go to the capital.

>>6173081
>You are too kind your lordship, I hope to render you your kindness when you shall be invited to my marriage.
>>Unfortunately not my lord, do you know some place to rest ?

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>>6173089
>>6173139
>>6173422

As always courteous as a frenchman should be you politely answered.

-You are too kind your lordship, I hope to render you your kindness when you shall be invited to my marriage.

The lombard lord answered you in kind.

-I hope so ! It promises to be glorious, let us toast to your future marriage and to the joy that you found in love.

You toasted with his good wine and you almost thought that this lombard dressed in a kind of Rose's bathrobe was not so bad after all, but still, you remained vigilant, and when he continued to ask you about your travels you answered naturally.

-I shall travel first to Tradnod to give our duchess her locket back. I will then go to the capital.

It was a good answer, a good excuse to travel alone, without his guards or something like that. You knew that he was a supporter of the new chancellor at court, who seemed to dislike you a bit even of he did not know you so you choose to answer with prudence. With this reason you were sure that he would not send you men, you remembered that at Tradnod the regent of the Duchess, Behindthetron, was of the Guelph party too, and that he was probably higher ranked than the baron, so it would be him, and not the baron, who would have to choose to send you men or not. Well, at least you seemed satisfied with your answer before the new baron of Someplace raised an eyebrow and looked at you like your hair had turned blue.

-Perhaps I have misheard, you intend to travel to Tradnod first ?

You were a bit unsure of yourself and told.

-Y... Yes... I have to give the Duchess her locket back, I found it during a glorious quest to catch criminals near Pleasantville.

The man sipped some wine, before answering, politely but with a harshness in his tone that made you understand that he was perhaps not agreeing very much with your travelling choices.

-Seeing the duchess before seeing the queen ? A curious understanding of hierarchy...

You remarked then that everybody looked at you at the table.

Bohémond held a goblet in his hand, Brother Louis too, the councilors of the Guelph, each one of them peering at you with their unsettling glowing eyes, their pointy ears sharp. Of course... You had to fall into this trap.
In a normal time you would have answered this man that yes, of course it is the normal choice of hierarchy. The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal. Feudal law was clear : you were loyal to the one whom you paid hommage. You have him counsel and military support and he gave you a fief. In this case it was Baron Endoftutoriel who held the land that you gave him. If he rebelled against count Careless, even if you disliked him profoundly and liked the count very much the lawful conduct would be to follow your liege lord at war. Then of course the baron had to be loyal to the count first, and the count to the duke...

>>6173549

And if a conflict arose between a duke and the king the vassals of the duke had to support him. The best exemple were the campaigns in Guyenne where you fought Englishmen, if of course there was some english reinforcement coming from the cursed island most of the ennemy garrisons were made of local Aquitan knights who obeyed their liege lord, the duke of Aquitaine who was vassal to the king of France and refused to pay hommage. These men were Frenchmen fighting against their king and countrymen but they were not traitors, they served their duke from whom they held lands, or the vassals of the duke who obeyed him and so did their feudal duty, supporting their liege lord. The fact that they were dirty Occitans speaking in a ridiculous language and being of degenerate mores did not change that their conduct was absolutely lawful and that they should not be punished for it after the war.

Of course this obvious logic could be used to argue with reasonable people but Endoftutoriel was not reasonable. No, he was a servant of the state, a member of the Royal Army who like king Philippe's legists lived for the "Superior interests of the Realm".

These new men, often of questionable birth (Endoftutoriel was a second son of a powerful family for the capital so he was an exception), were paid by the king and considered that everything should be decided by royal tribunals. These men, Marigny at their head, were behind bad councils to the king like forbidding elementary rights for local lords like minting their own money or even waging private war ! Could you imagine ! Not having the minimal freedom to regulate quarrels with your neighbours by spilling their blood in battle ! What horror ! And this seemed to be the case in India too where liege lords had to authorize private wars. Then they would raise new taxes, they already began, and at the end forbid you to give justice to your manants on the pretext that "royal laws" existed ! Imagine having to ask some son of a butcher sitting on a tribunal if you could hang poachers poaching in your forests while you carried chivalry in your bloodline for 400 years ! The simple thought broke your appetite (to be sincere since we were eating too many vegetables with the venison it was not very high too, and these Guelphs ate even less than the other indians who were in general a malnourished people compared to you).

You understood that your answer would have to be harsh, or explanative, or diplomatic. And you decided to tell.

>Tradnod is nearer to our lands than Briberopolis. Geography dictates my travels my lord. Do not see any disloyalty here.
>The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.
>My lord, according to feudal law my loyalty lies towards my liege lord, you, first, then those closer in the feudal hierarchy, not the other way around.
>Such is my will. I shall travel where I see fit.
>Other (write in)

And roll an intrigue roll please

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>6173550
>The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>6173550
>>The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>6173550
>>The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.

>>6173550
>>The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>6173550
>The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.
It's a matter of chivalry! Frame it that way. We are dutiful to such things, that is all.

>>6173550
>The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.

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>>6173712
>>6173887
>>6173949
>>6173958

>>6174048
Well said good sir, chivalry is always a good excuse, unfortunately the rolls were against you on this one.

>>6174357

ou decided to try to answer the man.

-The duchess awaited her locket for some time, I shall oblige this oldest obligation first.

The baron raised an eyebrow.

-Did she sent you to retrieve it ?

-N... No but it is a question of chivalry.

-The chivalry, Lord Charles, here, is to go to your queen first, she has asked you, I am sure that the duchess still does not know that her locket is retrieved.

-I intended to announce it to her and..

-So I am sure that she can wait.

These words were absolute, not demanding any answer but execution. You nodded your head, adieu to Tradnod then. You cursed yourself about having opened your mouth at this moment. You were about to find something to say and to curse the fact that you were a third son and not someone more versed in the ways of intrigue when Endoftutoriel told.

-Our Queen, lord Charles, even if she is immortal, is impatient to see you, and will reward loyalty, be sure of it. Am I not a proof of this, loyalty gave me this barony, perhaps yours will give you rewards too...

He smiled politely but you understood that he was forcing you to go his way. Technically you did not know if he could do this, but then he was your liege lord and conflict with him would be pointless.

