Act 1, Part 1a: Lady Aldori's Office

[Kavonde]

Zakon is led through a long, marble corridor, up two flights of stairs, through another corridor paneled with warm-toned woods an matching floors, through a set of fine oaken double doors, and finally into a study. The room looks like a lawyer's office crossed with a general's tent, with bookshelves packed with leather-bound tomes, many of them legal treatises and all of them non-fiction, and dozens of maps of Brevoy and its surroundings. On a large, mahogany desk at the center of the chamber, a particularly detailed map of Brevoy and its neighbors is unfurled and pinned in place by candles on two corners and a heavy statuette of a tower that looks like it was borrowed from an expensive chess set. Seated at the desk, her back to the door, is Lady Aldori; she shuffles a stack of papers against the desk as Zakon enter and pushes her chair back so she can regard him. Lord Mayor Sellemius stands at the side of the desk, leaning over it and propped up with both hands. He offers Zakon a nod.

 

"Judge Malheur," Lady Aldori says, inclining her head. "I believe you had some concerns vis a vis the legal particulars of this expedition. How can I be of service?"

[BlackHat]

Zakon Malheur HP: 14/14 | AC: 13 | Perception: +6 Fort: +3 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 Hero Points: O | Focus Points: O

Zakon bowed his head, respectfully. "Thank you for making time to see me, Lady Aldori. As you say, I have a professional interest in a number of clarifications. My only concern is in regard to verbal agreements being prone to misinterpretation and dispute." Zakon paused, considering saying more about his conversations at dinner, but decided to wait to dive into the details of his concerns. "First and foremost, I have come to offer my services. Is there a time and place this evening, where I may work with your staff to either review a written contract or assist in transcribing the terms, conditions, and legal particulars, such that they may be reviewed and signed by all parties involved? This would serve to eliminate any surprises, ahead of the formal valediction, tomorrow…" Zakon was curious to find out whether Lady Aldori would balk at his request, to write down her offer and clarify a number of details, or whether she would find it reasonable, given her interest in ensuring that those who answered her call actually signed on to the expedition. After all of its publicity, it would be quite the embarrassment if her expedition ended up being refused by her guests - as Thomas nearly had done - or if the event were plagued with questions, unease, and reluctance that could have been easily mitigated.

Edited December 20, 2022 by BlackHat (see edit history)

[Kavonde]

Lady Aldori rests her elbows on the arms of her chair and steeples her fingers, looking over them at Zakon. "Surely, Your Honor, you are aware that the recruitment and dispatch of adventurers tends to be less... formal than a standard business arrangement?"

 

She turns then to her desk, taking the top sheet of parchment off the stack she was shuffling when Zakon entered, and presents it to him: it is a single-page document bearing a wax seal of Lady Aldori's sigil. On it is written the following:

 

This charter, issued by Lady Jamandi Aldori of Brevoy and witnessed by Lord Mayor Ioseph Sellemius of Restov, recognizes the signatories of this document as the rightful claimants to the region of the Stolen Lands known as the Greenbelt, and any settlement and government they establish there will be recognized as an independent and sovereign nation subject to its own laws. Further, the House Aldori guarantees this new realm's independence, and will act in its defense as necessary should any political entity outside the Stolen Lands challenge it.

 

Signed,

Lady Jamandi Aldori of Brevoy

 

Witnessed,

Lord Mayor Ioseph Sellemius of Restov.

 

"This," she says, as Zakon reads, "is what I am offering as a reward for the destruction of the Stag Lord and the securing of my nation's border. I don't believe there's much room for duplicity, though I admit, I am only an amateur legalist. As for how these groups will be organized? Well, that was part of why I hosted the feast to begin with. I was once an adventurer myself, and I know how important it for a party to not only cover a broad array of skills, but to not want to slit one another's throats. That is also," she adds wryly, "a rather useful quality for the leaders of a nation."

Edited December 20, 2022 by Kavonde (see edit history)

[BlackHat]

Zakon Malheur HP: 14/14 | AC: 13 | Perception: +6 Fort: +3 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 Hero Points: O | Focus Points: O

Zakon nodded at Lady Aldori's comment about adventuring charters typically being less formal than business deals. "Indeed, and I've found that the absence of such formality is often the precursor to misadventure." Lady Aldori was an adventurer, herself, so Zakon refrained from pointing out that standard business partners tended to be a whole lot more reliable than adventurers, as well. Mercenaries who lack even enough loyalty to operate under a common banner surely would make for unreliable allies, at best. 

