>>782784

Charles Wolfram

>>782784
Jehan Capet

>>782784
Edward Bertrum Floribundus

>>782865
going with this

>lets go with this name

>>782866
huh
>>782873
>>782865
i'm gonna have to go with this, sorry EB

"I'm Jean, from the Capet farm, don't you remember?"

A feeble cough and the loosening of your former liege's grip signals he's done talking, maybe for good.

You grab your liege's sword, and sheathe it.
It seems the last of the de Labendai has died, and you've been named heir to the lands of Sant Michel.

These will be troubling times. Succession is never an easy thing, especially when a simple squire is named heir instead of castellans or masters-at-arms.

Scared yet oddly excited, you pull the family greatsword from the weak hands of your liege and fit it snugly into its scabbard, fastening it to your chest and slinging it over your back.

You march to the doors of the chamber, look back once more on your liege and open the doors to the main hall, stepping out and breathing in.

"The lord is dead! His last wishes were to convene the council to legitimize the chosen heir!"

The near empty halls become a panic. Remaining servants and guards get into a tizzy, trying to contain their grief as pages are sent to alert the remaining council.

After a few painstakingly long minutes, the Castellan Duncan and Court Physician Tuttle are the only ones to arrive. You hear the master-at-arms took fifteen good men and swore fealty to a local lord, and that the Steward and Spymaster are nowhere to be found.

The council room is a dark and moldy place, a simple stone room past the thrones and guarded only by a wooden door with iron bands, with a decently furnished wooden table surrounded by eight seats, one adorned with small gold inlays.

You sit in the golden seat, remove the great sword and laying it on the table, as the Castellan and Physician take their seats.

Castellan Duncan is stressed, and the physician seems sullen. You drum your fingers on the table and break the silence.

"The lord named me as the heir... if that's what you wanted to hear."

Duncan begins to speak, but holds his tongue, while Tuttle, the Physician, speaks for him.

"We assumed as much Jea- I mean, Lord de Labendai.. or Lord Capet, whatever you fancy, it is your title now."

"So you mean there will be no problems with my succession?"

Who is left to have a problem with it? Only three of our eight holdings have chosen to remain even slightly loyal to us and servants and villagers leave by the dozen.

Duncan slams his hands the table, frustrated.
Mah lord, it's within reason for you to stop this madness, show them some sign that this House can continue, before it becomes a mass exodus and we become a footnote!

You rub your head, this is all too much. Since when did a fucking fever make you a lord?
You have to make a decision. Quickly.

[a] Rally the men, try to keep this ship floating
There is no time to rally anybody with the castle falling apart about our ears.

>>782921
>A rally remaining people to stay.

We should also see about the spymaster since intelligence will be important in our weakened state to make up for our lack of manpower

Rally the men, try to keep this ship floating

>>782921
Eh, it's fine. Maybe you can make Edward an NPC at some point.

>Rally the men, try to keep this ship floating.

>>782946
>>782952
>>783003
You rush up to an overturned fruit cart and climb onto the top, cupping your hands around your mouth and shouting to catch the attention of the citizens that remain in the castle.

They see utterly disinterested, and only a few stand still to watch your meager performance, even as you flail and shout. Suddenly you feel a tug on the back of your neck.

By the gods what are you doing?
Duncan has you by the scruff of your coat and is furious, Tuttle seems embarrassed
Ye can't just go up there and star t screamin' like an idiot!

Your face runs red with shame and you lean against the cart. You're not well versed in speeches or diplomacy, only in basic combat.

"Tuttle, Duncan, where is the rest of the council, perhaps we could convince them to return?"

Tuttle interjects before Duncan can speak
M'lord, the Steward and Spymaster vanished overnight, some thing they were kidnapped for ransom. The master-at-arms fled to the Champs-Rochelle to the west, trying to enter service of Lord Dundallon.

"How many men do we have? Could we even stage a scouting party?"

This time Duncan answers.
In total we have only thirty men still loyal to our cause, most fled when Lord Jandant became grievously ill.