>Of course your lordship, I should take the road to Briberopolis with haste.
>Our queen is immortal, lordship, I am sure that she can wait one week, after all she is busy with ruling the realm, a daunting task.
>Other (write in)

You then found that you could try to continue the conversation, try to remain polite if it was not possible.

>Ask about the politics of the Capital.
>Ask more about the queen and her court.
>Ask him about the beauty of the capital and what it looks.
>Ask the baron if he has family in the capital.
>Be silent and brood
>Other (write in)

>>6174718
>Of course your lordship, I should take the road to Briberopolis with haste.
>Ask more about the queen and her court.
Ugh, this asshole. he can at least give us some tips, then.

>>6174718
>Of course your lordship, I should take the road to Briberopolis with haste.

>Ask about the politics of the Capital.

>>6174718
>>Of course your lordship, I should take the road to Briberopolis with haste.
>Ask more about the queen and her court.

It will be a good day when we drive a blade into this knife ears throat.

>>6174718
>>>Of course your lordship, I should take the road to Briberopolis with haste.
>>Ask more about the queen and her court.

>>6174718
>>Of course your lordship, I should take the road to Briberopolis with haste.
>>Ask more about the queen and her court.

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>>6174723
At least, of course.

>>6175095

>>6175263
You see, in my humble opinion lombardism builds more lombardism. If this man was not behaving like the lombard merchant that he is you would have nothing against him, but it is in his Italian nature to scheme and be insufferable as a baron, and even an honest knight wants to rebel now even if it is against honor and chivalry. Perhaps a rebellion would not be amoral, but be a glorious first step in removing lombards from the lands before all good gentlemen ruling it become bankers who only rely on money and petty intrigues to govern. What an horrible world it would be...

>>6175282
>>6175821

You see, sometimes having conflicts with your liege lord, even if you want to pick up the lad and throw him through the nearest window, is not a valid strategy. Bowing your head you so answered.

-Of course your lordship, I should take the road to Briberopolis.

Cursed Guelphs ! Cursed lombard ! The fact that you had to obey a lombard who probably bought his nobility through money made your blood boil il your veins. You could disagree with King Philippe, even more you could disagree with his wife Jeanne de Navarre countess of Champagne and queen of Navarre, she was a woman after all and you were not very much in favor of women ruling but... By Saint Denis, they were of proper Frankish stock ! This "House of Dobii" that your liege lord belonged to sounded strange, who was this Dobii ? Did he have ridiculous ears too ? Or worse, since these Guelphs are immortal perhaps he was still alive ! This made you terrified. You saw some old lombard bankers in your time, thinking that some of them could be centuries old would make them even more scheming, traitorous and vile creatures. Curious about the prospect you asked your liege lord.

-Since I shall go to the capital, my liege, tell me, how is the Court ? I am a stranger and am not knowledgeable about it, and since you know our Majesty perhaps you could tell me about her.

The subject seemed to please him, and he began to explain.

-Our court is in fact a wonder to marvel at, mixing the customs of old Bifuria with those of our forest brethren, that Her Majesty is from. It makes the rituals quite simple to follow and easy, as long as paying the proper respect of course. After all short lives demand to shorten some of the customs. But I am sure that you will be pleased, the capital has the most impressive palaces, the most beautiful women, the best wines and the most impressive tournaments. You should like it.

He sipped some wine and you asked.

-The rituals at court are the same as in France ? Or more or less so ?

>>6175941

He raised an eyebrow.

-I do not know about your country.

Hah ! What a country bumpkin.

-I mean does the queen rules from the capital, in our lands the king is of course sometimes on his palace in the Island of the Cité, or in the Louvre but he can be in Vincennes, Compiègne, Melun, Senlis or other places...

They all looked at you and you told.

-What ? Your monarch has only one residence ?

They looked at each other and the baron answered.

-It... It is a marvel, with gardens green during all the year that expands on the hills near the capital and...

You nodded, they were poor, hah ! These lombards were jealous ! You continued to tell.

-Yes, our king decided to rebuild his palace in the Cité too, after the Louvre has been built. He will make a great gothic hall with statues of all the Frankish and French kings since Pharamond. It will be the biggest in all Christendom, and a great refectory for his 2000 servants will be built under it, the palace is too crowded as it is.... Even the complaints to the legists take too long.

They looked at eachother and Lyddien, the guard's captain, began to tell.

-So many servants are not needed when we use magic.

And your answer made the baron almost choke on it's salad.

-Yes, and magic doesn't cost anything does it ?

Of course it costed your immortal soul but these pagans did not understand it. The baron was forced to explain.

-Our queen is one of the most powerful mages of her generation. She is able to see the past, the present and the future and where she walks nature heals. Using magic is a sign of her power.

Yes, yes, a bohemian woman could do this too in a gipsy camp. Sorcery ! What a shame. But still. Sorceress or not she was the queen and you had to pay respects. But in your opinion, a female ruler was always bad. Worse still if it was a witch. You nodded. And you asked.

-Is her majesty known to like something ? Our king in France loved his hunts.

The baron answered politely.

-She has a great singing voice, but she is... As an ancient captain in her guard I can tell it, she is mysterious. In many ways, enigmatic... Even for us elves. You always have the impression that she knows far more than what she says.

This began to make you interested. You tried to ask.

-Is she seen as a wise monarch like Solomon ? Do other kings come to seek her advice.

After all it was this biblical reference that you thought about first. The man seemed to answer.

-She is listened by some of the leaders of the Mage's guild... But many of the kings are to say, short sighted.

You remembered something about the functionning of this Empire that Bifuria was part of and asked.

-And this... Council of Many... Do they come asking counsel to our queen ?

The man scoffed.

-No, they are too busy arguing with each other over a bunch of nonsense.

>>6175943

And that, for once, made the baron sympathetic to you. You could agree on one things : giving the burghers, villeins and other manants a voice in ruling the lands was a waste of time. The rest of the conversation was quite calm and you slept well before rising at dawn and beginning to travel to Pleasantville. On your way you asked Spotifia what was the best road from Pleasantville to the capital and she said that you could go to the west, then to the south or first to the south then to the west. Apparently the western road was going through the lands of the baron Notavant Pyre that you had heard about and some gloomy moors and forests, the southern road would pass by the countal lands of Count Careless and then to the lands of the county of Adjacent, it will then have to travel by hills and valleys where isolated communities lived.