When he is offered a preview of the charter, Zakon looks it over carefully. It is concise and relatively clear. It is surprisingly generous, specifying the new nations independence, multiple times, as well as declaring their own obligations to rise to the defense, if necessary. This was, of course, not the agreement in question. This was a reward for services, unmentioned, for which there remained no formal agreement. Zakon returned his attention to his host, when she mentioned the Stag Lord. "Thank you for presenting this charter, Lady Aldori. As you said, this is the reward, and not the agreement upon what is required for one to lay claim to this reward." Zakon returned the parchment to the Lady. "You have two dozen guests who may be under the impression that they will each soon be a Baron or a Baroness. Surely only one of these groups will solve your Stag Lord problem, although it sounds as though your true concern is the security of the border, rather than the Lord currently occupying it." Replacing one problematic Lord with dozens seemed unwise to Zakon but he thought better of being that direct in her presence. This was another reason he would have preferred to be working with one of her staff. "I will not presume to know your intention but a single nation at your border would seem an easier alliance, through which to maintain security, rather than dozens of infighting fledgling settlements. However, I only wish to draw attention to the possibility of misunderstanding to illustrate the value of formalizing the arrangement." There was no need to dwell on the other ambiguities discussed, at dinner. The Lady was quite aware, by now. Her servants were certainly eavesdropping as well as attending to her guests. Zakon decided to introduce a less contentious line of questioning. "If you would permit me to use this one example - the destruction of the Stag Lord - to illustrate where additional clarity on the 'legal particulars' would be helpful. A claimant's behavior, in your name, might be quite different depending on whether or not Restov has formally charged the Stag Lord with any crimes - and what crimes those might be - or whether they hold a written warrant for the capture or execution of this individual." Zakon did not know all of the details but he doubted there was any legal standing to execute someone who operated entirely outside the borders of Restov... but, by the same token, the Stag Lord was also not in a position to be granted any protection by the law - having chosen to live outside of it. This was, as far as he could tell, an unlawful bounty - but that did not make it, illegal. Or unnecessary. "... or whether you would prefer to keep your name out of it, entirely, my Lady, as they may be operating without any formal authority to do so...."

Edited December 21, 2022 by BlackHat (see edit history)

[Kavonde]

"Ah," Lady Jamandi says, considering her next words.

 

"The Stag Lord is wanted for banditry, kidnapping, and murder, among other crimes," Lord Mayor Sellemius butts in. "In addition to whatever crimes he may have committed before adopting this nom de guerre."

 

Lady Aldori raises an eyebrow at him, and he subsides. "The defeat of the Stag Lord is not a prerequisite for this charter to take effect, you'll note. It's more of a necessity, or, I will admit, an excuse."

 

She gestures for Zakon to join her at her desk and examine the map pinned there. "There are several distinct regions within the Stolen Lands. Each has a history of being settled for a time before some disaster strikes them. Barbarian raiders, rampaging monsters, plagues, years-long droughts... it's enough to give credence to the belief that the lands themselves are cursed." She gestures broadly to the map. "Hence, my approach. Scattering a handful of seeds rather than placing all our hopes in a single plot.

 

"Additionally, there is the fact that we do not know precisely where this Stag Lord has made his base of operations. He seems to allow the bandit groups that swear fealty a great deal of independence; most only seem to interact with his 'tax collectors,' and have only rumors and suppositions as to where he actually dwells."

 

She gives Zakon a level look. "I will not dance around the fact that one or more of the expeditions we send are likely to perish before a new nation can be established, either at the Stag Lord's hands or due to some other threat entirely. The Stolen Lands are vast and untamed. There are rumors of trolls, linnorms, and the gods know what else. So I am not making concrete, long-term plans. I have goals I hope to see accomplished, but I intend to maintain a degree of flexibility in my approach to them. And I can only hope that the nations that this venture gives rise to will, in time, make reliable trading partners or even allies."

[Spektor]

Antonia Rullianus

---

 

AC: 17 | HP: 19/19 | Per: +5 | Fort: +4 | Ref: +8 | Will: +5 | Hero: 1/1 | Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven

---

Antonia had remained quiet for the entirety of the walk with Judge Malheur. The two of them had little common ground and if she was honest with her true self, she did not much care for the Cheliaxian culture, much less for one of their lawkeepers. In truth, she did not much care for any lawkeepers, but that was the nature of the trouble-making sort. Once they were inside the impressive office, Antonia chose to stand instead of seating herself. She kept her arms crossed beneath her modest bosom and leaned against the wall near one of the corners. Her eyes scanned the environment, particularly noting the leather-bound books that decorated the shelves. She wondered to herself how much they were actually referenced in the Lady's dealings. The maps seemed to be fairly useful, but the law books were most likely only used when the House needed to finagle their way around a certain set of rules to get what they wanted. That's what she imagined, anyways.

