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>>5134375

INTERLUDE :

A storm rumbled over dark mountain peaks and the lighting highlighted the outlines of a mighty fortress. The place has so much spikes attached to it that some people might think that the builders have said, heh, let’s make a fortress out of a hedgehog. But on each spike a body, sometimes skeletal, sometimes new, was impaled. A lone rider went through the narrow path that lead to this dreaded place and the guards let him enter. He entered with glee this powerful complex of towers, bastions and barracks where hundreds, or even thousands of evil creatures dwelled. Brutish orcs and powerful Minotaurs, cunning goblins and cruel dark elves, reptilian kobolds and demonic Tieflings and even a great number of men, with strange tatoos and evil looking banners. The rider gave his mount to a noseless warrior with a spetum and continued on foot once he arrived to an enormous gate. Five trolls were neeeded to open the thing and he was escorted by ogre mercenaries towards the main part of the fortress. Because the bastions and the militarised city outside were only the tip of the iceberg. In truth the main part of the complex was subterranean. Here our man passed over abysses were kobolds mined ore to support the war effort, magical portals from whose demons and messengers with the netherworld emerged, hundreds of strange cultists who repeated the same phrases ones after the other and many other scenes. In arenas and fighting pits trolls wrestled against each other and the rider could hear the laughs of a dark elf sorceresses echoing from torture chambers.
Our rider continued to enter more deeply into this dark place and he only stopped to see the darkness of some great caverns being lit up by the flames of a black dragon who was being tamed by some beastmasters. But his destination was deeper, in the most serene chamber of this bastion of the forces of destruction.
He finally passed by a battalion of skeletal servants continuing their work a long time after their deaths and entered a great hall. It’s ceiling was invisible and the only sources of light were some magical torches near the many pillars that supported this room. It was so big that nobody could see the ends of it and it was clear that it was made by the genius of the best of duergar architects

>>5134376

Here, hundreds, no, thousands of courtiers and sycophants were vying for power from a figure seated on a throne of the blackest stone decorated by blood red gems. For every inhabitant of this fortress the figure on the throne, wearing a black ornate spiky armor full of runes that glowed when blood was poured into it was the center of everything. He was not their god, no, gods were abstract beings that were not visible, he has totally replaced god by being omnipotent in their lives, deciding who shall live and who shall die horribly. Taller than a man and having a strange head looking like the one of a squid, and hands ended by crooked nails it watched some human and dark elven courtesans perform a dance with a bored expression. Watching was a great word in fact, he watched through them, as if thinking of far more important matters.
The rider decided to advance through the crowd and managed to do it after some minutes. Once he saw him the being on the throne smiled and made him sign to advance.
Everyone let him pass once it was done and the rider fell into his knees, dropping his hood and revealing to be a strange man with probably some gnomish and goblin blood for his skin was of a pale green, his nose crooked and his ears pointed. He spoke from his posture of prostration.
The voice of the rider was high-pitched and nasal.

-Great gelatinous Master ! I bear news from the Empire, news about the one touched by destiny, the one that the prophecies talk about, the one that is destined to overcome you and put an end to your glorious oppression.

There were whispers in the room that echoed in the great walls. News about it were rarely good, a new infinitely clever plan seemed to fail and the executioner, always near the throne, began to sharpen his axe, to deal with the bearer of bad news. The ruler of the keep answered in a deep tone that seemed to be made to boast.

-Then talk ! Have the fools that surround me managed to do something at last ?

There was no hope in his voice. There were more whispers of rumours around his entourage and everyone seemed to agree that it was bad news. The minions sent to deal with this enemy seemed to always be destroyed, but maybe a piece of useful information have been found.

-Your slimyness, it appears that the girl touched by destiny, the woman that was to vainquish you, is dead.

There were shocked gasps everywhere and even the master of the keep seemed taken aback. But nobody whispered, it was unexpected news and people here learned quickly to wait for the opinion of their overlord before they spoke. And the overlord answered, in a strangely furious and at the same time worried tone.

-What ? How ?!? Have my agents sent to ambush her managed to kill her ? It is.. Mostly unexpected...

-No, dreaded oppressor, no it seems that she was killed by a third party. She was killed before your servants managed to get to her.

>>5134378

There was a bigger shock, what does this meant ? What was that ?!? Everyone in the hall began to speculate about the perpetrator of this. Some even managed to ask aloud if it was true, and not a ruse of the forces of good. Or a ploy by another party. But the voice of their master made them all silent.

-What ? Do they have proofs ? A body ? Have they seen how she was killed ? I remember she was sent to investigate about a magic disturbance in the provinces.

The messenger answered.

-They had to morph into birds to get on the spot, so they could not bring back her body, but they brought you her amulet, and they managed to cast a spell of time seeing at the moment of her death. They have not seen it because it can only be seen one time and for a short period, as you know, powerful tyrant, but they have brought you the Cristal ball where it is recorded.

And he gave the two objects that some servants fetched towards the master of this place.

He made a sign with his head to order one of his wizards, a powerful undead lich to place the Cristal globe here and it began to show the picture of a forest. But not wanting to see it in a small globe the powerful master of the keep enlarged it with a flick of the hand. A difficult magic but he performed it with ease. The being even began seeing his enemy’s demise by joking.

-One day we will learn to repeat this visions and to play them, and we will sell those cristal balls. I am sure we can make enough money with this to hire three mercenary armies.

Finally in the forest, on the road, three people were seen. The first one was a black skinned paladin, the famous Sir Tyrone of Diver-City, a paladin of rank twelve and Sir Wendel the Calm, another one, less famous but known too, of rank ten. Then came the person that everyone despised here, the woman that was announced to be the demise of their master : Elliana Purefyre, daughter of an humble miller but touched by destiny to destroy the primordial evil. The vision incited hatred amongst the mob of sycophants, some of theme have lost minions, partners, pets and even dungeons at the hands of those three and hating the enemies of the master was always well seen.

Then the paladin woman began to feel unwell and said something, unfortunately we could not head anything and an orcish general, who knew nothing about magic, asked.*

-Can we hear what she says...

A necromancer answered him.

-It is called time seeing not time hearing you oaf !

Before the two fought their master talked and ordered.

-He is right, can someone read on lips ?

One man, probably a spymaster if some sorts, bowed and answered.

-She seems to say that she feels unwell because of this magical perturbation phenomenon but her two companions feel nothing. She says it’s like her strength is sapped. And that her armor feels heavy... And... Oh ! Sir Tyrone has seen something...

The master ordered quickly.

-Turn this Cristal ball you imbeciles ! Quickly !

>>5134381

Unfortunately they were not quick enough and if they managed to see that something moved in the bushes it disappeared. They tried to see for some time and then they continued to watch the paladins of the Order of the Flame of Justice discussing the illness. It is when they saw the three looking at the same direction that they knew it was time to turn the Cristal ball.

Four figures advanced. Each one mounted on a powerful warhorse. And a kind of red headed peasant with a muddy face with some smallpox marks accompanied them. His lack of hygiene was worthy of a troll. The peasant had a bow and he pointed a finger towards the paladins.

The men wore all chainmail armor and their horses and armors were covered in armoried cloth. Each one carried a lance, they looked like knights but they had only chainmail and closed steel helmets, they seemed to be poorly equipped. And where were their pauldrons ? Every important knight had huge pauldrons ! The knight in the middle seemed to order a charge, but we could not be sure because it’s lips were covered by his helmet but once the hall saw them charging they understood that these strange men had no intentions towards the paladins.
Against them Sir Tyrone went forward and the spymaster traduced.

-He says he will cast a “Barrier of Edos” to stop the knights and then they would dismount them.

The woman marked by destiny rised and readied her sword while on the other side Sir Wendel prepared to cut an enemy in two. Everyone wanted to see what trick will the strange men use to prevail. But no one imagined what happened.

They simply charged and the barrier did not work. He tried to raise his sword and everyone knew that paladins were far quicker than low ranked fighters but he had no time, he got smitten in the head by the first rider and the head of this enemy of evil was simply opened in two by an axe blow. Then Sir Wendel was ran through the neck by a lance ! How ? He should have managed to dodge ! But he was now dead. Last remained the woman marked by destiny but she was knocked down by a blow from a rider with a Red Cross on white background on his tabard. She tried to rise a hand and said something that the spymaster traduced.

-She is using “detect evil” and... She says “Abomination... who... who are you ? What are you ?”

But the man in the middle, who killed sir Tyrone with his axe, turned towards his men and ordered something. Then he removed his helmet and a human face, of a quite alluring blond man with blue eyes appeared. He had noble features and an arrogant air and said something that the spymaster traduced.*

>>5134384

-He speaks with an horrendous accent, I do not know if we shall kill everyone who speaks like that on sight or try to develop this accent in the Empire’s Capital to create a civil war... He says that he is called Chad Villeroa, and... He says... I am not sure but that she will be tried for witchcraft ? A paladin, it makes no sense.. He talks about an ordeal of water and order his men to throw her in the river to see if she floats like a duck ?!? Maybe it is his accent but what he says makes....

He stopped talking when two of the riders took the woman by the arms and she tried to fight against them and spoke.

-She curses them in the name of Edos and at least ten other divinities and she says that the Order of the Flame of Justice will avenge her death. And...

Everybody was shocked when she was thrown in the water of a muddy river and she was drowned. Like that... the chosen one... Drowned in a river of mud.

Everyone waited for the reaction of their master and for a moment the master was silent, before hitting his throne with his fist in a blow that echoed throughout the halls and saying.

-What is this nonsense ? We waited 2000 years for this moment ! I tried to kill the ancestors of this chosen one, unfortunately it backfired, but I managed to manipulate the creation of a paladin order that will accept peasant women in their ranks. I manipulate their teachings and the mage’s guild teachings to create weaknesses that I would exploit on a final confrontation... But we plan multiple assassinations and they all fail ! I even slaughtered her whole family damn it ! And some... some human with no pauldrons comes and kills her ! Ruining thousands of years of carefully laid plan for a final battle of good and evil were I will prevail and gloat about my victory before killing this wench ! I even wrote eighteen different versions of my victory speech ! Damn it !

Courtiers approved and said that it was scandalous. The executionner readied his axe to cut the head of the messenger who shivered. One of them, a duergar, was even saying.

-Great Squid-like overlord we shall maybe send assassins, or a cohort on this man. To avenge this offense ! He made all your loyal retainers pass for fools !

But the master was not impressed.

-No ! Sending troops or assassins is pointless. How much people do you sent against those three ? Hundreds ? Thousands ? You even sent dragons and an Archdemon ! And they all died ! And you think sending more against people who killed them effortlessly will solve the thing ? No... We need to be more clever, we will send a spy, to learn about this Chad Villeroa. Then I will break everything he loves and kill him while he begs me to do it ! Hah !

>>5134385

Sycophants approved but the master of the keep continued.

-But what is important here is not this. The important thing is that now hundreds of prophecies are proven wrong ! Hundreds of them are now dust ! And if it means that we need to change our plans, my loyal minions, it means too that hundreds of new opportunities will arise ! None of the fools of the mages guild or of my traitorous brethren who do not understand real evil and try to copy my genius know it yet ! We have weeks before they learn it ! And we can take all of them unaware ! All of them will cower in fear before B’beg the Terrible ! Mwahahahahaha !

When he laughed with his evil laugh all his retainers laughed too with their most evil laughs as the protocols called. We were here in the fortress of B’beg the Terrible and everybody was dedicated to a traditional school of world ending evil. And to be truely evil, you had to respect evil traditions. The messenger, happy that his master laughed, asked.

-Yes masteeeeer, we shall drink to your victory !

But the master looked at him and remembered that thousands of years of plans have been lost and said.

-No, I will drink, you go getting whipped !

Well it was better than death at least.

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>>5134387

BACK TO US :

You talked about threats with captain Crumbling and you frowned when he talked about the biggest threats to the world.

-So there is really people who tell openly that they are evil ? And they have armies ? I mean some degenerates even in France try to worship the devil in sabbats and are joined by witches but let’s be serious. Common folk know that evil is a danger. Even heretics, even saracens pretend that they are good.

The captain answers.

-Well, it is like this, they want to end the world. But they have not been seen since years ago and they are confined to border regions far away from here. There is the northern barbarians too, they are closer but our duchy was invaded last time when I was a young boy, and now our border forts are stronger.

You then asked, less philosophically.

-And about our region. I mean, probably the Ghibellines were not the only threat in our part of the land.

The man frowned and answered.

-Some bandits try to hide in the plains on the north or the east. But they were not as active as the goblins. They are more like runaway criminals and they try to survive more than to loot. Sometimes we hanged some of them but it was nothing.
There is forest beasts too, some of them can be dangerous, but they attack very rarely, they are more a threat to woodsmen and hunters even if seven years ago an isolated homestead was destroyed by an angry owlbear. Lord Random hunted him down.

You did not knew what he meant, owls and bears were collaborating ? Like in a fairy tale ? Strange... but you nodded. And he continued.

-There can be some things too in the hills of Nesse in the east, but it is not our territory even if some strange things can crawl from here.

It is then that you realise that if you asked about threats and lords you never managed to talk properly about the geography of your lands. Maybe it was the time. But other topics were interesting to explore.

>Ask about how owls and bears can communicate between themselves.
>Ask about ancient wars.
>Ask about the barbarians from the north.
>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire.
>Ask about the geography of your demesne.
>Ask another question to Crumbling (write in)

Please choose 2 topics.

>>5134389
>Ask about ancient wars.
>Ask about the barbarians from the north.
>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire.
>Ask about the geography of your demesne.

>>5134389
>Ask about the barbarians from the north.
>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire.

Didn't the merchant's daughter get three votes first?

>>5134437
Choose two anon.

>>5134637

A man with the same ID voted two times for the daughter so she had only two votes.

>>5134437

Yes choose two please.

>>5134376
>Being so stupid as to weaken your foundation by having massive subterranean complexes underneath your fuckhueg fortress

Whoever this is is not a smart person.

>>5134378
lmao, was that witch we drowned the fuckin' Chosen One?

>>5134381
Crystal balls...you mean cell phones?

lmao it is the saracen, the witch, and the guy who I forgot all the details about.

>>5134384
pauldron autism

egads these people must love being blind.

>>5134385
Our accent is horrible? wtf? These people must be English, truly the nemesis of glorious France!

>>5134389
>Ask about the geography of your demesne.
>Ask about how owls and bears can communicate between themselves.

>>5134389
>>Ask about the barbarians from the north
>>Ask about the geography of your demesne.