>Let us pass by the western road
>Let us go to the southern road
>Other (write in)

>>6175945
>Let us pass by the western road
Let's learn more about our neighbors.

>>6175945
>>Let us pass by the western road

>>6175945
>Let us go to the southern road

>>6175945
>>Let us pass by the western road

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>>6175954
A wise idea good sir.

>>6176074
>>6176091
>>6176300

You took the decision to take the western road after Pleasantville, it would be the better way to know your neighbors, you already had met the sister of the Red baron and the councillor of baron Notavant Pyre, Ulrich Notalich, but you never really have spoken with the baron himself. Stopping at his castle for a visit of courtesy would be nice, you were sure he was a pleasant fellow.

What was due next ? A quite uneventful road to Pleasantville following the river, you took the decision not to stop on the Neutral lord's castle because you wanted to travel fast and you managed to get towards Pleasantville a bit in advance. Here you had to meet count Careless, it was a forced obligation, apparently he was not hunting but in his palace so you had no choice but to come and present yourself at it's court.

The man was jolly and amusing as always, giving you a good meal while you came and asking you about the winter and your marriage. He promised to come into your lands, of course, and you were honored. He told you good luck about your travels to the court and asked news of Oldfossil. You explained that the brave man was readying everything for the marriage, after all he would have to do everything with Rose's participation once she comes of age, whe wanted to organise some details.

But let us not be so hasty. Since after dinner the count asked you to come to his solar, he wanted you to take a cup of mulled wine but you understood that he wanted to discuss politics in private. You remembered that he was unhappy about you having given the Guelphs the opportunity to remove the chancellor Wickedson, he wanted to do it himself and to have a voice in the next candidate. Well, such things happen. When you were together he then explained you.

-Lord Charles, tell me, about your lordship... And the recent changes...

-You mean the new baron ?

-Yes, what is your opinion after a winter ?

You knew that the count disliked the fact that he had been placed here and thought that he spied on him. But what to do.

>>6176597

>He could be better your excellency, but he could be worse. He his no worse than Crook Wickedson indeed.
>He does not want to give Rose and myself the lands of Rose's father, that as you know were unjustly confiscated. I do not know if you could do something... Accuse him of injustice... (Intrigue roll)
>He seems to want to keep the lord of Darkplace as a spymaster, he has his favour just like lady Mary Sue... He liked to humiliate the old nobility of the region : Lord Neutralsson, the Rival lord and me as an heir to Lord Random. He perhaps spies on you your excellency.
>He seems to want to keep the lord of Darkplace as a spymaster, he has his favour just like lady Mary Sue... He liked to humiliate the old nobility of the region : Lord Neutralsson, the Rival lord and me as an heir to Lord Random. He perhaps spies on you my lord. But I have proofs here, and a witness of the fact that Lord Creepy Bitchson ordered to murder me. The assassin girl herself. He acted on the orders of baron Crook, the baron denied it, but the lord of Darkplace remains guilty. And the actual baron refuses to give the opportunity to wash this offense with Bitchson's blood. (Intrigue roll)
>The new baron ordered me to go to the capital before going to Tradnod, he even wanted to provide me an escort. I do not know what the court wants but I suppose that since he is close to the chancellor they have projects for me.
>Other (write in)

====================

Sorry for the very short updates, exams are exams unfortunately and I shall have less free times for the next 10 days, after that I shall write normally. It has been the reason of my rather bleak cadency. I should be able to write normally tommorrow or after tomorrow.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>6176598
>He seems to want to keep the lord of Darkplace as a spymaster, he has his favour just like lady Mary Sue... He liked to humiliate the old nobility of the region : Lord Neutralsson, the Rival lord and me as an heir to Lord Random. He perhaps spies on you my lord. But I have proofs here, and a witness of the fact that Lord Creepy Bitchson ordered to murder me. The assassin girl herself. He acted on the orders of baron Crook, the baron denied it, but the lord of Darkplace remains guilty. And the actual baron refuses to give the opportunity to wash this offense with Bitchson's blood. (Intrigue roll)

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>6176598
>>He seems to want to keep the lord of Darkplace as a spymaster, he has his favour just like lady Mary Sue... He liked to humiliate the old nobility of the region : Lord Neutralsson, the Rival lord and me as an heir to Lord Random. He perhaps spies on you my lord. But I have proofs here, and a witness of the fact that Lord Creepy Bitchson ordered to murder me. The assassin girl herself. He acted on the orders of baron Crook, the baron denied it, but the lord of Darkplace remains guilty. And the actual baron refuses to give the opportunity to wash this offense with Bitchson's blood. (Intrigue roll)

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>6176598
>>He seems to want to keep the lord of Darkplace as a spymaster, he has his favour just like lady Mary Sue... He liked to humiliate the old nobility of the region : Lord Neutralsson, the Rival lord and me as an heir to Lord Random. He perhaps spies on you my lord. But I have proofs here, and a witness of the fact that Lord Creepy Bitchson ordered to murder me. The assassin girl herself. He acted on the orders of baron Crook, the baron denied it, but the lord of Darkplace remains guilty. And the actual baron refuses to give the opportunity to wash this offense with Bitchson's blood. (Intrigue roll)

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>6176598
>He seems to want to keep the lord of Darkplace as a spymaster, he has his favour just like lady Mary Sue... He liked to humiliate the old nobility of the region : Lord Neutralsson, the Rival lord and me as an heir to Lord Random. He perhaps spies on you my lord. But I have proofs here, and a witness of the fact that Lord Creepy Bitchson ordered to murder me. The assassin girl herself. He acted on the orders of baron Crook, the baron denied it, but the lord of Darkplace remains guilty. And the actual baron refuses to give the opportunity to wash this offense with Bitchson's blood. (Intrigue roll)

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>>6176904
>>6177138
>>6177168
Excellent rolls God is with us.

>>6177269

You took the decision to take the bull by the horns and explained the count what you thought in your most honest tone.