"Gods be good, what can we do?" You respond dejected, with a weight in your stomach.

Not much m'lord, but I hear Lord Sang-Valois is looking to marry off one of his daughters. Perhaps we can have you marry her in order to get the funds and men needed to restore order?

The suggestion seems absurd. Marry someone you don't even know? But then again, it'd be better than a landless Lord. Another fork in the road, and each path seems foggier than the last...

[a.] Let's see if we can marry a noble daughter to secure resources for ourselves
[b.] That's terrible, I will not have my lordship used as a bargaining chip in a marriage.

>>783052
>[a.] Let's see if we can marry a noble daughter to secure resources for ourselves

[a.] Let's see if we can marry a noble daughter to secure resources for ourselves

>>783052
[b.] That's terrible, I will not have my lordship used as a bargaining chip in a marriage.

Being at the whims of another lord is stupid. He can tell us whatever he wants for us to do and we'll have to do it.

>>783084
>>783077
>>783060
QM here, I have to take a break until 5 PM EST, so until then, discuss things and try to bump the thread up.

>>783052
>[a.] Let's see if we can marry a noble daughter to secure resources for ourselves

>>783084
That's unfortunately the reality of the situation. We don't have a whole lot to bargain with.

>>783108
No, this is a trap option.

>>783108
No we aren't completely trapped.

We still have the glorious of the fallen house to back the beginnings of the new one.

We have a reserve of gold we can tap for mercs and traders to get things back under control. Granted it will be expensive. IF we don't got enough in the treasury then get a loan from a bank. Its going to suck but we have no choice throwing money around is the only way we can keep things under control. Doing so will enable us time to stand our ground and make our claims.

Basically the only cards we got to play is the now fallen houses and a new house that is us. That includes the treasury we CANNOT LET THE TREASURY slip away from our fingers. AT ALL COSTS. we also desperately need a good spymaster to cover our ass during our time of weakness.

For potential allies our best bet is the distant friends of the former house. They'll have nothing to gain if they don't support us and much to lose. They are our newest allies and we must get a hold of them. They will be our backing in addition to the old house itself.

IF possible we need to find some quality mercs and a goood spymaster ASAP. Both are going to be critical for what comes. We MUST get ta hold of them.

>>783052
>[a.] Let's see if we can marry a noble daughter to secure resources for ourselves

>>783105
See you then, quest looks interesting.

>>783084

Marriage to another lords daughter is an alliance, not swearing vassalage. Naturally there are dynamics of power in any partnership, and just as well we can end up the stronger partner.

>>784055
>We have a reserve of gold

Are you sure? Steward and/or spymaster could just as well have fucked off with all the money.

>IF we don't got enough in the treasury then get a loan from a bank.

Getting in debt with bankers or getting a political marriage...

>>784133
Not likely in the least. You're right that there are dynamics of power in this type of a partnership, but our dynamic right now is that we have no power. Marrying off at the moment would put us under another lord's thumb; our land, staff, and subjects would be dancing to our horn, but we would be playing his music and only his music to keep happy this woman that we don't even know. Even if we were to ask for her hand, she and her lord may refuse us based on how low our castle has sunk; she would be unhappy wed to us, and he could get better for the price he is offering to pay.

Our best bet right now is to clean this castle up and get into an obvious and overt upswing before we go presenting ourselves to others.

>>784141
>Marrying off at the moment would put us under another lord's thumb;

Rather that than a banker, of course it would be better to seek marriage from a stronger position but gotta deal with what we've got.

>>784133
>>783108
>>783077
>>783084
>>783060

You have some internal discomfort about it, but all in all, who wouldn't want a wife? You inform Duncan and Tuttle that you've decided to try to win the hand of Lord Sang-Valois' daughter.

Tuttle nods
My lord, you know that you yourself have to go to his house and offer your hand yourself? We can't do that for you, it'd be deemed as arrogant.

"Well then, I have to travel by myself to his lands to most likely get turned down? And what about our people, the food, the gold supplies?"