>>5134389
>Ask about the barbarians from the north.
>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire.

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>>5134437
>>5134637
>>5134642

Of course, you can have cool fantasy aesthetics or stable foundations, not both. But to his defence I imagine the Underground complex to be in a mountain while most of the fortress is on it's side. So maybe not everything is weakened.

Yes, you drowned the Chosen One, I laughed a lot when it was one of the first thing you did on the first quest and I understood then the high powerlevel of the players of this quest.

And about our accent I imagine it sounding like a bretonnian knight in TW Warhammer, an horrible cliché of a French accent.

>>5135064
>>5135018

Since we have 3 votes for the barbarians and 2 for geography or evil people I will post the barbarians now and let you choose between the two in a new vote.

====

You asked Crumbling, who, after all fought a barbarian invasion in his youth.

-Tell me more about these barbarians, who are they ?

The man answers in a neutral voice.

-Barbarians are a wild people, they are savage. Once it was said that all the world was ruled by them. Or all mankind at least, but as some tribes began to civilise and create a more complex society they were pushed back or absorbed. It was done in wars or peacefully.
But the tribes of the north were a particular bunch. They lived here you know, and even south of there, well, all our kingdom was barbarian lands two thousand years ago. There is still barbarian tombs here, tumuluses. Barbarians believe that magic should not rule the world and that raw might should rule. Their warchiefs despise magic and hunted down elves and other magical races. When our kingdom

That seemed pretty reasonable to you. “You shall not let the sorceress live” said the Bible, well at least what you remembered your priest told you, you could not read. These chaps seemed primitive, but wise. You asked.

-And how were they pushed back ?

>>5136094

-Well, some local tribes accepted magic and formed the kingdom of Bifuria, where we live. They were still clanic societies though, feudalism came when the anti-magic barbarians managed to practically win the war and Bifuria called the Empire for help. It became the eighth kingdom to join the empire. Together with the elves and the imperials Bifurians pushed back the barbarians to the mountains of the north.
But the barbarians did more and more raids against us. They grew strong in the mountains and managed to take back some of the lands to our north, one half of the Northern March, just north of here. But Emperor Innocent Genocide assembled his armies and helped us, he sent his troops to the mountains and after 20 years of grueling wars, that were 200 years ago, we finally pushed them back from the mountains. Now they are all controlled by our men and dwarves. We built forts in these passes and called them the Impassable passes.
But barbarians still live in the Tundra north of the mountains, and sometimes they manage to destroy the border forts that guard the mountain passes. Emperor Bumbling Incompetent tried to push them back from the Tundra following the advice of our queen but was defeated one hundred years ago.
Then, more than fifty years ago barbarians allied themselves with trolls and orcs and managed to pass by force our impassable passes. They smashed through the land, destroyed the Northern march and attacked even our castle. I already told you that I had to hide the young lord random and that I was a boy of fifteen at that time... It was terrible. Thousands of warriors clad in fur and accompanied by mighty beasts and orcs and trolls and even some ogres. They destroyed everything... Only the walls remained. They needed two days to figure out how to build ladders against our walls but we had only twenty men as garrison against these hordes. Lord Basic, father of Lord Random was killed that day and he ordered me to hide his son.

Well they seemed more powerful than you thought. You asked.

-Have they a chance to cross the passes a new time ?

-Well, all the defences were reinforced, the Fighter’s guild, the Mages guild and imperial troops guard this place in plus of Bifurian troops but we never know. Barbarians are numerous and strong and they can sometimes unite under a strong leader.
We try to send adventurers to kill their chieftains to prevent that and we send some raids to their border. But sometimes small groups of barbarians manage to cross the mountains by forgotten passes and to attack the northern march. They are rarely more than twenty or fifty people but their raids are dangerous. Fortunately since the death of their chief in the last invasion barbarians are not united

You nodded and asked, quite curious to know more while your horse continued to advance slowly.

-And how were they defeated ?

>>5136096

-Well, the battle took place in our duchy, the duchy of Nowhere. The duke assembled his armies and was joined by the armies of the Queen and even some imperial troops from the capital. And even if the barbarians were more numerous the strength of our magic and our heavy cavalry prevailed.

Yes, footmen are no match against true heavy horsemen. But magic, well, if the locals relied this much on magic no wonder that the Mages Guild was so powerful. You asked a last question.

-And those barbarians, do they pray to many gods like your kin ?

-Yes, they pray to the same gods as us. Even if they are closer to Charral, god of battle and butchery.

You nodded, well, this idol worshippers needed a good crusade to remind them about Christ, but now you had other problems.

What else do you ask before arriving at Local ?

>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire.
>Ask about the geography of your demesne.

>>5136098
>>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire

>>5136098
>>Ask about the geography of your demesne.

Well at least the barbarians hate magic

>>5136098
>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire.

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Please tell me that the evil tyrant B'beg the Terrible is not a follower of pic related (please, please, for all that is sacred, please not this...)

>Ask about these evil people at the borders of the Empire.

>>5136094
Seems to have cut off after "When our kingdom-" near the end.

>>5136098
>Ask about the geography of your demesne.

This is more immediately relevant to the prosperity of our realm, for now.

>>5136098
>Ask about the geography of your demesne.

>>5136098
>>Ask about the geography of your demesne.

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>>5136121
>>5136191
>>5136199
>>5136211

Fear his plan, in one thousand years he will have al mank watching crystal balls all day and not be able to take up arms against him !

>>5136230
>>5136386

Oh, yes, sorry, the complete sentence is "When our Kingdom was under their domination they buried their dead nearby."

>>5136677
>>5136749

Before you are into the castle you ask to the Guard Captain.

-I need to know the geography of my demesne. It is primordial for it’s security. I know about the villages, Local, Nearby, Otherone and Forgotten and that there is a forest on the south but tell me more. I know too about the river, the Queste that goes through it and I know that Nearby and Local are on it. But I do not know where are our borders.

-Well, yes, my friend Oldfossil told you well. Everything here is flat, and about the borders your lordship has well defined borders in the west and ill defined borders on the other directions.

You see to the south lies the Forest of Gump, and it full of Goblins, monsters and creatures and it is not inhabited nor crossed by roads. Our only settlement in the forest is Forgotten and it was forgotten about for a long time.
Lord Random sent adventurers to explore it but it appears that it has no traces of civilisation. The only way to cross it is to navigate upstream on the Queste and in two days you will end on the Billy Hills that are claimed by the Lord of the Billy Hills, a vassal of the Baron of the Red Neck and of our Count, Careless.
There is a small nameless river that forms the lake that is near Forgotten too but it ends in the forest and so it is not useful for trade.
And if you choose to cross the forest, well look at that elven caravan, and wood elves are the best to navigate this kind of landscape.

You nodded and asked.

-And about the other directions.

>>5137049

-Well to the north and the east you have no roads because this region is called the Cairns. It is a plain where barbarians once buried their dead. But all the tombs have been plundered by adventurers a long time ago and purged of necromancers. But it is a bad land. It has no major rivers or water sources and it makes bad farmland. Some pastoral communities tried to form here, nomadic people who travelled the cairns, but they were all settled forcibly by the father of Lord Basic, father of Lord Random and other nearby lords because they wanted them to be easier to tax. We needed to kill a quarter of them in this occasion. Then with the barbarian invasion they got all killed by barbarians who did not wanted them to settle their lands. We still have some pastoral activity in the village and on nearby homesteads. Our easternmost resident is a centaur, the only one of our seigneury, he breeds sheep. He is a nice person.
If you go from Otherone to the east on foot for five days you will find the village of Lostway in the Duchy of Thraefain, it is ruled by the Lost Lord. There is some bandits and criminals on the run that hide in this plain, away from all authority.
And the plain of the Cairns continue to the north. Here we technically can go to the North March if we march from our northernmost hamlet towards it for three days, but there is no roads, all the roads are to the west.
But there is some people living here in the cairns, no villages but maybe three or four families living near the borders, and there is a kind of old man who does healing magic too and lives near the dead. We hesitate to tax those that are more than a day on horse from our village of Local because if we begin to claim this land some Lord of the North March will want to wage war. But they do not tax them either because well, it is ridiculous to start a war over 20 peasants.

You disagreed, even with twenty peasants you could expand your territory. So you asked.

-What lord rules this land up north ?

-It is the Lord Bastian of Y , he rules from the Y keep, called thus because it is built like a Y if we look at it from the sky. And he is sworn directly to the Marquess of the North March.

Interesting, only the west remained and it was time to ask.

>>5137050

And the West, I suppose it is here that we have a border with our liege lord ! And with the Hostil Lord.

-Precisely. The border with the Hostil Lord is South of the Queste the border is with Baron Crook our liege lord and north of there it is a border with lord Hostil. He wants some of our fertile plains because his part of the plains is not very rich he says that the hamlet of Disputed is in his rightful lands but we are stronger so he can't act on his claims.
The baronial hills are richer, there is some stone quarry here and they make good stones. And a watchtower to keep the kobolds of the hills from coming. They are not numerous, nor evolved enough to be in league with the Kobold slavers of the underworld but they can be a small threat like the Ghibellines. Oh, and sometimes a Hill Troll tries to steal some animals to eat but most of this is in baronial lands.
With lord Hostil there is no monsters on the border, it is mostly plains and the line of the border was decided by ancestors of Baron Crook 200 years ago, but it seems that we have not the same copies of the original documents proving where it is because they claim some of our land.

It seemed that your lands were as flat as your dear Champagne but not as rich. But it was a good beginning. Now you knew what your borders were and where your subjects lived. But you asked.

-Is there any more important hamlets like Disputed ?

The man raised his shoulders.

-Well, disputed is maybe 25 inhabitants, but there is a dwarven community of probably 30 inhabitants on the queste road, they make the beer that you like so much my Lord. And then there is maybe twenty people at Rabit, a small hamlet populated only by the Rabit family, we say that they breed like Rabits. They have farms in the east and the hamlet is between Otherone and Local. Then there is 40 people in Cresus Farms, a rich land where the richest peasant of our seigneury has lands. Everyone works for him there and he pays us good taxes each year. He lives on the road to the Baronial Lands.

You wanted to ask more but you had already arrived in your courtyard when you finished to talk with the captain and you had a nice Guelph lady to impress. You looked at her red hair and her blue eyes and the inhuman grace of her movements. It was time for dinner. What do you order.

>Order to prepare a feast for the men and bring a minstrel if there is one in the village
>Order to prepare a good dinner
>Order to prepare a good dinner and fetch a minstrel if there is one in the village
>After ordering talk to Oldfossil about your victory

>>5137053
>Order to prepare a feast for the men and bring a minstrel if there is one in the village
>After ordering talk to Oldfossil about your victory

>>5137053
Hmm, what are our food stores looking like? I want to know how much this will cost us or if we need to worry about reserves for winter or running out of food before the harvest comes in.

For now I'll vote...
>Order to prepare a good dinner and fetch a minstrel if there is one in the village
>After ordering talk to Oldfossil about your victory

>>5137053
>>Order to prepare a good dinner and fetch a minstrel if there is one in the village
>>After ordering talk to Oldfossil about your victory

>>5137053
>>Order to prepare a good dinner and fetch a minstrel if there is one in the village
>>After ordering talk to the Guelph Lady

>>5137053
>Order to prepare a feast for the men and bring a minstrel if there is one in the village
>After ordering talk to the Guelph Lady

>>5137192
>>5137200
Was the Guelph Lady an option?

>>5134375
We must make decision.

I said that because hour advances and in this assembly women really talk too much.

Finally caught up. This quest has the perfect mix of retardation, realism, and fantasy.

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>>5137093
>>5137102
>>5137145

Added your option to ask good sir, you are a wise bannerman indeed.

>>5137228

No. But I put it in the next choice.

>>5137460

In truth, it would be madness to let a daughter ascend the throne! Do you see lady or damsel commanding armies, impure every month, fat every year? And stand up to the vassals, when she is not able to silence the heat of their nature?
No, I don't see that, and I tell you, France is too noble a kingdom to fall into a distaff and be handed over to a female.
Lilies don't spin!

>>5137788

Thank you dear sir, you are wise indeed, retardation is the hardest part. I am but an apprentice walking the path towards full retardation.
But happy to see you.

>>5137192
>>5137200

You dismount and begin to order the servants while one of them takes your horse.

-I want a good dinner ready for us, and good wine from our cellars. Oh, and I want a minstrel, if there is one in the village, to play us some songs.

You added after this.

-And give some meat and a good portion of mead and beer to the men, they deserve it.

No need to do a huge feast, eating well and remembering the battle will suffice. You ordered another servant, a cagot with hairy feet to fetch you Oldfossil, you needed to talk to the councillor about everything. He was a wise man and you trusted him.
Once he came, walking slowly, he looked worried and he began to talk.

-My Lord ! I heard some rumors from the servants. It is said that you killed a troll in single combat ! And we lost some men... But congratulations for your victory... And... Oh... You seem to have taken the shaman prisoner.

You nod, answering to him.

-Yes, the Turtle was killed, I never saw this beast before but even turtles from India must bow before my sword and my axe. Well, and we lost three men, we will need to replace them. I will pay a share of the loot to their families of course. And about Schamann, he seems to have the spirit of Conradin inside of him.

He looks at you strangely.

-Conrad what ?

-Conradin von Hohenstaufen, a dead king of Sicily, even if he was a German and a Ghibelline candidate for this throne. I do not know how he ended up here but I prefer to keep the Ghibelline in my dungeons, I will not kill a Christian Monarch, even if he is in a malformed small green body.

The man looks at you, worried and mumbles for himself.

-A King from your... By the gods, it is worse than I thought...

What do you say.

>>5137846

>We will rest tomorrow but after tomorrow Brother Louis will be sent to negociate a loan in Podunk, prepare his palfrey and some provisions for a small escort.
>I will send Brother Louis tomorrow to negotiate a loan, prepare his palfreys and some provisions for a small escort.
>The Guelph merchant gave me a falchion, it seems to be made of a strange metal, is it as good as the weapon made of Nobrainor found in the temple ?
>Worse than you thought ? What do you mean ?
>The Ghibellines looked like knights and you said that they do not do this, apparently they parodied the dead like you said they do and this dead person that guided them was Conradin.
>How was the keep during my absence ?
>About our food stores, I know that all the Korne, Pautatoes and Tobako have disappeared and we gave some food to the villages but what are our stocks ? Do we have enough to hold until the harvest comes ?
>Tell me Oldfossil, you are an experienced man, what do this kind of Guelph ladies like the merchant’s daughter like ? Are women in India just like in the Christendom ?
>Farewell, I will see our new guests (go to the merchant’s daughter)
>Other (write in)

>>5137849
>We will rest tomorrow but after tomorrow Brother Louis will be sent to negociate a loan in Podunk, prepare his palfrey and some provisions for a small escort.
>The Guelph merchant gave me a falchion, it seems to be made of a strange metal, is it as good as the weapon made of Nobrainor found in the temple ?
>Worse than you thought ? What do you mean ?
Most important of all
>Tell me Oldfossil, you are an experienced man, what do this kind of Guelph ladies like the merchant’s daughter like ? Are women in India just like in the Christendom ?