-I saw him, and his first politics your excellency. He seems to want to humiliate the old nobility of the region, he mocked me of course, the Neutral lord and the Rival lord... And refused to give Rose her lands back... This one could be understood by simple greed... But he then named one of his counsellors, his court witch, as the ruler of the old Hostil lands... I can understand that he needs allies, but I see a strategy my lord... He flattered lady Sue...

The count interrupted you.

-Lady Mary may sometimes be insufferable but she is respected by the elves, she is a great heroine after all...

You continued.

-And the lord of Darkplace ? Creepy Bitchson was an upjumped commoner, loyal only to lord Crook Wickedson and the old chancellor, he forms assassins, murderers on his lands... All awaited that he will lose his position, or at least be kept in check... But no ! He is kept as a spymaster... Oh the knave is happy that his new lombard master is...

-Lombard ? What is a lombard ?

-A northern italian... A greedy man who leases money in a bank, dresses strangely and uses too much perfume, like baron Endoftutoriel, I suppose that since Guelphs come from Italy he must be a lombard... And all those from this peninsula are lombards in my opinion... There are Genoese too of course but they are sea trader and we are not at sea...

The count seemed lost so you decided to focus again.

-But whatever your excellency, the spymaster offered to use his spies, his killers, at the service of the new baron, perhaps to spy on you, you feared that your excellency, you even told me that he was named here for this...

The count nodded slowly, driking a sip of mulled wine, he was preoccupied of course by such turn of events, he scratched his balding head and told.

-Of course... It is very preoccupying.. But what can I do ?

You raised an eyebrow.

-What can you do ?

-Yes, I have no proof of any misdeed, raising assassins is legal.

You then smiled, beginning to understand, the thrill of a clever intrigue making you all excited. You began to understand what was so interesting in plotting and why people at court always did it. It was then that you decided to play your master card.

-You have, not against the new baron, but against his spymaster...

-What ?

-The fact that he tried to kill me your excellency..

-He tried to kill you ? Was it this nonsensical accusation about satyrs and...

-No your excellency, I have proofs, he acted under orders from baron Crook, but since the baron is dead... The man sent an assassin to me, even two, one was killed, but the other was captured. A young girl, she tried to murder me... I took her prisoner and forgave her, she even converted to Christianity. She can bear witness...

>>6177702

The count asked.

-I shall need her here...

-She is here, she travelled with me, she can bear witness of all the crimes of the lord of Darkplace, without a spymaster the Guelph is less dangerous, and, just like the queen bypassed you to name a vassal in your lands you could name someone, bypassing the baron.

He looked at you.

-And I suppose that you have a name...

You thought about Oldfossil but you remembered the description of the place, gloomy moors and hills, the climate shall kill him. So you told.

-Someone of your choosing your excellency, preferably someone who will not send killers after me !

This made the man laugh, a deep belly laugh that was contagious, you laughed too. He then hit you on the back and ordered.

-Can you bring me the girl...

-It will be done your excellency.

You told, bowing your head and going to seek Elana. You had many things to do. The idea of finally arresting the bastard, or at least having the right to lead a feudal war against him would be excellent.

Walking through the corridors you finally found Elana, she was arguing with Ancel and when she saw you she exclaimed.

-My lord ! He keeps stealing the silverware ! I told him that it is evil and he doesn't...

-This witch lies messire ! I would nev..

You simply glared at Ancel, slaped him at the back of the head and told.

-Give it back..

He looked at you sheepishly and gave a spoon.. you then told.

-All of it.

He gave two more knives, you then sighed and told.

-Thank you Elana. We shall put it to the kitchen together... I will have to speak to you...

-To me my lord ?

-Yes... I told about the assassination attempt to count Careless... I decided to explain him what happened. And you will have to tell him what you saw, the projects of your ancient master, and how he sent you to kill me. You will not be punished do not worry... We simply want to bring down this upjumped commoner and all this school that traps souls of poor young people...

She looked at you and you saw not only approval in her eyes but emotion, hope, and... Admiration... This look reminded you of Rose. She tried to hide her emotions but said, stopping and bowing her head.

-M... My lord.... Y... You planned all of it ? You... Oh I wanted so much to... You saved me my lord, gave me justice, a purpose, faith, and saved my soul and now you will allow me to help against the one who persecuted me. You... You are not only a hero my lord but the bravest, truest knight that I know.. I.. will gladly help.

You took your smuggest smile and told.

-I know.

She smiled too, and, playfully, she told.

-I would have never imagined that you would wait all the winter for this but it is very clever. You took me with you to bear witness and explain our problem to the count. You are a wise lord.

>>6177703

To be honest you wanted someone to cook on the road. But using Elana to destabilise your enemies was a nice bonus, even if you never imagined it before today. As in all cases when you knew nothing you remained silent.

It was a good technique, silence lead everyone to reach their own conclusions. She answered while you got to the kitchens and she prepared to give the silverware back.

-You are a wise lord...

-Some say so... Let us go see the count.

Once here she bowed deeply and told everything with precision and respect, you were proud of her, at each question she explained everything, and it was frightening. Saying that an organisation existed, to ready people to murder others by various means officially "for the Empire" but not officialy for some corrupt ministers was horrendous of paganism and perfidy. She told it in a so calm tone that the count had trouble believing that she was a trained killer, she had to prove it by throwing some knives with precision, he asked to do it on the very ugly tapestry that his stepmother had given him, explaining that if it is destroyed it would be for the good of the realm. The count demanded to his chancellor Backstabber MacTraitor to record everything and the man acted in good faith. Finally, the count told.

-It is a good idea... but one problem remains... one huge problem to be sincere... If I remove the man from power, and we have all the reasons to do so, I do not want to have problems with the assassin's guilds... Having some bad blood with these fellow is not the best thing for survival.

Backstabber MacTraitor explained.

-You could speak with the guild authorities your excellency.

What a shame ! Having to negotiate with burghers while you were a nobleman to punish them ! What insolence ! What horror ! You were about to burst when Elana took a sad tone and told.

-Unfortunately lord Creepy is close to the guild's leadership... They liked that he has become a nobleman, to legitimate their affairs, they do not let anyone open a school like ours.