 

When the conversation turned towards the map, she finally made her way over, choosing to stand as far away from the others as possible near the large desk. Her glacial eyes darted around the drawn depiction, specifically trying to note possible environmental shifts, topography, and finally, routes and paths through that topography. She spoke up at the mention of perishing adventurers, "My Lady, if I may, I would have to agree. In fact, I would venture to say that most of those below will meet an untimely end by the hand of bandits or local wildlife. I, for one, applaud your methods for accomplishing your goals. From what I have read about such dangerous adventures, the only way a group survives such perils is to work together; I mean that in the sense of actual work and also in the sense of personalities. You've gathered an admittedly curious collection of such personalities. Many will not mesh, and many others may be surprised to find that they do. Unfortunately for us, we will not know until it is already too late. But that is how glory is both discovered and attained. I do not plan on dying, let it be known. I wonder, then, if there is a possible route for those who...lose their adventuring group yet still survived. Would they be allowed to return? Certainly you do not wish them to bolster the ranks of bandits in the area."

[BlackHat]

Zakon Malheur HP: 14/14 | AC: 13 | Perception: +6 Fort: +3 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 Hero Points: O | Focus Points: O

Zakon listened intently as Lady Aldori and Lord Mayor Sellemius explain more of the details. "Very enlightening... and very bold, if I may say so." 

 

"If the defeat of the Stag Lord is not a requirement for the charter, I would recommend clearly documented criteria for a valid claim. I believe you mentioned having specific individual assignments. However, before we move off of the topic if the Stag Lord..." Zakon seized upon the opening that the Lord Mayor had given him, while Antonia discussed the map with Lady Aldori. "... if the accusations of criminal activity are more than allegations, I trust that you can provide a proper warrant, specifying that Restov does not recognize the man's claim to title nor land, nor does any other nation to our knowledge, and specifying whether he is to be returned to Restov to face justice or lawfully executed outside the border. I would, of course, make myself available to ensure that the proper paperwork is in order, with the prerequisite signatures - eliminating any perception that the expedition is a cover, or excuse, for extraterritorial assassination that, were it happening at any other border, might be misinterpreted as an act of war." Zakon had to be exceedingly careful but felt that his example had planted enough of a seed to help both the Swordlord and Lord Mayor understand that the value of clarity and over-specification far outweighed the risks of ambiguity and under-specfication. If the Stag Lord actually were some sort of Lord, or held a charter similar to the one Lady Aldori was teasing her guests with, the repercussions for common adventurers who struck out to murder nobility in their own lands could be dire, even if they were successful. It was not lost on Zakon that the Stag Lord, murderous bandit thought he might be, had as much of a claim on the land as any of the would-be barons that Lady Aldori is sending to displace him. Perhaps moreso, as he has managed to establish himself as ruler, collect taxes, and divide his "nation" into smaller fiefdoms that show him loyalty. None of the adventurers gathered today had any experience doing any of those things.

 

"Returning to the topic of the individual assignments," Zazkon began, reaching into his satchel, finally getting to the meat of his duties. "Several of your guests, including Lady Rullianus, have retained my services as their legal representation in this matter." He offered the contract to either of them, if they were interested in inspecting the details - or at least the signatures. "As you said, the business of 'adventure' is typically devoid of such formalities but, if you will indulge me, I believe that - based upon the seating arrangements - you may already have intentions to organize one mission that includes all of the names on this list. If that is the case, my next request may be a small one. If it is not, I may have considerably more work to do, tonight, than I anticipated." Zakon was fairly confident that this was her intention, assuming she was pleased with her reports on how the evening went. If he was mistaken, this might nudge the situation, slightly, as Lady Aldori no doubt wanted to conclude this meeting as quickly and painlessly as possible.

 

"May I review any written record of the assignments that you intend to charge us with, tomorrow? I believe this would satisfy my request for clear requirements for a valid claim on the charter as well as support the success of the mission by raising any concerns or requests, early, so that they might be resolved, with minimal disruption. Many or all of my outstanding questions may have already be addressed in such a document...." Again, Zakon hinted that this conversation might be quite long if he is forced to pull information out of them rather than being presented with all of the information that is available first. Surely, none of them wanted him to waste more time than was necessary, tonight.