>>5137852
+1

>>5137846
To be fair, better a spinster than a heathen.

>>5137849
>We will rest tomorrow but after tomorrow Brother Louis will be sent to negociate a loan in Podunk, prepare his palfrey and some provisions for a small escort.
>The Guelph merchant gave me a falchion, it seems to be made of a strange metal, is it as good as the weapon made of Nobrainor found in the temple ?
>The Ghibellines looked like knights and you said that they do not do this, apparently they parodied the dead like you said they do and this dead person that guided them was Conradin.
^to answer Oldfossil

>About our food stores, I know that all the Korne, Pautatoes and Tobako have disappeared and we gave some food to the villages but what are our stocks ? Do we have enough to hold until the harvest comes ?

Sorry for choosing so many option QM, but when they are all answers to Oldfossil or questions or useful instructions to Oldfossil then I kinda have to choose them all.

>>5137891
Support

>>5137849
>Worse than you thought? What do you mean?
>The Ghibellines looked like knights and you said that they do not do this, apparently they parodied the dead like you said they do and this dead person that guided them was Conradin
>How was the keep during my absence?

>>5137852
supporting

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>>5137852
>>5137854
>>5137891

No problem about the fact of choosing many options. And about Salic Law I simply answered to the gigachad >>5137460 who quoted Gaucher de Châtillon, Constable of France under 6 successive kings and most excellent servant of the realm (who figures in pic related in my previous answer) so I answered with another quote of this great man.

>>5137915
>>5137932
>>5138044

You tell the man directly.

-We will rest tomorrow but after tomorrow Brother Louis will be sent to negociate a loan in Podunk, prepare his palfrey and some provisions for a small escort.

The man agreed immediately, happy to not be caught on the last subject and said.

-It will be done my lord. I will order the servants to prepare it. I think that four guards will be enough to go with him. After all we will need some warriors to protect the gold on the way back to our lands.

You nod, four guards seemed reasonable enough. But you continue directly by asking a man that carried this falchion.

-The Guelph merchant gave me a falchion, it seems to be made of a strange metal, is it as good as the weapon made of Nobrainor found in the temple ?

The man asked.

-May I...

You gave him the sword, after all he will need to take a closer look at it. He looked at it and said, impressed.

-It is made of Starsilver, a metal that only the elves know how to make, and maybe the dwarves but they say that it is a second rate metal. It never loses it’s sharpness and it is lighter than steel.

Well, it was lighter than steel yes, but a falchion was not very impressive.

-Well, it remains a Falchion, what use it is against armor ? It can only be useful against unarmored peasants !

To prove it you removed your helmet and hit it with your falchion. It made a very funny sound, like a music. The man wanted to defend the sword and said.

-Well, the elves do not use a lot of armor, especially wood elves.

Then you saw lots of people looking at you after hearing the sound of the blade on your helmet. The Guelph merchant looked at you, surprised and said.

-My...my Lord... you do not like our gift your lordship ? You want to break it ?

You looked at him, strangely.

-Break it ? Of course not ! It is a beautiful blade, why would I want to break it ?

-Well... You just hit it against a steel helmet.

-Yes, it is what blades are made for.

>>5140036

Toplexil the merchant seemed to be scandalised by this idea. He said.

-But, steel is stronger than Starsilver, if you hit steel too strongly you can break it ! You have to hit unarmored parts of the enemy to kill him...

You look at him. Was he serious ? How does he wanted to wage war like this ?

-And if people wear armor ? And what use is a sword if you can’t touch armor with it ?

The Guelph seemed to not even understand your question but one of the short Scotsmen in your ranks, it was Florin, laughed and said «well said». The merchant, after a moment, said in an unsure tone.

-Well you don’t ? You are supposed to hit flesh and armor. Silverstar is light and you can hit quickly with it before a man with steel armor can react. You can for exemple hit him in the visor of his helmet !

You laughed ! To seriously thrust and cut through the visor of an helmet against an armoured target who tried to kill you was laughable. These Italians were ready to say anything to sell their crap. But the sword was pretty at least.

-You make me laugh merchant ! You can not hit someone in the visor in a fight, you can do it only if you pin him down and thrust your dagger into it.

-Well, elven swordmasters and bladedancers can do it ! They are the best warriors in the world, perfecting their craft all their lives ! They can kill tens of armoured humans ! They even trained some humans in their arts.

You laugh, and answer.

-We are not in a ballroom, in battle only armor and strength count. Even if you need to be a good fencer armor will always beat agility.

Your men agreed, only the Guelph disagreed but seeing his daughter frowning you said quickly.

-But it is a beautiful sword, I will keep it. Do not worry about this.

Florin the Scotsman added to his friend Orin.

-Hah ! Our lord knows not to trust knife-eared rubbish ! Truly he is a wise human.

>>5140040

You then added after everyone was gone in other parts of the castle.

-Dear Oldfossil, you said that it was worse than you thought. What did you meant by it ?

He seemed afraid that you asked the question but answered.

-Well, my Lord, I fear that the magic that transported you here has done more than to transport you and your men. If old ghosts and spirits of dead kings from your lands came here it means that it can transport more.. Imagine if it carries diseases, or bad people, or worse and... Our two worlds can maybe even come to fusion with catastrophic consequences...

You then thought a moment about it, a curious doubt invading your mind.

-Our two worlds ? What do you mean ? We are on the same place, only in distant lands... There is only one world and it was created by God.

He looked worried but answered.

-Y... Yes... I suppose so my lord. But I meant, our two peoples, and even then some diseases or people may be here but not in your land or not be here but be un your land. If more things were transported it may have consequences....

You answer to him, beginning to understand.


-The Ghibellines looked like knights and you said that they do not do this, apparently they parodied the dead like you said they do and this dead person that guided them was Conradin. I first thought that it was stupid because Ghibellines in Italy can be knights or men at arms but when you talk about it...

-Yes, my Lord. You begin to understand, some threats may be aggravated by the arrival of things from your land ! Here it took a dead king that changed primitive Goblins into a better fighting force. I mean... Strange things can happen. And the corn, potatoes and tomatoes, does it grow in your land ?

-No, I never heard of them Oldfossil...

-Then maybe they died because they do not exist in your land and the transportation of yourself and your men transported some features of your land too... Ah... We need a mage to better understand this... I can only emit theories about a subject that I do not know.

Well, it was disturbing, so this country was becoming more like France ? They should be glad ! But at the same time it was not very probable.

-Transportation that makes growth stop ? It’s absurd... And we do not need mages. If your theory is correct we will se no other effects in the coming days because the transportation has ended. I am here now and I can not return without a long trip to France. So we will see, maybe it’s another thing.

He nodded and asked to you.

-My Lord, may I ask a question ?

-Yes of course.

-Is there a lot of mud in your land ? And... Is there some hunchbacked people, and do peasants have a lot of diseases ?

You answered quickly.

>>5140044

You answered quickly.

-Well it is less muddy than England for sure. Maybe more than Italy were Guelphs and Ghibellines wage war. And definitely less than Flanders, this land full of traitorous burghers. And about peasants they mostly look just like here, yours are richer maybe... And yes yours seem a bit less sick.

He nodded his head and you changed the subject.

-About our food stores, we talked about Korne, Pautatoes and Tobako and even Taumatoes that have disappeared and we gave some food to the villages but what are our stocks ? Do we have enough to hold until the harvest comes ?

He seemed to reflect a bit on the question and said.

-Yes, yes, if we are careful we will hold until the harvest that comes in two months and even if it is not a full harvest it will be enough to pass winter. Maybe there will be food shortages. We will need to buy some food.

Well, nothing too dramatic then. But you had a last question, the most important question to be honest, you said to your councillor in a low tone.

-Tell me Oldfossil, you are an experienced man, what do this kind of Guelph ladies like the merchant’s daughter like ? Are women in India just like in the Christendom ?

The councillor smiled and said in a sympathetic tone.

-Well, elf ladies are sophisticated, but wood elves like her less than Light or Dark elves. They normally like poetry and nature, and probably travels since she is a merchants daughter. But know that elves... Do not think like us, they live longer than us, seeing that he has white hair and looks like he is 35 years old the father is probably around 1000 or 1200 years old while the daughter must be 300 years since she looks like that she is 20. What do you think ?

You looked at him, and waited a bit, was this a kind of joke ? You looked at him waiting to see if he laughed but he simply looked at you like if he said something insulting. He seemed to fear your reaction and so you simply said.

-I.. I am sorry, what did you say about her age dear Oldfossil.

-Do not ask her her age my Lord ! It is a lady and...

-I know this Oldfossil but you talked about 300 years...

-Well, but my lord, you always talk about Elves, even if you put a "G" before it, and you say that you know light and dark elves, then I thought that you knew... Well, that they cannot die of old age !

You looked at him in disbelief, what sorcery was this ? And you asked.

-Not die of old age ? What blasphemy is this ?

-Well... You did not knew it...

-Guelphs are a political faction defending the pope and the Welf dynasty in Germany and Italy, while Ghibelline are the same but they support the Emperor. I never saw an Italian living 300 years, do they use sorcery for this. And White and Black Guelphs are different factions inside the Guelph movement that formed after their war against the Ghibellines.

>>5140047

He opened his eyes in understanding and said a long "aaaaaah"... Then he answered.

-No... Not sorcery, even if they are magical by nature but they simply live longer than us... But... I do not know my lord if we must have this conversation now, dinner will be served already. It will be better to talk tommorow.

You are in an internal conflict and a lot of doubts attack your mind. Contradictory thoughts race across your head. What do you say or decide ?

>You are right Oldfossil, you will talk about it later...
>No, we need to talk about this Guelphs today and now.
>This 300 years woman is clearly a witch if she is magical by nature and you invited her in your castle, just like her father. They tricked you, and they probably celebrate Sabbats with the blood of young virgins to live longer. You must arrest them and burn them alive.
>Maybe some Indian tribe can live longer... And they are called Guelphs... After all some places are named with the same names but are located in different provinces. But you will not touch a 300 years old woman, it is creepy.
>300 years old... Well, you knew a burgher in Amiens called Macron who married a woman that was twice his age. This Guelph lady looks too beautiful to pass by.
>Other (write in)

>>5140050
>No, we need to talk about this Guelphs today and now.
Better to rip the bandaid out early.

>>5140050
>>No, we need to talk about this Guelphs today and now.

>>5140050
>>This 300 years woman is clearly a witch if she is magical by nature and you invited her in your castle, just like her father. They tricked you, and they probably celebrate Sabbats with the blood of young virgins to live longer. You must arrest them and burn them alive.

>>5140050
>This 300 years woman is clearly a witch if she is magical by nature and you invited her in your castle, just like her father. They tricked you, and they probably celebrate Sabbats with the blood of young virgins to live longer. You must arrest them and burn them alive.
WITCHCRAFT WITCHCRAFT BURN THEM ALL

>>5140050
>Maybe some Indian tribes can live longer

Men lived to great ages in Biblical times, and we have by now seen and heard of stranger folk than this in India.

>>5140050
>No, we need to talk about this Guelphs today and now.
>300 years old... Well, you knew a burgher in Amiens called Macron who married a woman that was twice his age. This Guelph lady looks too beautiful to pass by.

>>5140309
I support this, too. Hit on her anyway.

>>5140050

>>5140050
>>5140090
Adding
>300 years old... Well, you knew a burgher in Amiens called Macron who married a woman that was twice his age. This Guelph lady looks too beautiful to pass by.

>>5140050
>>You are right Oldfossil, you will talk about it later

You spazzes aren't talking about marrying the elf are you?

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>>5140537
hhehehhehehehehehe

>>5140050
>Maybe some Indian tribe can live longer... And they are called Guelphs... After all some places are named with the same names but are located in different provinces.
>300 years old... Well, you knew a burgher in Amiens called Macron who married a woman that was twice his age. This Guelph lady looks too beautiful to pass by.

Fun quest OP. I enjoy the history.

>>5140050
Hmm...I don't think making an enemy of the Guelphs is wise going forward, we must try and stay true, yes, but there are practical matters to consider. If the Guelphs are prominent in this area then it'd be foolish to make an enemy out of them by so openly making clear our intentions. Declaring all unnaturally long lived creatures witches is certainly bound to get around and bring consequences down upon us. Then again...if they are so foolish as to use fragile weapons that break upon hitting armour and think they can fight like fencers on a battlefield perhaps there is nothing to fear from them.

I also think that...
>>5140303
...is a good rationalization. So that is what I will vote to support.

That being said, I'd personally rather not consort with a possible 300 year old witch, or any of the unnaturally long lived Guelphs from now on, at least not sexually. There are plenty of beautiful fish in the sea. Though us getting together with an elf and then our aura causing her to age normally and us ending up with Aragorn and Arwen sort-of situation would be funny.

Pragmatics aside, while I will vote with the intent not do anything I think of as potentially too stupid regardless of the rewards in piety, I am ultimately okay if I don't get the vote I want and people end up burning her. It certainly fits with us so far.

>>5140538
BURN THE HERETIC

I cannot answer today, I will try to do it tomorrow but if I count well we have :

3 votes to continue to speak about Guelphs.
1 vote against it.

And about the lady

3 votes to sleep with her
1 to not do it but not burn her.
2 votes to burn the Guelphs.

Am I correct ?

>>5141261
4 about Guelphs
6 about 300 years old fuck.
2 about indians

>>5140303
I like this interpretation, so have my +1!

>>5140050

>300 years old... Well, you knew a burgher in Amiens called Macron who married a woman that was twice his age. This Guelph lady looks too beautiful to pass by.
>This 300 years woman is clearly a witch if she is magical by nature and you invited her in your castle, just like her father. They tricked you, and they probably celebrate Sabbats with the blood of young virgins to live longer. You must arrest them and burn them alive.

Sleep with Guelph lady then burn her to atone for our sins. That’s totally how it works right?