>>6177705

The count frowned, and you decided to suggest him something :

>You should not fear these burghers ! It is a great woe that the nobility of our right and proper feudal society has to commit itself with these murderous manants ! Act firmly and they shall quiver in fear ! God and your right is on your side. Stage a trial and condemn him. (rulership roll)
>Put all the blame on me, say that it was me who gave you the proofs, let these knaves have problems with me rather than you my liege.
>Simply give me the right to defend my honor in single combat, then the knave has no heir, and you could confiscate his demesne after his lost trial.
>Simply give me the right to wage a good feudal war... I have a reason, he tried to kill me. With your permission I shall put an end to this scum, burn his facilities and you could give his lands to an ally.
>Simply give me the right to wage a good feudal war... And perhaps some means to arm mercenaries to reinforce my troops. With your permission I shall put an end to this scum, burn his facilities and you could give his lands to an ally. (intrigue roll)
>Other (write in)

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>6177705
>Backstabber MacTraitor
Oh, shit, that's right...

>>6177706
>You should not fear these burghers ! It is a great woe that the nobility of our right and proper feudal society has to commit itself with these murderous manants ! Act firmly and they shall quiver in fear ! God and your right is on your side. Stage a trial and condemn him. (rulership roll)
Time to set India right!

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>>6177800
>mfw
Maybe not with rolls like this, though.

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>6177706
>>Simply give me the right to wage a good feudal war... And perhaps some means to arm mercenaries to reinforce my troops. With your permission I shall put an end to this scum, burn his facilities and you could give his lands to an ally. (intrigue roll)

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>6177706
>Simply give me the right to wage a good feudal war... And perhaps some means to arm mercenaries to reinforce my troops. With your permission I shall put an end to this scum, burn his facilities and you could give his lands to an ally. (intrigue roll)

>>6177706
>>Simply give me the right to defend my honor in single combat, then the knave has no heir, and you could confiscate his demesne after his lost trial.

>>6177706
>>Simply give me the right to wage a good feudal war... I have a reason, he tried to kill me. With your permission I shall put an end to this scum, burn his facilities and you could give his lands to an ally.

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>>6177800
What do you have against scots ? They have names in "Mac" apparently, they seem to be jolly good fellows who are a bit poor and too close to their money but they hate the English almost as much as us. And for India, well said ! Let us raise the banners ! Let us create a "League of the Public Good" because it is what we all defend by defending the priviledges of those who were well born. Montjoie !

>>6177801
Sometimes fate, like here, is against you, but it finds a way.

>>6177973
>>6178083
>>6178178
>>6178249

You took the decision to answer rightly and to take responsibility. If count Hapyon was fearing some burghers, that could murder people, you were definitely not. The best way with dealing with assassins was to ignore them, fear was their first weapon. If you were given the reins of the realm the first thing you would do would be to disband this guild and hang all it's members, who needs professionnal killers when you could pay 20 thugs to slaughter someone in an alley in place ? So you told.

-Your excellency, simply give me the right to wage a good feudal war... And perhaps some means to arm mercenaries to reinforce my troops. With your permission I shall put an end to this scum, burn his facilities and you could give his lands to an ally.

The man seemed preoccupied, about to answer, he asked his councillor.

-This idea.. Is original, we generally do not authorise private wars... But in this case, he tried to kill you... I could technically order the baron... How much money do we have in our coffers ?

Backstabber Mac-Traitor bowed and told.

-Enough your excellency, but mercenaries tend to plunder a lot and engaging them in our lands...

You were about to protest but the count said.

-It is true...

Then the chancellor coughed and told.

-With all due respect, your excellency... Perhaps if paying directly to support lord de Villeroi would be seen as complicity but we could help by more.. Indirect means...

-What do you mean by that dear Backstabber ?

-There will be a feast, for the marriage of Lord Charles... And since you were good friends with lord Takable, you wanted to cover the expanses in place of the family of the bride as per custom..

-Yes of course I planned to do that.

You were happily surprised by this, not only by the generosity of a scotsman who even told his liege lord to spend money but by what it had to do with war ? Fortunately he explained himself.

-This could give the Local Lord means to focus his finances on more military means... Plus..

>>6178562

Count Careless was curious.

-Plus ?

-Plus we could skip, in plus of festive provisions, some... Travelling provisions, since we will send several chariots of food. It should help with providing for the armies that will be on the march. This could ease the expanses of our vassal while not comitting troops.

You thanked the chancellor, you supposed that he was so helpful because he wanted lands for someone of his family. Count Careless nodded too, slowly and surely he began to answer.

-Such idea pleases me, but we should do it discreetly... We will begin preparations before the marriage, I will then speak with you, lord Charles, ask if everything is good... Will the lord of Darkplace be there ?

You answered.

-I have no habbit to invite commoners to weddings your excellency.

He shortly approved.

-Then I shall hear your accusation here, force the baron to aknowledge it, then I shall call the lord of Darkplace to Someplace, hah, I shall tell him to defend his point of view on the elfs castle... I will tell that conflict is inevitable, proofs are important, he will say that he followed orders, and I will give both of you rights to wage a feudal war... I hope that you will have sent some of your men to mobilise your men in the meantime... Then you shall return, and fight... I will let one of my knights observe that the baron and you follow all the rules... And one on his... Sir Perfidious dislikes you... I shall send him to Darkplace... Sir Up of Maple is one of your friends I guess ?

-I have had the pleasure to be acquinted with him yes...

-Then he shall serve there and raport me if the baron tries to stop you...

You nodded, you understood that he did not want to send his sons or family members for such a dangerous mission, especially with a dishonorable man and were quite satisfied. You could give some Indians a taste of real war, they should like it.

So you nodded and agreed. This was a good plan, you would have vengeance, plunder and one ennemy less. Still, you could perhaps try to wrestle more from the Count.

>My lord... If I take the risks... And I ask for Rose more than for me... Could we say that Lord Takable was misjudged by intrigues of the deceased baron Crook with complicity of this new criminal, the Lord of Darkplace.. You could persuade the baron to give her back her family lands ? (intrigue roll)
>Do nothing and thank the Count, you have had enough. It will be time to take the road to the west tomorrow.
>Other (write in)

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>6178563
>My lord... If I take the risks... And I ask for Rose more than for me... Could we say that Lord Takable was misjudged by intrigues of the deceased baron Crook with complicity of this new criminal, the Lord of Darkplace.. You could persuade the baron to give her back her family lands ? (intrigue roll)
He IS good froends eith the late Lord Takable, and Rose's delicate maiden heart kek has been so very wounded by the plunder of her ancestral right.