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by BlackHat (see edit history)

[Kavonde]

Antonia's inspection of the map doesn't yield any surprising insights. The map is fairly detailed in some areas, mainly regions of open plains and hills in the eastern half of the map, mostly divided between the sections labelled "Greenbelt," "Kamelands," and "Dunsward." The massive forest at the center of the Stolen Lands, the Narlmarches, seem to be mostly unexplored, and the lands west of the Narlmarches have little detail to them as well. She sees a location marked "Oleg's" at the northern edge of the Greenbelt, and this seems to be the only settlement noted anywhere on the map.

 

Lady Aldori inclines her head towards Antonia. "Indeed, there was some degree of social engineering to your seating arrangements. I believe that you, Judge Malheur, and the other signees of his contract show potential as a collective unit. I also seated Lord Varn near you deliberately; he is a good man, and a capable leader, and his expedition is one I have particular confidence in. Should both your groups succeed, I expect you will benefit from friendly relations."

 

She turns to listen to Zakon, nodding attentively at several points, but frowning at his concerns regarding the legality and/or appropriateness of the Stag Lord's removal. "Judge Malheur, I assure you, this so-called 'Stag Lord' is not recognized by any nation. He is a bandit, and a particularly brutal one. The Stolen Lands have long been home to a number of small bandit groups, some worse than others; under his influence, those who I would call 'less monstrous' have either been forced to conform to his new standards or have been outright butchered. As to evidence of his guilt, I have taken in more than one brutalized victim who was left alive specifically as a warning to those who would enter this bandit king's lands. As far as the Kingdom of Brevoy is concerned, the man is wanted dead. If you insist on capturing him alive, I will see to it that he stands trial--but, when he is found guilty, his execution will be carried out swiftly. Perhaps by my own hand."

 

When Zakon asks to see the other charters, she turns to the stack of papers on her desk passes them to Zakon to examine. They all share identical wording, save for the region of the Stolen Lands mentioned. All told, there are seven, listed for the Greenbelt, the Kamelands, Dunsward, Northern Narlmarches, Hooktongue Slough, Rushlight, and Glenebon. These correspond to areas marked on the map, though there are clearly more labeled regions than there are charters; it seems that most of the Narlmarches themselves will remain unclaimed, and perhaps a few smaller regions are grouped together under a single name.

 

"Part of my work this evening is determining precisely who will be given which charter. I am considering the six of you for the Greenbelt, which will include the lands around the Tuskwater Lake. Maeghar, given his background, seems like a natural fit for the mountainous area east of that, Dunsward and the Nomen Heights. Hannis Drelev--I do not believe you met him this evening, though I assure you, you should be thankful for that--has already stated his desire to claim the Hooktongue Slough. Nasty place, really, but a potentially important trade hub. His brother has promised materiel support to establish the new realms, you see. The Iron Wraiths are more experienced than most of our guests this evening; I plan to send them to Glenebon, which has frequently had troubles with a barbarian tribe ranging in from Numeria. The others, I am less set upon. I believe that halfling bard, Linzi, has some contacts in Pitax; I may have her lead a group to Rushlight, near that nation's border."

 

She looks up from the map at her guests. "I don't know how familiar you are with the geography of the Stolen Lands, but if you have any insight to offer, I will be happy to take it into account."

Edited December 22, 2022 by Kavonde (see edit history)

[BlackHat]

Zakon Malheur HP: 14/14 | AC: 13 | Perception: +6 Fort: +3 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 Hero Points: O | Focus Points: O

Zakon made an apologetic gesture and quickly clarified, "Oh, please do not mistake my belief in due-process and the protections afforded by the law to its citizens with mercy." Zakon seemed to choke on the word, slightly. "If I understand the situation correctly, the Stag Lord is neither a citizen nor operating within this jurisdiction. It may be that there is no be legal authority over the matter but there is also no obligation on the part of the law to prevent anyone from hunting the man down and murdering him. If there is no desire, on your part, to see the Stag Lord brought before you in chains, and his fate is only indirectly tied to the success or failure of your expedition... so be it." Zakon folded his hands, as if that put that small matter to rest. If a warrant or any other documentation of his crimes existed, he made his desire for this documentation known. If it did not, this was not a deal-breaker for him. Zakon need not pass judgement on the man until he stood before him.