Duncan places a hand on your shoulder
Most t'people left when Lord Jandant became ill, remember? Now that they'll be hearing there's a new lord, most of them might return to us. I'll see what I can do about a Spymaster, maybe even a steward if I can.

As for the supplies, food is fine. No one seems t'have tried to steal anything, and we do have a decent amount in the royal coffers, but not enough to hire a full mercenary company.

You rub your head and look around. The castle is for the most part stable. The mortar on the walls is looking rotten and moldy, and the parapets and walkways less that safe. And that's just the keep. Walking up to the wall and looking over the side you can see the courtyard and castle village are almost completely empty.

"How long will it take for me to reach Lord Sang-Valois?"

About four or five days m'lord.

"We have horses and men right?"

Aye, seeking to make a show of force?

"Yes. Quickly now, Duncan, fetch the men, Tuttle, grab a garron. Try to spin this as if I'm going to try to get food or something and for the gods sake, try to keep this castle in order."

They both respond warmly and set off to do their assigned tasks, leaving you alone in an empty castle keep for the time being.

By the gods what have you done? You're a goddamn peasant farmer who just happened to become a squire. You don't know how courtship works, or how intrigue or diplomacy are supposed to function. You feel a dread setting into your very core,

Time has passed and you hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Duncan has assembled as many men as he could, about eight, and Tuttle has saddled and groomed the Lords horse

M'lord, now may not be the time, but you need to thing about having a sigil for your house made as you're on your way to Rivoise, the seat of House Sang-Valois.

You nod curtly and get up, and saddle the horse, adjusting yourself in the seat and watching as Duncan organizes the men to march behind you.

Tuttle grabs your sleeve
There are many dangerous roads to Rivoise, they are famous for their large groups of bandits, and I fear eight men won't be quite as much to protect you. It may take you longer, but I suggest avoiding the main roads, what do you think?

[a.] Take the main road
[b.] Do as Tuttle suggests

i'll be back at about 5 pm est, thank you for keeping this bumped and alive

>>784144
>[a.] Take the main road

I for one welcome the challenge of recruiting bandits, or killing them.

>>784144
Fuck. With luck, we'll just get turned down and told to come back when we actually have a functioning castle. In the meantime...

>[a.] Take the main road
If we bring someone along to teach us how to handle this courtship nonsense, four days should be sufficient time to make ourselves look like we're not incompetent. We know how to fight; if we run up against any bandits, it's just an opportunity to recruit some new staff.

>>784144
>[a] Take the main road

>>784150
>recruiting bandits

Why do questers always do this? It happens every time and makes no sense.

I wish QMs would do the realistic thing in that regard. Have your own original men lose loyalty to you and/or the new guys desert more often than not.

>>784158
>Fuck. With luck, we'll just get turned down and told to come back when we actually have a functioning castle. In the meantime...

Well, just because we're going doesn't mean we have to marry y'know. Worth exploring the option I suppose.

>>784170
eh. bandits, criminals and the like are fun flavor

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>>784144
OP, if I wanted to make my own quest, could I still this premise? I would probably change it a bit but I don't want to just make the quest without your consent seeing as I got the idea from you.

>>784144
>
[a.] Take the main road
I don't like the thought of bandits, but if there's anything we don't have, it's time.

>>784372
>784372
Of course you could. I'd love to see what you'd do with it.

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>>784764
I don't know if I will even go through with it or when, but I just wanted to have your permission.

>>784764

We doin this?

>>784936
we is, i just got back from something, give me a moment

>>785155
>give me a moment

>>785155
So... when are you going to run again? I love this setting and everything.

>>782784
Is this going to continue sometimes? I would love to see this continued.
If OP isn't around anymore, I would be willing to pick up where we stopped.

>>792216
I too wonder where OP disappeared.

>>792238
So... If OP doesn't reappear in what time I will take over?

>>792270
How about a new thread where you continue where OP left off? That way OP won't be mad about quest/thread hijacking

>>792323
Okay, that sounds reasonable.

>>792423
And were live!

>>792427
nice