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>6178563
>>My lord... If I take the risks... And I ask for Rose more than for me... Could we say that Lord Takable was misjudged by intrigues of the deceased baron Crook with complicity of this new criminal, the Lord of Darkplace.. You could persuade the baron to give her back her family lands ? (intrigue roll)

>>6178563
>>Do nothing and thank the Count, you have had enough. It will be time to take the road to the west tomorrow.

>>6178563
>Do nothing and thank the Count, you have had enough. It will be time to take the road to the west tomorrow.

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>>6178823
>>6179200
>these rolls

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>>6179600
:(

>>6178563
>Do nothing and thank the Count, you have had enough. It will be time to take the road to the west tomorrow.

>>6178563
>>Do nothing and thank the Count, you have had enough. It will be time to take the road to the west tomorrow.

Greed is a sin messires, the lord hath influenced your rolls in chastisement.

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>>6178823
A good tentative, I am pleased to see that we will do everything for Justice to be done but as >>6180089 say lords and kings can be sometimes not very generous with their vassals, we might be like Robert d'Artois fighting to get back our lands during all our life and beginning a hundred years war for it. But that, my friends, is another story.

>>6179200
>>6179209
>>6179600
>>6179900
>>6180027
>>6180089

You decided not to ask for more. You simply took your instructions, thanked the count and left with Elana, she seemed happy to have helped and tried to cheer you up, what a sweet girl.

You left the town by the western road during the next day, and rode for four days on a quite good road on countal lands before beginning to see the edge of an important forest, it was said that further away they would be marshes, hills and the lands of the famous baron Notavant Pyre. The air seemed to be chill here and the trees darker than those on your lands. Weeping willows adorned the roads and a terrific rain struck you for two days you barely managed to stop in an inn near a tree where three men were hanged, at least justice was served. The people here seemed fearful of strangers and superstitious, it pleased you, it was almost like home. Unfortunately these rains slowed down your march and forced you into a detour when a ford had become impossible to cross. Still, you managed to pay a local men to lead a huge raft into the marsh to get back to the main way.

It was time, Elana was sick and coughing and if Brother Louis was not showing anything he was blowing his nose too often. These marshes, they were not good, even the smell was worse than in the marshes in Poitou. Seeing your guide, an old man who had only half of his teeth and was maybe in his fifties, you asked him.

-Tell me, my good man, why is the air reeking of rot ?

-That's the dead my lord... See these stones... And these in the fog, m'lord ?

He showed you some places behind the trees in this gloomy marsh while your horses neighed nervously.

-Yes ?

-There has been a necropolis, and multiple battles against barbarians and ne'er do wells... Ther's a lot of corpses here under the waves... And monsters... Some say there is even restless spirits here... I would have gone through the waters here but they are haunted... They say that corpses drag you to your death here so we'll pass by a long way... Go sleep in the village of houses on stilts of Shithole and return to dry land the next day...

Hah ! Who he thought that you were ? A celt ? A peasant to fear such superstitions ? He wanted to pay for two days. You proclaimed.

-Nonsense ! Take the shortest road ! I want to be back on our tracks now, we lost enough time already !

He seemed panicked.

-B... But the undead ! M'lord ! The corpses walk !

Your men looked at eachother, approving him, Ancel, doing the sign of the cross began to tell.

-It's devilry messire ! We should take the safer road.

>>6180157

Elana approved while your guardsmen nodded.

-Undead are dangerous...

You scoffed at it, superstitious peasants. You told.

-Nonsense, this is just stories for kids. Like those that Rose loves to read. Only God can resurrect the dead. Forward !

The man then in an act of defiance that was beyond your imagination refused.

-N...No m'lord ! It's too dangerous !

Your peasant troops nodded, they knew not to disobey but your knights were appaled by such insolence. Bohémond told.

-How dare you to disobey a nobleman, traitorous wretch !

The man told.

-I still prefer to leave you here than be turned in an... AAAAAH WHAT ARE YOU DOING !µ

You took the man by his hood and put him over the water and explained him calmly.

-I am throwing overboard, for trying to rob us with your longer road.

-B... But if you kill me nobody will know the currents... Y'all will be lost in this haunted m...

You raised your shoulders and told in your most confident tone, that you used when people pretended that they were indispensable, especially when they really were.

-That will be my problem, but you will be drowned before I will manage to resolve it, I shall give you that.

Fear passed through his eyes and he quickly nodded, accepting to use the shortest road towards the hills that you saw far in the west. You were glad that he had found reason. The man was skilled to be honest, despite the frequent fogs and rains he managed to lead the way, effectively near tombs. Some of your men swore that they heard whispers but it was probably just the wind. Yes, the place was impressive of course Sinister trees with skulls or skeletons hanging from them, completely motionless, further proof that the dead do not rise again, covered the marshes with their menacing shadows. Disturbing sounds of winds shook the reeds, traces of old tombs and steles and mausoleums with macabre motifs were everywhere around you. Your horses were not calm and one of them almost sent Fed overboard with a kick. Strange lights shook the mist, they made Ancel make the sign of the cross, and your guards murmur in fear, to be honest, you too were perhaps a little worried, it was a bit big to be fireflies. You then ordered Brother Louis to say a prayer out loud to break the silence. Your guide looked at you with big, bewildered eyes, whispering.

-You must not make noise! Otherwise they will see us and catch us, and carry us under the waters !

>>6180158

You slapped him, correcting his manners.

-"You must not make noise, my lord" learn to address your masters with the respect due to them, peasant. What is more, prayer is always good against evil, and we have our swords.

Fed, who was nevertheless the son of your sergeant, tried to dissuade you.

-My lord... The sword is not useful against spirits, you need magic and...

-Stupidities! The holy prayer is all that is needed, and these spirits are only legends anyway. Brother Louis...

The Templar, who also seemed a little nervous but did not show it, began to recite.