Zakon then began to look at the map, himself. Was this all there was to the assignments, then? Travel to the named region, settle it, and then survive long enough to become useful to Restov? Did she plan to simply give the charters out tomorrow and wish everyone good luck? He did not know much about geography. He has traveled quite a bit but never into the wild frontier of the Stolen Lands. "I trust that you both have a keener eye than I do for which talents and idiosyncrasies make for a functional 'adventuring party' as well as the supplies and equipment that may be necessary. Any concerns I might have would be with those that would make for a functional 'government'. One, of course, being a prerequisite of the other, in this case."

 

"My client does raise an interesting question about expectations of cooperation between your investments. Should conflicts arise, and you are sworn to rise to the defense of both parties, this could put you in a difficult position. Shall we draft an arbitration clause? What about a succession clause, in the event of a claimant's death or incapacitation, recognizing the titles, and pledging the same obligations, to the heir?"

[Kavonde]

"You'll note that my guarantee of independence refers to political entities outside the Stolen Lands," Lady Aldori points out. "I do not wish to see conflict arise between these new realms, but I realize that it is a possibility. Especially if some tragedy were to leave, say, a megalomaniacal gnomish sorcerer in charge." She smirks, amused at her own dark humor.

 

"As for questions of succession, I don't feel that I need be involved; that seems best left to the individual expeditions to sort out. Some groups might opt for a traditional monarchy, some a republic, some might put into practice one of the radical ideas that rise and fall in popularity in Galt. And if a group tears itself apart because its members can't come to an accord on how leadership should be shared, well... this may sound heartless, but I don't imagine they would have made the kind of reliable, stable neighbors I'm hoping to cultivate."

 

Lord Mayor Sellemius clears his throat. "Regarding a warrant for the Stag Lord, I could have a scribe prepare a copy for you in the morning, if you wish. Otherwise, there are wanted posters to be found. We don't have much of a likeness to go on, other than that he is a large, human male who wears a helmet fashioned from an antlered stag's skull that conceals most of his face."

[BlackHat]

Zakon Malheur HP: 14/14 | AC: 13 | Perception: +6 Fort: +3 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 Hero Points: O | Focus Points: O

"I have and it may, my Lady" Zakon confirms, pleased to find that the Lady could be pedantic about the wording of her charter, when it suited her. "... Very well, if you have no desire to constrain these or similar eventualities, then I expect no strong objections on the part of my clients, and you and I have come to an understanding about both the intent and the letter of the law." A free for all beyond the border, it is.

 

Zakon paused, letting his last statement hang for a moment. If Lady Aldori was truly throwing seeds into the wind and waiting to see what would take root, any more specific language would serve only to constrain his clients. Lady Aldori was not the one that they would need to worry about interfering in their affairs. No moreso than any other Swordlord or titled noble that might take notice of their claim, anyway.

 

He nodded at the Lord Mayor, confirming his desire to have some official statement of the charges against the Stag Lord. Zakon had not realized there was already a bounty posted. This was fortunate. Perhaps their rivals would be clamoring to do the dirty work for them and they would be able to focus on simply establishing order in the area. 

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by BlackHat (see edit history)

[Kavonde]

Lady Aldori nods at Zakon, then turns to address Antonia. "My apologies. I believe I failed to answer one of your questions. Regarding those who might fail to establish themselves yet live to tell that tale? They will be free to do as they choose. This isn't intended to be a suicide mission, after all. If they turn to banditry, well... bandits tend to meet a bad end. If they simply wish to return to their homes, no one will stop them. Some might even wish to offer their services to other expeditions, if they can reach them."

 

She places one hand over the other, a posture of gracious patience. "If you have any further questions at this time, I will be happy to address them as best I can." 

[Rider Z]

Lerris Ninthborne

---

HP: 20/20 | AC: 17 |  Per: + 4 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +3 |Will: +7  | Hero 1/1 | Languages: Common (Taldane), Hallit, Skald

---

 

Like Antonia, Lerris had elected not to take a seat when they had arrived in the office. Though unlike her he had stood mostly straight, positioned across the room on the Judge's other flank. During the conversation his eyes had followed each speaker attentively and sharply, showing that despite his quietness he'd been keeping well up with the conversation anyhow. Indeed, Lerris was used to such discussions. Zakon at least would know that his previous profession often entailed a certain amount of negotiation, albeit of a very different ilk. 