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>>5140052
>>5140090
>>5140100
>>5140254
>>5140303

You are a wise and well read man good sir. I will use your suggestion, but it will come from Brother Louis, not our illiterate character.

>>5140309
>>5140312
>>5140341
>>5140537

Marrying a commoner ? By Saint Denis... It's awful..

>>5140538

Honhonhonhonhon

>>5140562

Thank you very much my lord.

>>5140634

Of course, asking about Guelphs in a more political sense would be wise.

>>5140919
>>5141270

Thank you very much.

>>5142444

You sir are as vicious as Mahaut d'Artois.

>>5142226

No more delaying tactics. You said in a stern tone to your councillor that there was no time for this.

-No, we need to talk about this Guelphs today and now.

The man surrendered, he simply said.

-My Lord... Of course... What are your questions.

-You say that they are magical by nature. And that they live longer, what kind of human beings are they ?

-They are not.

You looked at him, strangely.

-What ?

-Well, they are not human, the elves are not the same species as us.

You answered, confused.

-What are they ? Animals ? Do they have an animal soul then.

Yes, animals had souls, it is why we judged them on trials and that priests excommunicated mice and other vermin before authorising the people to kill them all. But were this elves some kind of animals ? The councillor laughed a bit at your suggestion.

-Animals, no... No... You do not have other intelligent species besides humans in your world ?

You shook your head to tell him no. Well you heard about strange things but never saw them in France. Of course they were angels and demons and some people talked about fairies in the woods of britanny but they were magical or spiritual beings, not people of flesh and blood like us.

-It is strange then... It is very strange... Well, besides humans we have intelligent races here, Goblins, Orcs, Dwarves, Halflings, Tieflings...

But you were not an expert, you needed the opinion of brother Louis about it. Unlike you he knew how to read so it was probable that he could see, or remember, if in the Bible they talked about this kind of things. What was sure that you never heard about them, well only dwarves but as peasants suffering from it.

>>5143344

Now was the time to confirm your suspicions. You quickly told Oldfossil to continue assuming his duties and you joined Brother Louis who was in prayer in his new quarters. You prayed with him for a moment, after all you did it every evening and seeing the strangeness of your situation the help of God could be needed at any moment. Then you asked him.

-Brother Louis... Tell me... You are a well read man, do you think that someone can live 300 years ?

He seemed to think a bit then answered.

-Mmmmh, Noah lived 950 years and Moses 120, 300 is somewhere in between and I do not doubt that it can be possible in biblical times... But today... Well, once Adam and Eve left Eden because of the original sin people began to age and die of old age...

You thought... It was interesting... So this Guelphs looked like people before they left Eden, at least in their longevity. And this Guelph merchant was older than Noah at his death... what does this meant ? Was it because of sorcery or holiness ? They were heathens so probably sorcery but maybe they never heard of the Lord. It was an important theological debate. But maybe they were simple close to Eden ?

-Where was the garden of Eden dear Brother Louis ?

The man thought, he knew a bit of geography, and said.

-Well it is at the source of the Euphrates, so in Asia, to the east from the Holy Land...

Interesting, so you said.

-And we are to the east of the Saracen lands after the holy land. Aren’t we ?

He looked at you, surprised, and thought that you wanted to find the garden.

-Y... Yes of course... And... You want to try to locate it ? It... Would be glorious, we could bring back a holy relic from here...

You smiled and answered. But you were now certain that these Guelphs were long lived from Eden. Maybe they were another kind of long lived beast or being made to live longer by God to keep company to the men, and only foundable in the east. Or maybe they were demons such as their pointy ears, who can only be seen as a remnant of horns, or a malediction from the Lord because of their sins just like the Englishmen had small tails behind their backs according to some scholars because they sinned against God. You remember that you tried once to see if it was true and ordered some English prisoners to show their backs but an English counterattack came before your scientific curiosity could be satisfied.

-We will do it, once we will have secured our power base here. But tell me, have you heard about other intelligent races than men ?

The man clearly made a gesture of his head saying that no.

-Pagans talked about dwarves and other strange beings, and peasants believe in fairies and other things like that but they are superstition. I never saw them.

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>>5143345

Strange, very strange. They seemed to exist according to Oldfossil, but maybe the definitions of "human beings" are not the same in different regions. The inhabitants of Britanny being Celts, and thus superstitious and impressionable in nature, believed in fairies and other pagan legends. It is why you always supported the fact that only people of Frankish blood, or at least with some Frankish ancestry could be noblemen.

There were lots of contradictory theories about this guelphs, but what theories were needed when a beautiful woman was at stake. She was 300 years old, and looked like she had no illnesses like some ladies of small virtue that you met in some brothels of Paris but had the good idea to avoid. It meant that she had 300 years of experience in bed. Honhonhon. You wouldn’t want to marry a woman like this of course but sleeping with her was an experience that you would not want to miss. You will need to confess about it but flesh is weak....

You then decided to go see her and looked at the lady with interest. She was tall, perhaps as tall as you, thin and incredibly gracious. She has something inhuman in her beauty that made her even more appealing. She was not big breasted like a milkmaid but was no flat woman either, the fact that she was thin only added to her thin movements. Her blue eyes were alert and her hair was arranged in an elaborated hairdo that you hadn't seen before, it seemed to not have been arranged at all but was factually very carefully laid. Her skin was pale and she seemed to never blush adding a kind of regal air to her.

Only one question remained : how to approach the lady ? She was probably grieving that she lost all her travelling companions but grateful that we helped to save her and her father and took back their goods.

>Talk to her about the recent events
>Try to talk about poetry
>Try to talk about travels
>Let the woman talk and nod, adding some comments, women love to hear their own voices.
>Other (write in)

>>5143346
>Talk to her about the recent events
We killed a troll. Bragging rights are allowed.
>Try to talk about travels
She is the daughter of a merchant after all and we also traveled a bit in our time.

>>5143346
>Try to talk about poetry
>Try to talk about travels

Lets test the orthodox approach and see if she has the same fancies as most elf ladies.

>>5143346
>Try to talk about poetry
>Try to talk about travels

We can casually mention the troll, but maybe let's avoid bringing up the deaths of her friends/family when we're trying to get her in the mood.

>>5143346
>>Talk to her about the recent events
>>Try to talk about poetry
>>Try to talk about travels

>>5143421
Support

>>5143346
>Try to talk about poetry
>Try to talk about travels
>Let the woman talk and nod, adding some comments, women love to hear their own voices.

>>5143346
>Talk to her about the recent events
>Try to talk about travels
>Talk about her religious beliefs

We must weed the heresy out of her, by words or by flames

>>5143346
>Talk to her about the recent events
Just the troll part. But be sensible to her recent traumatic experience.
>Try to talk about poetry

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>>5143356
>>5143409
>>5143421
>>5143485
>>5143491
>>5143622
>>5143706
>>5143849

You decided to talk to her about travels, after all it is the best strategy. You thought about other subjects too but travelling was the activity you wanted to bring forth first. It had the double advantage to probably please her, because she was a travelling merchant after all, and to help you learn more about the geography of the realm. So you came to her, with the best air of self confidence that you knew and a small smile. You said politely to the woman, you knew that they liked when you talked to them politely.

-My lady, may I formally introduce myself ? After all we met each-other in less than fortunate circumstances.

She smiled a bit sadly, well she grieved her loss after all. And said.

-My lord, you are too kind. I am Praetzel, daughter of Toplexil, thank you my lord. And, thank you for saving us...

And you answered in a reassuring tone.

-And I am Charles de Villeroi, lord of Local. Oh, and it was nothing, protecting those who travel in my lands is my duty.

She bowed and before she could speak you told her.

-And, if I may ask, in what direction were you travelling ? I mean, the Forrest of Gump has no roads and is rarely taken by merchants.

She said with a small smile, a sad but polite smile.

-We hoped to cross it because we are people from the forest. We were coming from the south, from the lands of the Baron of Red Neck and before that from the Duchy of Nella, we were going to go to the north, to the Northmarch before winter comes to sell our goods to the army, they always need wool, cloth and elven charms and magical gems.

When you heard magical gems you recoiled and did the sign of the cross. Well, you knew that bohemians and other gipsies tried to sell this crap on your father's land but you were a pious man, and against it. It made her laugh, a pure laugh, a crystalline laugh, small and feminine, and even a bit naive.

-Hahaha, I... I am sorry my lord, it's simply that, you recoiled and did this sign with your hands. Like I said something awful... And what was this sign ? Was it old magic ? I do not know anything about it...

You shook your head negatively, it was blasphemous but she did not knew what she was talking about after all. You preferred to tell her the truth.

-No, no, it is a religious sign from my land, in France, and in the Christendom, it is made to ask the help of God.

You could always say that it was for her travels, to keep her safe, instead of protecting you against this gipsy magic. She was sweet and did not deserve to know everything after all. Her eyes glowed, she seemed curious.

-I never heard of this land, and I travelled for a long period of time. And you said... A God ? Like what god ? The god of North, South, East and West if I believe this sign...

You smiled.

-The God of this, and many more things, think of Him as a God of everything, the only God.

She looked worried.

>>5144108

-Humans with only one god.... You... You must come from afar.

-Yes, I have just arrived here from my Land.

You said, changing the subject. It was better than a theological discussion before knowing her. She then smiled truly happily and said.

-If I may ask you, my lord, can you me more about your land. I have travelled all my life and seen all the 16 kingdoms of our Empire and some foreign lands. It is very rare to meet someone who was in a place that is unknown for me. Tell me something about the lands that you crossed, and... I will tell you something too about those that I know.

She said it naturally, kindly, playfully ordering you. It was strange, but you met your lot of assured women in Paris too. You nodded, after all remembering home would be good. But what to say ?

(choose one option)

>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.
>Talk about Guyenne where you fought against the English in the vineyards and near old castles, talk about the fair Bordeaux and the great beaches of this region. Talk about the gascons, poor and not very clean but always ready to sing about love and to defend their honor.
>Talk about Champagne, your home province, about the magnificent Cathedral of Reims where the kings are crowned, the great vineyards and fields, the Minstrel Counts and the magnificent fairs where all the merchants of the west travel to sell their wares. Talk about Provins, the third city of France.
>Talk about Normandy, where the white cliffs fall into the sea, talk about Rouen, the second city of France, the city with blue roofs living under gothic bell towers, the city where we build galleys. Talk about the green meadows were cows pass and old monasteries.
>Talk about Flanders and it's many cities of craftsmen and weavers, about it's rains and it's houses of bricks and it's marvellous communal buildings and bell towers.
>Talk about the sun of Aragon and Catalonia where you waged war a long time ago against an excommunicated monarch. Talk about stone villages in the hills and the mountains and about the beauty of the Mediterranean sea. And all it's benefits.
>Talk about another place that you visited (Probably in France or nearby)

Oh and please roll 1d100 for intrigue

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>5144111
>>Talk about Champagne, your home province, about the magnificent Cathedral of Reims where the kings are crowned, the great vineyards and fields, the Minstrel Counts and the magnificent fairs where all the merchants of the west travel to sell their wares. Talk about Provins, the third city of France.
>Interrupt our story by occasionally ranting about ze English and Germans

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5144111

>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>5144111
>>Talk about Guyenne where you fought against the English in the vineyards and near old castles, talk about the fair Bordeaux and the great beaches of this region. Talk about the gascons, poor and not very clean but always ready to sing about love and to defend their honor.

>>5144111
>>Talk about Champagne, your home province, about the magnificent Cathedral of Reims where the kings are crowned, the great vineyards and fields, the Minstrel Counts and the magnificent fairs where all the merchants of the west travel to sell their wares.

>>5144111
>>Talk about Flanders and it's many cities of craftsmen and weavers, about it's rains and it's houses of bricks and it's marvellous communal buildings and bell towers.

QM, what year was it in our world when we were dropped into this world?

>>5144444
4 quints. Checked

>>5144111
>Talk about Champagne, your home province, about the magnificent Cathedral of Reims where the kings are crowned, the great vineyards and fields, the Minstrel Counts and the magnificent fairs where all the merchants of the west travel to sell their wares. Talk about Provins, the third city of France.

I didn't know the gascons were poor, I thought that region was wealthy.

File: unfortunately this occurr(...).png (824 KB, 522x725)

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talk to her about The Last Duel you witnessed, a noble grande chanson courtoise you witnessed sung by the trouveres of D'iver City that was not very popular and ignored by most who heard it. You heard this chanson from the famous French trouvere Ridley Scott. It tells the tale of Jean de Carrouges who fought for the honour of his wife Marguerite after she was seduced and ravished by the squire Jacques Le Gris. Both de Carrouges et Le Gris are from the lands of Red Neck. Had de Carrouges been vanquished at this duel his wife would have been burned at the stake for false accusation and witchcraft. After sitting through several hours of this chanson of D'iver City you eventually got to the battle and fighting part which was quite good but maybe not worth it in the end.

>>5144444
>>5144862
From the last thread QM said it was before Courtrai:

>Jacques de Châtillon was at Bruges, and we are from late XIIIth century so Courtrai has not happened yet.
>For the sake of precision we will say that our character has fought during the Battle of Furnes (1297) with Charles de Valois and we were fighting in Guyenne before that in 1296 with Gaucher de Châtillon.

>>5144872
We miss the best parts of Robert and Mahaut’s intrigues then.

Writing, it will be Champagne then.

>>5144777

It is relative, the court was wealthy just like merchants of Bordeaux but in documents for French travelers like the guide of the pilgrims of Saint Jacques de Compostelle written in the XIIth century the minor nobility appears to be very poor compared to northern France. Then the Englishmen say that it is quite wealthy but let's be honest, when there is sun and good wine everything will appear rich to the englishmen.

>>5144862

I laughed a lot. Thank you good sir.

>>5144444

Checked and it's from 1299.

>>5144872

And yes we are from 1299.

>>5144891

Yes, Robert's dad is not dead yet. But I preferred our character to be from late XIIIth century rather than 1315 (period of the book) because the XIVth century, in France at least, was very centralising and if the character was young it was probable that he would not remember the freedom that the local lords enjoyed. Plus the Templar companion would have been unavailable. I preferred XIIIth century for this adventure.
After all at the initial vote the character could have been a German and I could have used the plotline of Conradin the Goblin to have you put a Goblin Emperor on the throne. And if the character was an Englishman we would be living under the reign of Edward Longshanks, well, our character lives in his time but it would have been with an Anglo-Norman point of view.
Then there is the factor that I did not wanted to give plate armor directly to our lads and other intrigues that I do not want to spoil yet.