-Pater Noster Pater noster qui es in cælis: sanctificétur nomen tuum...

You prayed in Latin with him, your voices rising, defiant, and drawing the movements of some lights in the mist, and others in the water. You kept your hand on the hilt of your sword, and your horses began to panic even more. The brave Templar began to pray in good French, imploring the Virgin to help him.

-By Saint Clotilde and Saint Rémi,
By the baptism of Clovis and the warriors,
By the pact of Reims which united us,
By the holy ampulla and the day of Vouillé
Virgin of the Franks,
Help us,
Queen of the Lilies,
Lead us.

You took him back and made the sign of the cross. The lights continued to move, but nothing... Apparently nothing at all, for long minutes your raft continued to drift in the middle of these marshes without anything happening. After an hour the lights had disappeared, hah, it was already late afternoon, haha to think that you almost believed in these peasant superstitions talking about the living dead. You then tell yours.

-You see, we were not at risk... The problem with rumors is that fearful people repeat them and they end up being considered true! We must not trust superstitions, but your lords and the Holy Church.

Your men nodded, a little ashamed of their cowardice, and you then asked your guide.

-Where are you going to stop me, good man?

-Near the old bridge of Trapretards, a place on the road passing through the marshes... But it will be late, I don't know if you will manage to reach the inn.

Your men seemed fearful.

-Sleep in the forest, but...

Fed up, you raised your voice.

-Are you afraid to bivouac? But who are you? Soldiers or young girls? We will continue on the road and stop at nightfall, the horses are rested. We will set up camp.

>>6180160

Your guardsman Gepees, one of the men came to say.

-And if the forest is haunted...

Ancel cut him off.

-It is already less so than this marsh.

Hah, there you go, a little support from your faithful servant, well... What can I say, the forest was grim indeed, more composed of conifers than deciduous trees, near steep hills, there were a few large spider webs there but nothing more. You had seen the giant spiders of the Ghibellines but they died quickly after a few sword blows. After paying your guide who returned to his raft you rode towards the West, ordering a halt shortly before nightfall. Luckily there was an empty cavern not far from the road, just at the foot of a hill. You decided to stop there, sending two men to cut wood and quickly you had a fire. You had been able to ride two hours after the bridge, you were well in the middle of these hills and the men were already joking about the journey. You decided to take one of the guard turns yourself to relieve the troop.
It was about the middle of the night, while you were on guard, that you were taken aback by a blood-curdling scream, a woman's scream reverberating in the hills, it came from the north.

-HELP ! HELP !

A damsel in distress? Here? A red, then golden glow, coming from the trees called out to you. Some of your people were half asleep, others were waking up, among them old Brother Louis... You could hear the sounds of fighting, steel against steel, urgency seemed to be the order of the day. You were the only one with your chainmail on you and near a horse so you decided to.

>Quickly grab a horse and a torch, shout to the others to organize and follow you and try to surprise the thing.
>Assemble everyone and march together to confront the thing.
>This is not your land, leave the damsel in distress in her sorry state.
>Other (write in)

>>6180164
>Quickly grab a horse and a torch, shout to the others to organize and follow you and try to surprise the thing.
Chivalry demands it.

>>6180164
>>Quickly grab a horse and a torch, shout to the others to organize and follow you and try to surprise the thing.

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>>6180377
Of course ! Montjoie ! Passavant li meillor !

>>6180604

You took the decision to act quickly, to act now and you screamed at Brother Louis who was just raising while you took at torch.

-Brother Louis, assemble the men and follow me while they can I shall ride first...

The man nodded and told.

-Be careful monseigneur... It could be a trap...

-A good knight should run into it then ! Haha !

You answered while mounting your destrier this time, you had taken him in case of a jousting tournament, calming Pissenlit, your brave destrier and throwing a saddle on him very quickly, as in the times when you were a squire, attaching the thing and being ready you began to ride into the dark. Sounds of battle were ever stronger around.

You spurred your horse forward and unsheathed your sword, with a torch on one hand to see something and a sword on the other one you tried to understand what was all of this about. Finally, following the sounds of battle and the cries of a wounded horse that ended abruptly you came to a meadow, and what you saw was most strange and awful. On your left a young and quite beautiful woman, apparently of noble birth seeing to her garb but with signs that it was partly torn was attached to a pole planted in the ground and tried to free herself from ropes while a vile sorcerer with ears that showed his part guelph ancestry was agitating a stake in her direction, was it a kind of sacrifice to pagan gods ?

A manly cry from the right stopped you.

-Abomination ! Your reign of terror has come to an end !

And you saw what could be seen as a desperate, but gallant struggle. The cry had been screamed by one helmetless man with dark skin and a shining armor with oversized pauldrons. His sword was glowing with light as if by abominable magic ! Of course ! It was one of these so called paladins of the pagan idol Edos, a man from the order of the flame of Justice. And around him were other armed vagrants : a woman in a cowl who was firing arrows, a demon !
A real demon with a long thrusting blade and a luthe on his back, Spotifia during your travels told that some of these armed vagrants were called bards. Besides the demon, the paladin and the archer woman a kind of bald man full of trinkets and with slanted eyes (but no hooves unlike a true mongol) tried to attack moving quickly and screaming strangely. Against them a lone knight stood, and your heart felt for him just like for the damsel in distress that you deduced he must be trying to rescue. He wore a very stylish completely black armor and fought with a sword and a shield that you could not define the heraldry from in the dark. Even a Templar had rights to refuse combat when ennemies were more than three against one but he grimly defended himself against four of these scoundrels. One of his legs was entangled by some kind of vines appearing by magic and his armor was damaged, his steed lied, dead near him but he fought nevertheless. What should you do ?