 

Lerris let out a bit of a cough when the fate of bandits was mentioned. A fate he was all too familiar with. Absentmindedly he reached up and scratched underneath his collar, four fingers brushing against a scar unlike any other on his body. "Well, I figure the gallows will be full enough should the Stag Lord fall. So you can count on at least me to not run in the hills and turn native." He said. And he meant it. A man shouldn't walk down the same road twice after all, especially if that road lead to a gallows.

 

"But I do have a question. And forgive me judge, but it does concern me a bit more than whether or not this Stag Lord has a proper warrant on him. Way I figure it a man like him can be dealt with on account of higher laws than we have." Lerris said, mind drifting back for a moment to the crow and the stag. But then he shook that absentminded thought out of his head and tuned back to Lady Aldori.

 

"I want to ask what comes next exactly. After this Stag Lord finds himself at the end of a rope or worse." Lerris's eyes shifted to the map of the Stolen Lands again. That was going to be one hell of a task, breaking in a beast like that wasn't going to be easy even for the most experienced tamers. And Lerris figured that the word "experienced" couldn't be applied to him or any of his allies in this case, at least regarding that specific task. But still that wasn't his particular focus.

 

"And I don't mean regarding the building and taming either. I figure that'll all fall into place one way or another, I'm sure the good judge here is biting at the bit to negotiate trade agreements, resource requisitions, and all that. I mean regarding the current state of Brevoy. And your current relationship with House Surtova." Lerris continued, his eyes shifting back up the Lady now. He thought back on Maegar's words for a moment and his own meager understanding of his country's history.

 

"I'll ask plainly and outright, because I respect you enough not to tray and fail at speaking only half of what I mean. ." Lerris chuckled, though his words didn't seem to brook much room for levity. "In exchange for this charter, a crown, and land. Are we going to be expected to fight a war for you?"

[Kavonde]

Lady Aldori gives Lerris a somewhat surprised but respectful look. "Ah, yes. The mammoth in the chamber."

 

She steeples her fingers together, considering her words before continuing. "I do not make a secret of my dissatisfaction with ascendance of House Surtova. Many of us in what was once Rostland feel similarly. However, the Surtovas are not House Thrune--my apologies, Judge Malheur, if my implication that the rulers of your homeland are the worst sort of sociopathic despots offends--and I believe that a diplomatic solution can be arranged. Perhaps Brevoy can peacefully split back into two Rostland and Issia; perhaps we could form a republic, based on Andoran's model.

 

"That said, Rostland is not currently in a strong position. We are less populous and less wealthy than our northern cousins. We have little leverage in any such negotiation."

 

She gestures again to the map. "My ambition is liberty for my people. And my ultimate hope for this grand scheme is to build strong allies for Rostland. Not necessarily military allies; I will be happy to simply have reliable trade partners and a degree of trust that no knives will be plunged into my nation's back. And, ideally, with these allies at our side, the changes I believe necessary will never lead to bloodshed.

 

"I realize that this plan seems rather... loose. It might seem simpler to organize an expedition under my own banners and send them forth to colonize the new territory. Unfortunately, politics rarely allow for simplicity. Settling the Stolen Lands under the banner of Rostland, or even greater Brevoy, would be seen by some as unnecessarily provocative. I would lose more than one supporter that, unfortunately, I need. After much consideration and deliberation, this haphazard scheme is the best option I have. And I hope that my honesty about my intentions, combined with the independence I am guaranteeing you, will prove my character and win your friendship."

 

She gives you all a small smile. "At the end of the day, I believe that honesty is the best policy. Many of my allies think me naïve, and they may be correct, but I do not have the patience or the stomach for shadowy negotiations and backstabbing. Honestly, I miss the days that I could solve most of my problems by sticking a sword in them." She shrugs. "But the gods made me a noblewoman with responsibilities, and so here we are."

Edited December 22, 2022 by Kavonde (see edit history)

[BlackHat]

Zakon Malheur HP: 14/14 | AC: 13 | Perception: +6 Fort: +3 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 Hero Points: O | Focus Points: O

"No apology is necessary, my Lady." Zakon said, waving away any offense real or imagined. Apologies were a rare thing among nobility and, although unnecessary, the gesture was appreciated. "I am intimately familiar with the reputation that House Thrune has cultivated for generations. It is well deserved, I assure you." A slight smirk crept into the corner of his mouth. This seemed like neither the time nor place to go into more detail, however. "Perhaps I shall have the chance to prove myself a more reasonable ally. One, more to your liking...."

Edited December 24, 2022 by BlackHat (see edit history)