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>>5144124
>>5144130
>>5144142
>>5144180
>>5144444
>>5144495
>>5144777
>>5144862
>>5144891

You decided to talk to her about Champagne and began to talk about your homeland, you felt a bit homesick and it was good to describe it to someone. Your voice was charged with a bit of nostalgy.

-Mmmmh.. Let's begin from where I was born, in the plains of Champagne where the wheat grows and were abbeys make fine wines. It is a land of chivalry and knighthood and the best knights of the realm come from our land. To the north the deep and dark forest of the Ardennes protect us from the Imperials, well, not your empire but the germans.

She looked at you with a strange air, she never heard of germans before, so you had to explain.

-It is a kind of barbarians who think they can rule us because their king is called an Emperor because our King, Charlemagne, became their Emperor. They always attack in numbers but we are more powerful than them and better warriors. And fortunately, even if we are at the border with them, they come from the east and not from the north, the Ardennes are a good protection. But enough military talks.
You see, our land is mostly flat but it is known for it's cities. To the north Reims is where our kings are crowned. It is a prosperous city where the Vesle flows, I was there twice, once when the king Philippe IV was crowned, they still hadn't finished the Cathedral at that time and I was worried that the roof will collapse on us. But when I saw the sun going through the stained glass windows and the coloured light entering the place I was astonished, truly in the middle of statues and sculptures so thin that stone looks like it is as thin as lace it was an astonishing spectacle. I returned there once, this year, and I was travelling from there when I learned that I must go rule Local. It was to celebrate the fact that finally the roof was finished. To be honest, even if some details remain I think it is the most beautiful building in all the Christendom. At the same time it is a place of splendour, contemplation and artistic beauty.

>>5145158

You see, our land is mostly flat but it is known for it's cities. To the north Reims is where our kings are crowned. It is a prosperous city where the Vesle flows, I was there twice, once when the king Philippe IV was crowned, they still hadn't finished the Cathedral at that time and I was worried that the roof will collapse on us. But when I saw the sun going through the stained glass windows and the coloured light entering the place I was astonished, truly in the middle of statues and sculptures so thin that stone looks like it is as thin as lace it was an astonishing spectacle. I returned there once, this year, and I was travelling from there when I learned that I must go rule Local. It was to celebrate the fact that finally the roof was finished. To be honest, even if some details remain I think it is the most beautiful building in all the Christendom. At the same time it is a place of splendour, contemplation and artistic beauty.
Then to the south there is Troyes, the ancient capital of our Counts, today their line has ended with a daughter and she married king Philippe, she was already queen of Navarra, a southern mountainous land, but she is queen of France now. We love her a lot, she always takes care of the poor and she rules us fairly. Every time I walk into the palace of the Counts I think about Thibaut le Troubadour, one of our counts, he sang great chansons de geste and chansons courtoises and composed and all the noblemen tried to do this too. Champagne is a land of poets and trouvères... I remember my father always invited minstrels to his court where they passed by his castle and all the family, and our retainers, heard them in the great all. Poetry made us travel, into the shores and the deserts of the holy lands, into the old times of Charlemagne and the Franks, and into the hearths of fair maidens who loved their knights servants and were loved by them.

You remarked that the woman seemed dreamy, her pointy ears moved a bit and she smiled a cute smile. Her blue eyes looked at you and she pronounced some words.

-Poetry is the finest thing in life, it puts words on the beauty of nature, of love, and of many things. I regret so much to lack talent in this area. Well... I guess I can just listen to poets instead of writing to them. Oh... But I interrupted you, continue please.

She said quickly and with interest the last sentence. You smiled, and agreed.

-My lady, we are alike about this. I can not write good poetry, but listening to trouvères, minstrels and troubadours always fills me with emotions. But if you wish me to continue I will.
Well, Troyes is a peaceful city, with some monasteries and vineyards nearby. But the most important city of Champagne is Provins, Provins the fair with huge walls that are being finished. Counts lived here too, but the place is especially renowned for it's fairs.

>>5145161
Actually, my lady, every year, or twice a year, a fair is held in those three cities, a fair where merchants from all across Europe come. When you come here you see every possible exotic things.

You changed your tone, and took her hand, she accepted the touch and you said pointed it before you, to had gesture to words.

-It is truly marvelous, imagine that instead of where is our dear Captain Crumbling there is a venetian merchant, arguing about the price of his dyes with a fat flemish man. They argue and sergeants have to separate them but a pig runs in the street and knocks down one of the guards because the precious dog of a noble lady pursues it and she cries for him to come back while the good people laugh. The fairs of Champagne are where north meet south and where Flemish and German merchants come with Fur, Iron and cloth to exchange it with spice, silk and dyes from the Venetians, Genoese and even some Pisans. Lombards and Jews change their money and everything can be found. Our peaceful province, in the middle of winter, is filled with a great deal of people and not only merchants, singers, nobles and travellers come to see this. It is truly an unforgettable sight.

She looked like she was pleased with your story. She even said.

-It seems so beautiful, it... It looks like it is a fantasy land taken from the writings of some poet. Local does not seem dull in comparison ?

You disagreed, and you nuanced your remarks a little.

-A fantasy land... Amusing. No, to be honest we have our problems too, I remember that Imperials the Count of Bar tried to invade us nine years ago. The count was married to a daughter of the perfidious English king.

She looked at you, not knowing the English, so you told her.

-A vile people, jealous of us and coming from a very dull and uninteresting island. Even their leaders are French in origin because their culture is not interesting at all. They waged a lot of wars against us. So when the Imperials came Gaucher de Châtillon, our constable had to assemble our host and destroy them. We battled them gloriously, won and imprisoned count Henri of Bar. Then when King Philippe comes, just like last year at Provins, he raises taxes and unfortunately some people prefer to leave our cities towards other provinces where they are not as high. The kings needs money, I know, but it is sad that he has to do this. And finally there is dark things too, I was still a squire when in Troyes our people managed to catch Jews that tried to sacrifice a child... Fortunately Inquisitors interrogated them and we burned 13 of them at the stake, but you see, we can have some problems too. And for Local. Well, Local is my land, I was a third son in France. And I expect to rule it to make it as prosperous as France. And maybe travel a bit here, you saw the wonders of your world. I do not know these lands, so tell me everything about it.

You smiled at her and she answered, obviously interested.

>>5145165

-You talk very well my lord, I would want to visit the fairs now, I will talk to my father about it. But I understand the dangers, nothing is perfect in this world, child murderers... It's fortunate that you burned them. But yes, I will tell you what I know. But if I have to tell eeeeeverything it will take a long time. What do you want to know ? Know about the Imperial Capital ? About the Realms of the Wood Elves where our cousins live ? About the cities of your beautiful kingdom of Bifuria, that you will learn to appreciate ?

>Tell me about the Imperial Capital
>Tell me about the wood guelphs and their lands
>Tell me about the cities in our kingdom of Bifuria
>Tell me about something that pleased you, what do you liked the most in a life of travelling ?
>Other (write in)

>>5145170
>Tell me about something that pleased you, what do you liked the most in a life of travelling ?

Women love talking about themselves.

>>5145170
>Tell me about something that pleased you, what do you liked the most in a life of travelling ?

>>5145170
>Tell me about something that pleased you, what do you liked the most in a life of travelling ?

But also:

>Tell me about the wood guelphs and their lands
Let's learn just how sorcerous these long-lived Indian Guelphs are.

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>Tell me about the wood guelphs and their lands

Ask her about her lineage and her father Toplexil is he of the House d'Aventis-Sanofi.

Ask Praetzel about her mother, is she related to Pressyne the mother of the serpent sylphe Melusine.

>>5145170
>>Tell me about the wood guelphs and their lands

>>5145170
>Tell me about something that pleased you, what do you liked the most in a life of travelling ?

>>5145170
>Tell me about the wood guelphs and their lands

Writing (it will be finished soon and the thing that pleased her won because it got first to 3 results, but once we will answer we will ask about wood guelphs)

>>5145344

You sir, made me laugh, guessed the lineage of her father and taught me about Pressyne. For this I can give +1 mudcore if you want.

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>>5145199

Wise words my lord.

>>5145281
>>5145305

Knowledge is power.

>>5145344
>>5145377
>>5145487
>>5145698

You asked her what pleases her the most, after all you wanted her to be in a good mood and to know more about her tastes. So you said.

-Tell me about something that pleased you, what do you liked the most in a life of travelling ?

She smiled and you noticed that her teeth were very white, like those of a lady of high birth. You noticed something strange too, she had no canine teeth, all her teeth were straight. She answered in a playful tone.

-My Lord, you are a wise man to be seeking counsel from me. But I will tell you. I saw a lot of places in my life, mighty palaces, beautiful landscapes and places were magic flows just like the wind. But the strangest and most impressive place that I saw was when my father had to try to find a stone of life for the king of Kilien, the king's child was ill and he needed someone to find him such fabled item to heal him. My father and some other merchants decided to travel to the east, outside the borders of the Empire and on the mountains to find the place where such things are said to be made.
It was in a land full of barbarians and other hostile tribes but finally, in the middle of the steppes, we found an enormous temple where hundreds of barbarians were camping, it was human in origin but very beautiful, huge statues of bears guarded it and old ruined columns were built in a size that indicated that they were the work of giants and that the local humans knew how to tame them in a distant past.
Under this place there was a passage to the Underworld, but not the underworld that we know, it was a place that was built a long time ago by the Light Elves. Seeing the rest of those marble pillars and sculptures is impressive, it is like travelling in time. Each statue symbolises a message, and a story like in the art of those elves of old. Even the relief of the cloak of a guardian statue symbolises where the sculpted character has been for example and the position of it's fingers gives it's rank at the court. Much of these hidden meanings were forgotten unfortunately. But the most amazing is the natural beauty of the caves, it is full of luminescent quartz in natural blocs higher than you and me who light it like it would be lit during the day even if we are underground. Everything is in ruins now but the games of light, sometimes arranged with coloured quartzes, amazed me. I will never forget it, and I will never forget how the songs of my travelling companions echoed in these old halls.

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>>5145719

Then came the hall that we looked for, we had to negotiate a long time with the local barbarians but they let us enter here. It was a natural cavern with monumental statues deliberately left unfinished representing guardsmen. And behind them was a gate, not like a castle gate but a portal, a glimpse of another place that allowed us to travel instantaneously without the need of a mage knowing teleportation. It was an incredibly precious place because it allowed us to go to Hyperborea, the land beyond the great north, a land of wonder that no elf and no human ever explored. Of course we were not allowed in there but I will forever remember the oak tree under the snow and the view from this gate, I saw a land of myth and legend with my own eyes... It seemed so familiar, but at the same time so beautiful in it's simplicity.
Then three figures emerged from the portal. Two men and a woman. They were tall, taller than an elf by two heads and men had long blond beards while the woman had a long blond of the same colour. They seemed to be simply dressed but they glowed with such power than they were to the elf what elves are to humans, no offence of course, but you know. I never saw people who can radiate light by themselves, even light elves who say they could in old times. The oldest being blessed us and after a small talk were our barbarian traducer managed to tell us everything that he knew they came back with a stone of life, mammoth tusks, pelts of animals that we never saw before and small amulets of bone shaped like a sun. The elder gave me one, he said me something but we did not understood each other's language. I still have it.

She showed you the thing, it was beautifully sculpted and interesting. But who were these beings ? Were they kind of angels ? Well, they did not have wings but still... And why old temples with bears and strange things. Truly the world was stranger than you thought and further you were from the borders of Christendom the stranger it was. And what was this "portal magic" maybe you could find a portal towards France. It was a true question. And what were stones of life ? Was it like the Philosopher's Stone that Alchemists tried to create ? But enough questions, you complimented her necklace and asked.

-And you could get your king this "stone of life" ?

-No... Unfortunately not, a merchant has bought another one from adventurers that obtained it in the hoard of a dragon. He got to sell it... We had to sell the stone to a temple of Bigpha-Rma, the human goddess of healing.

>>5145723

It was sad to hear, but such was life, maybe the place that she saw and called Hyperborea was paradise you thought ? What do souls looked like before the resurrection of their mortal bodies ? And the Lord was known to glow with a powerful light. Or they were demons in disguise ? Who can say. But before you could continue she said.

-And you know the saddest part ? Hyperborea, that I saw 200 years ago, it is gone now... It was destroyed a century and half ago by the forces of evil. This portal was taken by force by an army of evil creatures and they destroyed everything in their path. With it a small part of beauty and wonder of our world was destroyed. And now only bards sing sad songs about this mythical land... Some say that the last survivors of this place hide in the Underworld. But, about this place, you know, I have seen more impressive places, bigger places but this one, this place was a place of myth and legend, a place were I could see the unknown and nothing is more exciting than this do you agree.

You nodded.

-Yes, exploring the unknown, seeing lands unseen, wonder, adventure, it makes us like heroes of the stories that we heard during our childhood.

She agreed wholeheartedly and you learned that dinner was served. You decided to continue your conversation by asking her about wood Guelphs and their lands, such was your deal but before you needed to talk to her about one place where you travelled.

>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.
>Talk about Guyenne where you fought against the English in the vineyards and near old castles, talk about the fair Bordeaux and the great beaches of this region. Talk about the gascons, poor and not very clean but always ready to sing about love and to defend their honor.
>Talk about Normandy, where the white cliffs fall into the sea, talk about Rouen, the second city of France, the city with blue roofs living under gothic bell towers, the city where we build galleys. Talk about the green meadows were cows pass and old monasteries.
>Talk about Flanders and it's many cities of craftsmen and weavers, about it's rains and it's houses of bricks and it's marvellous communal buildings and bell towers.
>Talk about the sun of Aragon and Catalonia where you waged war a long time ago against an excommunicated monarch. Talk about stone villages in the hills and the mountains and about the beauty of the Mediterranean sea. And all it's benefits.
>Talk about another place that you visited (Probably in France or nearby)

>>5145727
>>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.

>>5145727
>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.

>>5145727
>>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.
Best for last

>>5145727
>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.

If you wish to gaze on such beauty like that of Notre Dame, you only need to look in a mirror, my Lady.

>>5145727
>>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.

>>5145727
>Talk about Paris, Capital city of France and the biggest metropolis of the Christian West. Home to magnificent palaces and impressive churches. Talk about the feasts at Vincennes and at the Hostel de Valois and the hunts in the forest of Fontainebleau. Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame de Paris.

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>>5145723
Must cast both the tyrant B'beg The Terrible and also this Bigpha-Rma into the River of mud, they must not be allowed to conquer this realm...