>>6180652


>Charge towards the damsel in distress, put an end to this evil sorcerer before he sacrifices her to his abominable gods (combat roll)
>Charge towards the knight, it is not fair that a gallant man of noble birth,even if perhaps of teutonical descent judging by the horns on his helmet, fights alone against so much armed vagrants. (combat roll)
>Scream "In the name of the Lord of Local, what is happening in this damned place ! State your intentions rascals or face my wrath !" (Rulership roll)
>Other (write in)

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>6180654
>Scream "In the name of the Lord of Local, what is happening in this damned place ! State your intentions rascals or face my wrath !" (Rulership roll)
We've been here long enough to not stumble into another scandal so quickly, at least without being informed. If they won't listen, though, well...
>tu ne laisseras point vivre la magicienne

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>6180654
>Charge towards the damsel in distress, put an end to this evil sorcerer before he sacrifices her to his abominable gods (combat roll)

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>6180654
>>Scream "In the name of the Lord of Local, what is happening in this damned place ! State your intentions rascals or face my wrath !" (Rulership roll)

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>6180654
>>Scream "In the name of the Lord of Local, what is happening in this damned place ! State your intentions rascals or face my wrath !" (Rulership roll)

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>>6180760

File: Saracen Paladin.jpg (163 KB, 692x1024)

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>>6180682
Wise is the man who knows when not to unsheathe his blade but sometimes more questions than answers appear. Thinking can sometimes be tiresome.

>>6180690
Autosuccess these knaves will stop, for a moment even if the thresold is not reached.

>>6180760
>>6180818

>>6180822
HOSANNAH MESSIRE HOSANNAH !

====

Not understanding what it was about you decided to scream at all these people.

-In the name of the Lord of Local, what is happening in this damned place ? State your intentions rascals, or face my wrath !

You voice was so booming that everyone of them turned towards you, pausing in the middle of their battle. The first one to answer was the damsel in distress, she had long black hair and grey eyes that seemed to bore into your mind. She told.

-Help me, noble knight ! I have been captured by these ad...

She was cut off by the Saracen in plate armor with the gigantic pauldrons and the flaming sword. He told.

-Do not listen to her ! She is a vile fiend ! A vampire just has her cursed family ! Their tyranny upon this land halts here !

The demon, a literal demon, with his lute and thin thrusting sword approved.

-Yes, we are putting an end to the vile N..

The woman told.

-Noble knight, they took me to attire my brother to ransom me... But it was a trap, now he his..

It was the wounded knight in black plate armor with a Teutonic helmet, he tried to speak and told, above the others who spoke.

-I am the Baron Notavant Pyre, ruler of these lands... These adventurers promised to release my sister Hemophilia against rans...

You were shocked to learn that, what... The baron himself ?!? Adventurers, these armed vagrants tried to murder the local nobility ! Even in this case they could try to tell the count about it... but no, they decided to murder a nobleman and rapture a noble lady in complete defiance of our right and proper feudal society. By Saint George's you exploded.

-How by Saint Denis do we tolerate such an horror ! Armed vagrants attacking landowners ! Attacking nobles and lying about ransom ! I will...

Before you could tell more the sorcerer answered.

-You want proofs that these two are vampires you silly knight ? Look !

And he struck the bound lady with his stake, right through the hearth. The simple fact that he murdered a noblewoman, who you had sworn to protect as a knight, was astonishing ! And he did it pretending that she was some kind of blood sucking creature risen risen from the grave or from the tales that Rose loved so much to read.
You were about to spur your horse into action, hearing the baron screaming "nooooooo" with all his lungs, justly mad about the murder of his sister.

>>6181191

But what you saw was even more terrible, the staked lady began to turn to ash and soon she crumbled, leaving a pile of hash with a dress and shoes. What was this sorcery ? Yes... You remembered from Rose's books that was what happened to vampires when they died... Perhaps there was some truth in the words of the magician. But on the other side she was killed by a wizard, you saw some of them turning people into statues of frost or running fire, you saw enchanted weapons and not only in old tales, they were real in India... Perhaps... Perhaps he had enchanted the stake or conjured something to confound you, that was the way of the wizards.

While you thought the knight in black armor screamed with rage, striking with his blade and almost killing the woman with the bow who had to dodge and recoil, she was simply saved because a vine entrapped his leg and stopped him from pursuing, he then hit the Saracen knight and this one parried his blow and counterattacked but his burning blade was protected by his shield. The demon tried to attack with his sword, thrusting into the man but his plate armor protected him. Moving swiftly somewhat like Elana the last adventurer attacked pushing "hais" and other cries at each strike of his baton, he then used it to raise his body and to kick but the baron seemed to protect himself with his shield and bashed him back, sending him to the ground and probably breaking his nose. The wizard was conjuring some magic because eerie flames were congregating around him.

You had a choice to make, and quickly.

>Side with the baron, he is a nobleman unjustly attacked by armed vagrants ! The feudal order demands their deaths !
>Side with the adventurers, the stake seems a good enough proof that this baron is infact dead like his sister and so has no rights to his barony !
>Side with the baron, in memory of his poor sister ! Nobody murders a noble lady right before your eyes !
>Side with the adventurers, perhaps having better relations with their guilds will help with your reputation in the land.
>Side with the baron, saving the life of someone with a barony could be very useful politically !
>Side with the baron, you knew his councilor, Ulrich Notalich who was a charming old man, you could not let his master die like that.
>Side with the baron, a Frenchman should always help a lone man fighting against five, whatever their reasons, such are the laws of honor.
>Side with the baron : he may be an undead fiend but his enemies are wizards, women in pants, pagan priests and literal demons, you will see later if you spare him.
>Let all this people kill eachother, you will see who is victorious.
>Other (write in)

>>6181193
>Let all this people kill eachother, you will see who is victorious.

>>6181193
>Side with the baron : he may be an undead fiend but his enemies are wizards, women in pants, pagan priests and literal demons, you will see later if you spare him.
They have many more strikes against them, but we should probably see how Baron Pyre responds to the sign of the cross later.

>>6181302
>>6181284

Good sirs, my bad, I forgot to tell you to roll a combat roll if you want to fight.

By the way dear >>6181302 I agree with you but about Baron Pyre and the sign of the cross, vampires appeared in European Folklore in the XVIIIth century I think, being quite recent, it was why Charles is sceptical about them and knows of them only by some (awful) poetry books given by his beloved without all the christian means of course known to combat such fiends.

>>6181344
The sign of the cross will protect us against all things diabolical and of Satan, however! We need no fancy book learning to know that, but only the knowledge of the one, most important book, as conveyed to us by the clergy of the one true faith!

>>6181302
Rolling for combat! Courage et vaillance! Dieu aide!