Tell Praetzel the Guelph sylphe her beauty reminds you of the Lady of the Lake honoured by the grail knights of the Bretonnians, the Brythonic tribes who came to Armorica in the times of the Romans before the horrifying Age Of Sigmar conquered their lands under the banner of D'iver City and made all their warriors wear pauldrons, as well as changing a lot of the illustrations and art of their tapestries to resemble the style of Mar'velKomics of the Lands Of Red Neck.

>Talk about Paris and the beautiful palace Of La Defense you visited

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>>5146051
>Talk about Paris and the beautiful palace Of La Defense you visited, especially La Grande Arche

>Talk about the beauty of Notre Dame, you heard a hunchbacked Belgian tax collector named Louis-Bernard Arnault Vuitton Moet Hennessy donated 200 gold pieces to help in its construction a few years ago, after a fire. The rich Hunchback did not manage to become a citoyen of Brabant in the end but he still remains very wealthy and the House Of Arnault-Vuitton has since performed tolerably well upon the local bourse.

>>5145740
>>5145745
>>5145769
>>5145833

You sir, are worthy of a troubadour of the court of Aquitaine.

>>5145926
>>5145961
>>5146051

Your art fills me with nostalgia. Truly everything was better under our good old customs of King Saint Louis. Everything has become worse since the dangerous new ideas of this scoundrel of Marigny have taken hold. I would not be surprised if I learned that he was plotting with the perfidious englishmen of Games Workshop.

>>5146084

La défense should be destroyed just like the hellish tower of Montparnasse and be replaced by a statue of Saint Louis of the same size. It will surely cleanse the city of sin.

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>>5146642

She then asked you to tell more about your land and you had to oblige. You decided to describe the most beautiful city in the world.

-Well, if we shall talk about my realm I will tell you about it’s capital ! Paris, the biggest city of the west ! It sprawls from the Isle de la Cité were the palace of the king and Notre Dame stands to the two banks of the river Seine. King Philippe Auguste built a powerful wall to protect it but the city has gotten far bigger than this. Here you can see students from all across Europe studying in the Sorbonne to learn law, medicine, theology and liberal arts. At the same time ships disembark goods from the Seine bringing wares from the port of Rouen or Burgundian wines from upstream. Everything is sold at the market on les halles and merchants from all across the Christendom come to trade here. Near the river in the residence of Charles de Valois, all the barons are always welcome, the brother of the king is generous and he lives in luxury. He says that his hostel is empty when there is less than 60 persons eating dinner with him, all the old nobility goes there to complain about the dangerous novelties of Enguerrand de Marigny and other ministers.
Then there is the palace of the Cité, this is the residence of our kings and King Philippe is extending it to lodge his new personal of 2000 people. The gothic halls of this place are impressive but the most impressive building is the Holy Chapel built by Saint Louis. Only your eyes can compare to the blue lights emanating from it's stained glasses.

She blushed at that and you smiled, continuing.

-It was made to contain the Crown of Thorns brought back from the crusades by our Saint King. The interiors are painted like a sky full of stars, but these stars are not stars, they are fleurs de lys, symbol of our kings. But the palace of the Cité is not the only palace of kings. They have the castle of Vincennes nearby, the kings love to hunt there and king Philippe the Bold, father of our king married here in a beautiful ceremony when I was a little boy. I was too young to go but I remember how my mother and my father described it. It is said too that Saint Louis loved to judge under an oak tree at Vincennes, he treated everyone fairly, be they lords or peasants. But there is not only palaces in the city, there is fortresses too, to protect the people from downstream the imposing fortress of the Louvre keeps watch, it's high dungeon and solid walls are outside those of the city but they offer a complimentary defence and we have a beautiful view of the city from here. Outside the walls there is the enclos du temple too, the fortress of the Templar knights, here they all assemble and receive the orders of their Grandmaster who has the rank of a sovereign prince. We keep the treasury's gold here too, because we know that nobody could better keep our gold than this pious order of warrior monks.

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>>5146643

You continued after drinking some wine. And helping her cut her venison like every gentleman should do with a lady. She thanked you, but seemed not to eat a lot of meat. Well, women were strange, and guelphs seemed even more strange. But she seemed very interested in your words.

-All the city is full of life, of joy, of riches, there is no city that can compare to it. But every city has it's jewel and in Paris it is the Notre Dame cathedral. It was built for more than 100 years and even today we are modifying it, I always think about those who built it all their life for the glory of God and never saw it complete. It is a monument to piety and human ingenuity, it's height is impressive and the beauty of it's sculptures make us think that they are alive. If the palace of the city is the head of the city and the halles and the bridges her lifeblood Notre Dame is the Soul of Paris. It is when I visited it that I understood the greatness of our good and right feudal society.

She smiled and said.

-It seems to be a fair city...

-The fairest in the world.

You corrected her and she laughed a bit. She answered you.

-I will ask my father to visit it then. I do not doubt your word my lord.. But I promised you to tell a story about a place too, what do you want to hear ?

You quickly said her.

-Tell me about the lands of the wood guelphs. I was always curious about it.

She answered after a small laugh, she seemed to have drunk a bit.

-Well, first my lord I was not born there, I am from the wood elves that live in the Empire. And it was the first time that I saw how my kin lived amongst themselves when I visited. Well today we live together, after all Bifuria is ruled by an elven queen, and a great sorceress but...

You did not hear all the rest and were dumbstruck by what you heard ? What ? Your queen is a witch ! An heathen guelph witch who was probably reigning for 100 years or more already ! No wonder that the Guelphs were exempted by taxes ! You were literally ruled by them ! You did not manage to hear everything but you caught up when she described a city.

-And everything was built in the trees, like the trees were giving life to the elves. They were not simply homes but living homes. They truly make one with nature, and into the hearth of the forest there is the great tree, the Oak of So... it is so big that it touches the clouds and it is said that it supports the sky and all the wood elves recognise it as a god.

>>5146645

You were not an expert on ancient history but you knew what it was, it was Irminsul, the idol of the vile Saxons, a people so vile that they gave birth to the English. And they lived in germany, Germans and Englishmen at the same time ! And they were heathens too, praying to a tree and thinking that it stopped the sky from falling on their heads ! You knew your family's origins and it was said that one of your ancestors was here when Charlemagne ordered to cut it down, and your ancestor, the first of the house of Villeroi, cut the arm of an awful Saxon who tried to stop the brave friars who were cutting it. One thing was sure, this thing needed to be hit by the full strength of a crusade. God Wills It !
You were eating with your bannermen and councillors, and the merchant and it's daughter and they heard what you said about Paris, and what she said about her lands. Some of them looked at you. Understanding. What do you say ?

>Remain silent, she is a beautiful woman and you want to sleep with her.
>Hit the table with your fist and say "ENOUGH ! Dear Oldfossil, tell me how much time have we been ruled by sorcerous Guelphs ?" (hangings will ensue)
>Try to comment and be polite as if you heard nothing, you want to sleep with this woman after all. (intrigue roll with a bonus of +30)
>Other (write in)

>>5146646
>>Other (write in)
Remain courteous but do not pursue the romance. They are guests in our hall, but best not to lay with heathens.

>>5146646
>Hit the table with your fist and say "ENOUGH ! Dear Oldfossil, tell me how much time have we been ruled by sorcerous Guelphs ?" (hangings will ensue)
Hangings? Nay, we are not pagans. We shall have burnings!

>>5146672
+1

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>>5146646
So QM I have a question does our antimagic mud core unravel all sorcery eg Guelph immortality or does it only work on cast spells like the Barrier of Edos. Because I have a feeling if it is the former attempting to court the charming Guelph lady in the bedchamber may have unpleasant consequences

>>5146696

Try to sleep with her to see !

More seriously it is an "anti bullshit" field, for exemple bad armor designs will not work well into it. But actually you were near guelphs and their biology was not affected.

Plus your Mudcore is still only at a quite low level.

Oh, and your profile is :

====

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 2
XP : 140 (next level at 250)

Stats

Combat : 50%
Intrigue : 25%
Rulership: 30%

Piety : 34

Mudcore : 22

With 22 Mudcore you have a small field of gritty realism around you, in this field the most 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. Next level at 30.

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.

>>5146646
>Try to comment and be polite as if you heard nothing, you want to sleep with this woman after all. (intrigue roll with a bonus of +30)

Make sure to inquire where this Tree of So is, it shall a grand bonfire but do not tell our guests that.

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>>5146719
Whatever happened to the Medieval Vulgate Revelation 7:3, where the angels said

Nolite nocere terrae, et mari, neque arboribus, quoadusque signemus servos Dei nostri in frontibus eorum.

Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Unfortunately Chad Villeroi is illiterate, he does not know this, or perhaps he has been beguiled by the new Guelph Stacy

>>5146779
Well, if Brother Louis says it is written in the Bible that burning the tree is wrong, I would listen and heed his wise words. I do think we should learn of it's location though, just in case it is a heathen tree, and plow the heathen out of this Guelph Lady.

>>5146779

The tree is not bad in itself my lord, but the fact that these heathens worship it as a god mean that it is an idol. And this passage is told to angels, not men.

>>5146803

Wise words, I wait for a third vote to answer

>>5146646
>Try to comment and be polite as if you heard nothing, you want to sleep with this woman after all. (intrigue roll with a bonus of +30)
Pump and burn folks, pump and burn

>>5146646
>Try to comment and be polite as if you heard nothing, you want to sleep with this woman after all. (intrigue roll with a bonus of +30)

>>5146824
>>5146854
>>5146719
>>5146779
>>5146803
>>5146672
>>5146684
>>5146690

The roll seems to have won, I will let you roll then, we will take the average of 3 rolls

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>5146865
BURN THE WITCH

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>5146865

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>5146865

>>5146869
Is this considered a crit if we're trying to bed her?

>>5146869
mmmmmmmm

>>5146896

Hahahahaha... We will say that yes, i am writing.

>>5146908
Further proof of her witchcraft I say

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>>5146869
>>5146883
>>5146894
>>5146896
>>5146914

You decided to be polite, and to ask some questions even if you were boiling inside. You made your most polite smile and asked.

-My lady, it seems to be a very beautiful place... Where is it ?

-Oh, it is to the East, after the cairns, and the Duchy of Thraefain, who was conquered by humans on elves, fortunately we made peace after this. Eastwards from the Duchy of Thraefain there is a border between Bifuria and the elven realm of Dobbyn. The So Oak is in the capital of Dobbyn, unfortunately humans are not allowed to approach it, the locals are very isolationnist.

You smiled and continued to hear her. You spoke about poetry, and about music, and about many other things and the charming lady made you think that crusading was unwise. Finally you decided to watch the stars together on your dungeon. The stars were different in India than in your lands but she explained a lot about them, she was a traveller after all and knowing the stars was necessary in her profession. Finally she said to you, while you were together in the moonlight she took a small blue stone from her robes and put it in her hand. It glowed lightly with an eerie light and you made the sign of the cross, sorcery ! She simply laughed seeing you.

-Relax my lord, it is simply a Star Stone, I always loved gazing at them, it is said that lovers love gazing at them under the stars....

-But why does it glows ?

She laughed more.

-Oh, you do not know ? Well, when a Star Stone is under the stars and is held by someone it can glow. It depends on it's magic, for elves who are naturally magical it glows lightly, even if for Light Elves it glows stronger, it is why we call them by this name after all. For magical creatures and those who can do magic it glows brightly. It is a beautiful gem. And for humans...

She put it into your hand and you had no tame to pull it off.

-Well it does not glow but it is still a pretty blue stone.

You frowned, well, it was pretty but... You saw the stone and began to say.

-By the Holy Cross !

And she added.

-What is...

The stone began to become muddy, it changed itself into mud, you touched it but it became mud in your hands and quickly they were covered of them. You tried to clean it but without any water it was hard. The Guelph Lady looked at you and said something in her language, which sounded like a Celtic idiom, in an extremely worried tone. Then she added in your tongue.

>>5146930

-You... You... What you did... It... I should not say you this, but, but you saved my father, the person that I trust the most, and you deserve to know. Never show that you can do this my lord... The queen, some elves, and some mages, if they learn it... I mean, they will try to make you disappear... They... They will... I don't want you to be killed...

Her ears moved and she seemed very worried, it was time to calm her. She was on the verge of tears, probably because of the deaths of her companions and your possible death.

>Calm her by kissing her
>"Shhh, do not worry, I trust you, do not tell this to anyone"
>Better safe than sorry, you shall never trust a witch, throw her from the battlements
>Ask why exactly do they want to kill people like you ?
>Kiss her, make love to her, then burn her and her dad
>Other (write in)

You gain +1 mudcore

>>5146931
>>Kiss her, make love to her, then burn her and her dad

>>5146931
>Calm her by kissing her
>"Shhh, do not worry, I trust you, do not tell this to anyone"
>Ask why exactly do they want to kill people like you ?

We can always burn her after we get the info lads.

>>5146931
>Ask why exactly do they want to kill people like you ?
>Kiss her, make love to her, then burn her and her dad

>>5146939
+1

>>5146939
+1

>>5146939
No need to burn her, but support

>>5146939
Yes no burning. We could have children, and use her whenever she comes to visit and get information.

Though a Lord does need a wife......

>>5146931
>Calm her by kissing her
>"Shhh, do not worry, I trust you, do not tell this to anyone"

As for:
>Ask why exactly do they want to kill people like you?

Clearly it is because it is a miracle by God! Our presence cleanses the Satanic taint of magic, and threatening the rule of these heathens!

Meaning that our coupling with this beautiful maiden will help her

>>5146939
Support.

>>5146931

>>5145723
Hyperborea sounds like a wonderful land, shame about its fate.

>>5146645
We are going to be drowning a lot of people in our river of mud before we meet our Maker...

>>5146931
Supporting >>5146939

As much as it'd be funny to be the forever-meme knight and just solve problems by burning/drowning them and through brute force, we aren't in the strongest position, we need info, allies, wealth, martial strength, and of course, faith. Which means not killing everyone who is favourable to us, at least not right away. We are in a magical, heathen land with strange peoples and only a few close companions, we cannot afford to be too reckless. This applies regardless of our character generation choice to be good at combat.

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>>5146939
>>5146949
>>5146950
>>5146959
>>5146957
>>5146935
>>5146961

You will see the ladies when you will pledge fealty to the baron in the presence of all the nobility of the barony.

>>5146988

Hosannah messire ! Hosannah !

>>5147608
>>5147191

You decide to try to calm the lady, you wanted to caress her cheek but unfortunately your hands were still full of mud so you did what you had to do. You kissed her. It was a passionate kiss, she was surprised at first but she was skilled in this art and quickly you were like Lancelot and Guinevere. After the kiss you looked at her bright blue eyes and said.

-Shhh, do not worry, I trust you, do not tell this to anyone.

She smiled and kissed you again, she said that you were brave, and a true knight. Well, lots of ladies already said that to you, and why not ? It was the truth after all. You continued kissing before you thought that a bed would be better than the cold roof of the dungeon, and it was better with hands not full of mud. Censorship and good manners will forbid your narrator to talk about the next few hours but you understood that the rumours were true. With age came experience and... By Sainte Marie-Madeleine... This woman was so supple, she was truly inhuman. And she seemed absolutely not shy about nudity, even less so than some ladies of low virtue that you met in Paris. Maybe it was her travelling lifestyle, bohemians and other gipsies were known for their lack of restraint, or it was cultural, after all they were pagans living in the trees.

You were caressing her hair, it was terribly soft, and she said.

-You... You are so kind my lord... And yet.. I fear for you.

So you asked her.

-You talked about people wanting to kill me, but who are they, and why ? I am not from here and I do not know about your customs, I have not committed treason...

-No my lord but those who want to kill you fear that non magical people, or people who distrust magic have some power. Practically every nobleman has a mage as a councillor and you.. You seem to be protected against magic. There were some people who were naturally gifted like this, but they were exterminated by mages and elves a long time ago. Some say that there is still some people like this amongst barbarians of the north, they wanted to kill all mages and elves... I know that you do not want to kill mages or elves, even if you seem to be a bit fearful of magic, but they will think that you want to do it, or that you can do it... So they will not take risks, some of them are ruthless.

You answered confidently.

-Do not worry, all is in the hands of God now. And for the rest, I killed a turtle a single combat so some magicians will not stop me.

She looked at you, intrigued, then smiled sadly, and bit her lip, she seemed to want to say something and finally said it.

-I hope you are not harmed. But know that my father, and I, we will forever be grateful. You saved our lives, and for people who can not die of old age it means a lot.

>>5147772

You smiled to her and said some kind words. Later you sent her back to her chambers, after all her father was here and you did not wanted to embarrass the man. Now was the time to think what to do with this Guelph. Maybe she was honest, but maybe she lied and she would tell everything to those evil Guelphs... But she would not have said that they wanted you dead if she was dishonest. But what if they caught her and forced a confession out of her ? What to do with the Guelph Merchant and his daughter ?

>Let them go and bid them farewell
>Arrest them and confiscate their goods, you need money
>Arrest them, burn them for witchcraft and confiscate their goods
>Other (write in)

Then you thought about God, and about why you were sent here, there was a lot of possibilities and you had trouble sleeping, thinking about them. Finally you came to a decision. (Choose one option)

>It is clearly a trial and now you began to think about it, it was a land who was ruled by wizards and heathens and the people fear them. You had to free them and to give them the benevolent rule of a good and upright feudal society. You were given the tools to fight magic and cleanse it...
>It is only a coincidence, you were sent here by magic and you had only to survive, it will suffice for now
>Maybe God is here, he is everywhere, but maybe he showed himself to the people of India... You talked about Prester John and even if the local Indians did not knew him you have to find his kingdom.
>These Hyperboreans, they are maybe some kind of angels, you need to talk about them and find a survivor.
>Clearly you have to go back to France, the trial is in survival here for the time you need to find a boat towards your homeland.

You lose 2 piety for sleeping with the Guelph lady.

====

====

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 2
XP : 140 (next level at 250)

Stats

Combat : 50%
Intrigue : 25%
Rulership: 30%

Piety : 34-2=32

Mudcore : 22+1=23

With 23 Mudcore you have a small field of gritty realism around you, in this field the most 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. Next level at 30.

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.

====

>>5147774
>>Let them go and bid them farewell
>Maybe God is here, he is everywhere, but maybe he showed himself to the people of India... You talked about Prester John and even if the local Indians did not knew him you have to find his kingdom.

>>5147774
>Let them go and bid them farewell, tell them to visit soon.

>It is clearly a trial and now you began to think about it, it was a land who was ruled by wizards and heathens and the people fear them. You had to free them and to give them the benevolent rule of a good and upright feudal society. You were given the tools to fight magic and cleanse it...
Unless picking this will set us up to try rebelling and begin Crusading with 4 knights and a handful of castle guards immediately, I do not want to be suicidial. Also, don't expect us to be pure meme autism over it, we need to be realpolitik until we're king/emperor, then we can do away with silly political games and begin truly bringing the light of Christ to this land.

Also, if you do not mind, I'd like the Hyperboreans as a secondary priority, I think it's our Christian duty to assist God's angles whenever possible.

>>5147774
>Let them go and bid them farewell

This second choice is rather difficult.

>These Hyperboreans, they are maybe some kind of angels, you need to talk about them and find a survivor.

We need guidance I think. Although it would certainly fit with us so far to burn all the witches and heathens and return society to its proper state.

>>5147797
>>5147800

The second choice is rather a long term goal. I do not expect you to do this directly but it will be the object of your work (and my QM thinking) for the next threads

>>5147774
>Arrest them, burn them for witchcraft and confiscate their goods
>It is clearly a trial and now you began to think about it, it was a land who was ruled by wizards and heathens and the people fear them. You had to free them and to give them the benevolent rule of a good and upright feudal society. You were given the tools to fight magic and cleanse it...
DEUS VULT

>>5147774
>>Let them go and bid them farewell

>>These Hyperboreans, they are maybe some kind of angels, you need to talk about them and find a survivor.

>>5147774
>>Arrest them, burn them for witchcraft and confiscate their goods
>It is clearly a trial and now you began to think about it, it was a land who was ruled by wizards and heathens and the people fear them. You had to free them and to give them the benevolent rule of a good and upright feudal society. You were given the tools to fight magic and cleanse it...

>>5147774
>Let them go and bid them farewell
>It is clearly a trial and now you began to think about it, it was a land who was ruled by wizards and heathens and the people fear them. You had to free them and to give them the benevolent rule of a good and upright feudal society. You were given the tools to fight magic and cleanse it...

>>5147774
Let them go and bid them farewell
>It is clearly a trial and now you began to think about it, it was a land who was ruled by wizards and heathens and the people fear them. You had to free them and to give them the benevolent rule of a good and upright feudal society. You were given the tools to fight magic and cleanse it...

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>>5147797
>>5147789
>>5147800
>>5148203
>>5148246
>>5148264
>>5149277

====
You began to think and came to a conclusion, your transportation to India was clearly a trial by the Lord. He wanted to test your piety and to send you free his subjects from the clutches of the heathens. It was not to conquer the holy land but to convert the people and bring them feudalism, it was... It was like the Baltic Crusades of those silly Teutons, but contrary to them you will not fail ! No, you may have only a handful of warriors but you are clever and you know that your cause is just, you will lean about this land, adopt a strategy and overcome the opposition. Victory is assured ! You prayed a bit for your success and tried to ask forgiveness for your sin of flesh... Well, you were weak unfortunately, you loved women, it was like this.

The next day you bode farewell to the merchant and his daughter and invited them to come back to your land to trade. They thanked you and the Guelph lady promised that they will be back.

After this you decided to spend the day with Oldfossil to learn a bit about the etiquette of the Baron's court, after all you were to be there in six days and according to your councillors you will need to take a day to go there so you had still five days in your castle. Fortunately more and more spears and helmets were forged for your guardsmen and you were quite happy about this.

The next day after your day of rest by learning etiquette was the day when you had to bid farewell to Brother Louis who had to go with four guardsmen, on your new palfreys, to negotiate a loan at Podunk. You bode farewell to your friend and gave him some money to cover his expenses during his travels. It was at this moment, after Louis's departure, that the brave Oldfossil approached you saying.

-My lord, one of your duties is to give Justice to the people and some peasants ask when you will be able to judge their cases. Shall we invite them to come today ?
What do you decide ?

>Yes, we will pass our judgments this afternoon.
>No, we shall wait tomorrow, I want to hunt before dealing with their matters.
>No, we shall wait tomorrow, I need to spar with my men.
>No, we shall wait tomorrow, I have not visited Otherone and I want to visit the last of my villages before beginning to judge their cases.
>You are my first councillor Oldfossil, and you know this land better than me, I will let you deal with the affairs of the peasantry.
>Other (write in)

You gain 1 mudcore and 1 piety for your new objectives

>>5149374
>>Yes, we will pass our judgments this afternoon.

>>5149374
Honestly, we should stop COOMING so much. It isn't like we are getting smut scenes out of it and we were already friendly with the elves, no need to risk bastards and lose piety. Though I suppose it makes sense for us to be lustful, not much use mechanically though.

>Yes, we will pass our judgments this afternoon.

We may as well be seen addressing the commoners needs. It will also get them more used to our style of doing things and prevent them from getting attached to Oldfossil and seeing him as the true administrator of this land. Plus it will give us information about our lands and its problems, and we just got that perk or talent when we levelled up.

>>5149374
>>Yes, we will pass our judgments this afternoon.

>>5149374
>Yes, we will pass our judgments this afternoon.

>>5149398
Agreed. Less cooming, more burnings

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>>5149386
>>5149398

You choose the intrigue perk when you leveled up but yes. But remember dear friend, you are a Frenchman, in France we do not ask why we chase every woman we see, we ask why not.

>>5149498
>>5149530

Agreed, burning is always good.

====

You order Oldfossil to prepare everything and you spar a bit before hearing the first case. To be honest you are quite anxious about this. You saw your father judge and you know the theory: trying to be fair, but you never really paid attention to this, it was the work of your oldest brother after all. He had to inherit your father's seigneury and you were only trained to be a warrior. But with some luck it will not be too difficult dilemmas.
You order Oldfossil to prepare everything and you spar a bit before hearing the first case. To be honest you are quite anxious about this. You saw your father judge and you know the theory: trying to be fair, but you never really paid attention to this, it was the work of your oldest brother after all. He had to inherit your father's seigneury and you were only trained to be a warrior. But with some luck it will not be too difficult dilemmas.

You asked Oldfossil to be near you, he knew the law of the land and knew how to read, if someone had a document it could be useful to ask his opinion. You asked your councillor.

-How many cases do I have to judge ?

Captain Crumbling said, before letting the claimants and defendants enter.

-There is three cases today my lord.

You nodded and waited. Finally a group of people came, it was what seemed to be a rich peasant, he was fat and had fiery red hair and was with two other younger and thinner versions of him, they seemed to be rich sons and three servants. The man bowed, but not as low as you would want, his entourage bowed after him. You already saw this enriched peasants thinking that they are as noble as you and you disliked them, but you tried to stay fair and put your prejudices aside. It is only after some time that you remarked that a small and frail looking peasant with blond greying hair was bowing too. He was practically shoved aside by the others and they looked at him with contempt. He was supported by a young twelve years old girl who looked like she was related to him and a little boy who seemed to be the little brother of the girl.

You looked at them and understood that it will be a boring problem about land between two peasant families. You made them sign to continue saying.

-Well, who are you, speak villeins, I do not have all the day to look at you. Why are you here ?

The rich peasant seems to be shocked to be addressed as thus and so it is the thin frail looking peasant. He bowed very low and said some words while the two kids bowed but looked at you in awe with big blue eyes.

>>5149706

-My name is Pauperus my Lord. I am an humble villain on your land. I came with my grandchildren, the rest of my family having died I have to keep watch on them, and I wanted to show them the village. Sorry if they disturb you, I can...

-No... It is good, make simply sure that they do not make noise... And who are you ?

You asked to the redhead. Well, the peasant Pauperus tried to make you take pity on him by showing his grandkids... Sad... But the other seemed to be supported by eight other people and two of his sons. The fat redhead said in a strong voice.

-I am Cresus, your councillors probably talked about me, I am your most faithful taxpayer, and I came with a lot of witnesses about the misdeeds of this Pauperus that is here ! He is stealing my land !

You remembered something about a Cresus... Ah, yes, Crumbling talked about him, he was a rich man, your most important taxpayer, a farmer who owned a hamlet of 40 people where everyone worked for him. Cresus Farms it was called, he called the place after himself... Well.. You doubted that someone with 40 workers could be threatened by this frail looking aging man, but maybe appearances were deceiving, so you told him to continue.

-He stole your land ? And how ?

The man began to show a piece of parchment, with a seal bearing the sigil of the Griffin, the banner of the family of Lord Random and said, showing a line, he seemed to know how to read.

-See, my lord, see, these are my lands, it is written here, all the lands west of the stream of Quarrel are mine, and this man, who tries to make you cry for him with his children in a pathetic display occupies it ! I am an honest citizen, and a taxpayer and I want my lands back ! These lands are rich and they shall belong to their legitimate owner.

Citizen ? We were not in a damned Italian city state, this man was a villein, taxable and cuttable at will, who does he thought he was ! But maybe he was right. Well if the document said it. You asked the aging man.

-Well, you, Pauperus, what do you have to say ?

-My lord... I... I know there was a document like this, I don't know how to read but this question was already brought to the court of Lord Random. All the lands west of the stream were sold, yes, but the stream moved, the stream has changed course my lord ! It did so 12 years ago, and it made some of the vast lands of my neighbour poorer, and mine a bit richer, so I could feed the widow of my son, who died serving in the Imperial Army, and their children. Now she is dead and if I loose this land I would not have anything to feed them, I have not much lands. Old Lord Random already judged on our case, he said that the border of our lands would be the old course of the stream, not it's new course...

>>5149709

This was strange, a poor peasant with lands, normally the poorest peasants lived on their lord's lands. But even the poor peasants seemed rich here. But yes, with a small farm and being alone it would be hard for him to feed children. You turned towards Oldfossil, he knew probably if the case was settled. He already answered before you asked, only a look from you sufficed to make him act. Truly a good retainer.

-My lord, the villein Pauperus speaks true. This case was settled by Lord Random 12 years ago.

You frowned, the case was closed, why do they needed anything else ? You looked at the man named Cresus and he smiled a sugary smile, saying.

-Yes wise councillor, and yes my lord, it was settled, but I want, as an honest citizen, exercise my right of appeal. All this men can vouch for me to say that they saw Pauperus bewitching them and only with the killing of the witches that masqueraded as priests we were able to lift the curse. They all remember that it was Pauperus that moved the course of the stream to make his land richer and mine poorer !

Pauperus was furious, he screamed.

-Liar ! I am a peasant not a sorcerer ! Everybody knows that I always distrusted the sorcerers ! You simply want to steal my land just like you stole the lands of all your neighbours !

But the other man smirked and then made a sign to two of his men to bring a coffer. Cresus continued, smiling greatly.

-And to thank my lord for looking into the case, I would want to give him, as every good citizen must do in these times were we lack food, a coffer full of grain. More coffers await if I am able to get back the rich productive land that was stolen from me. After all my land got poorer and it is normal that I take back everything west of the new course of the stream as compensation.

The bastard... The lying bastard... But he had a lot of food to give and seemed to be influential in the community. What do you decide.

>>5149712

>Ask Oldfossil if people in the community like Cresus and think that he is honest before deciding what to do.
>Ask Oldfossil if people in the community like Pauperus and think that he is honest before deciding what to do.
>Confirm the judgement of Lord Random, Pauperus will keep his lands, and do not take the coffer of Cresus, you are not a corrupt lord
>Confirm the judgement of Lord Random, Pauperus will keep his lands, and take the coffer of Cresus, this will teach him a lesson
>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, you need food after all
>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, and ask for an increase of taxes from Cresus, after all you will need even more food and you helped him
>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, you need food after all, and burn Pauperus for witchcraft, it will stop him from complaining
>Condemn these slanderous accusations, Cresus will have to pay a fine for trying to besmirch an honest peasant whose son died in the service of the Emperor.
>Condemn these slanderous accusations, Cresus will have to pay a fine for trying to besmirch an honest peasant whose son died in the service of the Emperor and give some lands or compensation to Pauperus
>Accusing someone of witchcraft and trying to bribe a lord, and saying that you are some "citizen" like you are in Venice will not be tolerated under your rule. Cresus will be hanged, all his lands will be confiscated and his family and workers will all become your serfs. It will teach a lesson to all those who try to lie and corrupt you.
>Offer serfdom to Pauperus, if he has trouble to feed his family he will be attached to his lands, who will become yours but he could work on your lands in exchange of feeding for his family and lower taxes.
>Other (write in)

>>5149715
>>Accusing someone of witchcraft and trying to bribe a lord, and saying that you are some "citizen" like you are in Venice will not be tolerated under your rule. Cresus will be hanged, all his lands will be confiscated and his family and workers will all become your serfs. It will teach a lesson to all those who try to lie and corrupt you.

>>5149715
>Ask Oldfossil if people in the community like Cresus and think that he is honest before deciding what to do.
>Ask Oldfossil if people in the community like Pauperus and think that he is honest before deciding what to do
I am all for trying to confiscate the lands of a dishonest, uppity commoner, but lets be smart about it and get some more info first.

>>5149792
Yeah your right.
+1

>>5149715
change from >>5149764
to support
>>5149792

>>5149715
>>Ask Oldfossil if people in the community like Cresus and think that he is honest before deciding what to do.
>>Ask Oldfossil if people in the community like Pauperus and think that he is honest before deciding what to do.

>>5149792
Support

>>5149715
>Hang Cresus, confiscate his lands, and make his family serfs
>Offer serfdom to Pauperus

>>5149792
Support

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>>5149764
>>5149792
>>5149814

Noted.

>>5149855
>>5149874
>>5149938
>>5150025

You decided to know more about the two men, and you asked Oldfossil in a low tone.

-This Cresus, is he an honest man ? I mean, do they like him in the community and trust him ?

The councillor nodded, appreciating your wisdom of consulting him about the claimant before agreeing or not. He said.

-My Lord, it depends, he is seen as a good worker and he is clever so he always pays all his taxes but the fact that he bought, sometimes cheaply, the lands of his neighbours and that he sold at low price to ruin them has made him unpopular with the peasantry. Some of his neighbours, like the old widow Longgone have disappeared mysteriously and if it was never proved that it was him some people think he did it because he bought her land to her children who were very young and could not work on it, for cheap. He bought some unused land from us too and made it productive, we can thank him for it. Some craftsmen like him because he commonly lowers the price of grain to ruin those who are struggling after a bad harvest, and it’s cheap grain for them.
During famines he helped though, because he keeps some stockpiles, even if he sells them at a quite high price.
Lord Random ordered him to stop speculating during famine and sell at a normal price once, he refused, so Lord Random menaces to make his guards beat him. It was three years ago. He seemed to respect more our Lord after that. He has some family, a brother who works as a scribe in Podunk, two sons that are right here, and a sister who is married to the miller. It is why his grain is the first to go to the mill. His wife is from a family of farmer, she was the sole heir and he married her, it was the beginning of his fortune.
Oh, and sometimes when caravans were on the road to baronial lands he offered to pay adventurers himself to solve the problem, to be seen as an honourable man by the community.

>>5150212

You then asked, curious.

-And Pauperus ? What do people think of him ? Can you vouch for his honesty ?

The councillor seemed to agree, and detailed his biography. To be honest such knowledge of the Local peasants was admirable, you would need Oldfossil to train someone to replace him, his death could be very detrimental to your demesne.

-Pauperus is seen as an honest man but unlucky. Well, not perfect in his honesty but honest. He always pays his taxes on time, even when it makes him eat less. He inherited his farm from his father and had a sick brother. His parents rented our lands to farm more. He had to care for his brother once his parents died and had no more money to pay the rent nor the time to work more than on his farm. The lands got rented to another one. Fortunately his brother survived and proved healthy, he is now a lumberjack in Nearby.
Pauperus married the daughter of another poor farmer of the region. They had eight kids but only two survived to adulthood. It was bad luck.

Bad luck... Well, you had seen worse. But maybe here kids died less in childbirth ? The councillor continued.

-A son and a daughter. His son married the last daughter of a woodworker and his daughter married some farmer in Podunk. I remember that he had to borrow us money to pay the dowry, he gave it back with interest in due time.
People found him annoying when his son entered the Imperial Army and was gone to the capital and he bragged about it. Even if it is an honor he quite annoyed the village with this... He was devastated by his loss six years ago. He began to drink, and his lumberjack brother had to help him out of it. We call him Pauperus the Unlucky since...

You did not think he was this unlucky, well he had some problems but it was just a bit above the average peasant. But if this was considered unlucky... You shall try to spy a conversation between a servant of the castle and your brave Ancel le Purineur. It would be an interesting experiment, but Oldfossil continued.

-The widow of his son died three years ago, ran over by a cart, it was a scandal at the time and the owner of the cart had to pay compensation. It helped Pauperus to still be afloat because he had problems with the guards...

-What guards ? Did he commit a crime ?

>>5150216

-Well, not on our lands my lord. Not on our lands, you see his daughter, she sees him rarely but he saw recently and she had a black eye. She said it was because she fell... Then she came back a second time and she had a second black eye and her cheeks were bruised... You know the love of a father for his daughter... He came with his brother to the village where she lived in baronial lands to beat up her husband.

-And he killed him ?

-Hell no ! Coming with only a man to another village to beat up a man with a lot of relatives is not a very good idea, he was beaten up with his brother and they were left for dead in the side of the road. The Baron’s guard picked them up and imprisoned them. We had to negotiate and pay a fine to free them. They payed more taxes to give it back though, they managed to do it thanks to the compensation they got for the death of Pauperus's stepdaughter.

You nodded, well, the man was well intentioned at least, if someone mistreated your future daughter it would be a stain on the honor of your whole family and a pretext for a feudal war. This man was a peasant so he did not have the means to burn their whole village but he did right. But accusing him of Witchcraft when every person knows that the first thing that sorcerers sell are good luck amulets is laughable. This man is clearly unlucky by local standards. But the bribe was important. You needed to to decide. But before this you asked.

-Do you know all my peasants this well ?

-Only the heads of the families my lord, they are only a bit more than 300 in your lands, it is not difficult.

You were impressed, this man deserved a raise, or even some lands.

>>5150220

>Confirm the judgement of Lord Random, Pauperus will keep his lands, and do not take the coffer of Cresus, you are not a corrupt lord
>Confirm the judgement of Lord Random, Pauperus will keep his lands, and take the coffer of Cresus, this will teach him a lesson
>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, you need food after all
>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, and ask for an increase of taxes from Cresus, after all you will need even more food and you helped him
>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, you need food after all, and burn Pauperus for witchcraft, it will stop him from complaining
>Condemn these slanderous accusations, Cresus will have to pay a fine for trying to besmirch an honest peasant whose son died in the service of the Emperor.
>Condemn these slanderous accusations, Cresus will have to pay a fine for trying to besmirch an honest peasant whose son died in the service of the Emperor and give some lands or compensation to Pauperus
>Accusing someone of witchcraft and trying to bribe a lord, and saying that you are some "citizen" like you are in Venice will not be tolerated under your rule. Cresus will be hanged, all his lands will be confiscated and his family and workers will all become your serfs. It will teach a lesson to all those who try to lie and corrupt you.
>Offer serfdom to Pauperus, if he has trouble to feed his family he will be attached to his lands, who will become yours but he could work on your lands in exchange of feeding for his family and lower taxes.
>Other (write in)

>>5149706
Ah, did we? Good to know.

Hmm, Cresus may be worth keeping around if he is an ultra faithful taxpayer and isn't downplaying his wealth to cheat on taxes, plus if he is a good manager then we wouldn't want someone less productive in charge. On the other hand we don't want some random peasant gaining too much power, nor is lying or trying to get us to burn another peasant acceptable.

Supporting >>5149792

Whoops, too late.

>>5150221
>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, and ask for an increase of taxes from Cresus, after all you will need even more food and you helped him

>>5150221
>Confirm the judgement of Lord Random, Pauperus will keep his lands, and take the coffer of Cresus, this will teach him a lesson
>Condemn these slanderous accusations, Cresus will have to pay a fine for trying to besmirch an honest peasant whose son died in the service of the Emperor.
>Offer serfdom to Pauperus, if he has trouble to feed his family he will be attached to his lands, who will become yours but he could work on your lands in exchange of feeding for his family and lower taxes.

>>5150221
>>Confirm the judgement of Lord Random, Pauperus will keep his lands, and do not take the coffer of
>>5150221
>>Offer serfdom to Pauperus, if he has trouble to feed his family he will be attached to his lands, who will become yours but he could work on your lands in exchange of feeding for his family and lower taxes.

>Accusing someone of witchcraft and trying to bribe a lord, and saying that you are some "citizen" like you are in Venice will not be tolerated under your rule. Cresus will be hanged, all his lands will be confiscated and his family and workers will all become your serfs. It will teach a lesson to all those who try to lie and corrupt you.
>Offer serfdom to Pauperus, if he has trouble to feed his family he will be attached to his lands, who will become yours but he could work on your lands in exchange of feeding for his family and lower taxes.

Let's start bringing the glory of feudalism to these heathens, shall we? Show them the magnificent benevolence of our system?

>>5150249
Support

>>5150221
>>Accept the bribe and give all the lands west of the new course of the stream to Cresus, you need food after all, and burn Pauperus for witchcraft, it will stop him from complaining

Writing, 3 are in favor of Pauperus and 2 in favor of Cresus, 1 wants to burn Cresus, individually the solutions are not exactly the same, I will take the most popular choice in favour of Pauperus

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>>5150233
>>5150236
>>5150237
>>5150249
>>5150271
>>5150288
>>5150361
>>5150527

It was a true choice, a choice between what was easy and what was right, but you intended to be a just lord. Cresus was clearly trying to lie to you and trying to steal the lands of another commoner. Plus he was insufferable. So you said in your most severe tone.

-My predecessor, Lord Random, judged well, and I will not look well on sycophants who want to talk about sorcery only to steal the lands of their neighbours. If the river moved it does not mean that the border moved. But I accept the gift of grain, and I will fine you for five more chests of grain for lying to your lord and accusing an innocent man.

Cresus protested, he was red from the humiliation and began to tell.

-My Lord ! I am an honest citizen ! It is outrageous I will...

-You will remain silent or be hanged right there and now ! You are not a "citizen" of some Italian city state but a villein taxable and workable at will !

Your serious tone taught him discipline. The man who was arrogant and practically ordering you paled and began to grovel at your feet, saying.

-Do not punish me wise lord. I am sorry, I am...

It was better, discipline had to be taught. You then dismissed the man and his servants and took the coffer. Then you turned to Pauperus and said to him, once the others had left.

-Pauperus, I have heard that you had troubles financially.

The man nodded, but did not like to admit it and so said.

-Yes mylord, but rest assured that I will pay the taxes...

-No, no, no, I trust you about this, but you are a loyal peasant and I want to help you.

You smiled to the commoner who seemed surprised, just like his grandchildren, and bowed.

-Thank you my lord, you are infinitely good my lord...

You nodded, and said.

-Have you heard about serfdom dear Pauperus...

The man looked at you with a shocked air, Oldfossil too looked at you with a surprised air and even some servants and guardsmen looked at you, very surprised. Only Godefroi, Bohémond and Ancel seemed to not be touched by such a wave of astonishment. Pauperus tried to say, in an unsure voice.

-It... It was like slavery it is why it has been forbidden a long time ago...

Oldfossil corrected him.

-Not officially forbidden but strongly not recommended my Lord. It has not existed since 200 years ago. Surely you are not thinking of...

You looked at Oldfossil and you understood, this world was far more touched by the reforms of uppity commoners like this scoundrel Marigny, you would need to strike against this. If it is not forbidden then you will do this. It was time to bring to this world the good old institution of Serfdom, and what better than have a volunteer. You took your most sympathetic tone and corrected the peasant with greying hair.

>>5150803

You looked at Oldfossil and you understood, this world was far more touched by the reforms of uppity commoners like this scoundrel Marigny, you would need to strike against this. If it is not forbidden then you will do this. It was time to bring to this world the good old institution of Serfdom, and what better than have a volunteer. You took your most sympathetic tone and corrected the peasant with greying hair.

-No, it was not like slavery, a serf is a baptised person, he cannot be sold like a cow. A serf is a peasant attached to a land. Serfs are allowed to farm on their lord's land in exchange for free labor. Serfs can even own property, but they cannot leave it. And they pay less taxes.

The man scratched his head, and said, still not believing this. Around you people began to discuss between themselves, Oldfossil looked at you, strangely.

-Are you offering me to... be a serf ? My Lord ?

-Yes, I offer you this. You will keep your farm, and I will personally assure that it is transmitted to your descendants. You will no more pay taxes in grain or money, you will only need to work freely some days a week on my lands and I will take some parts of what was grown here. I will have to feed you in case of famine and take care of your family. And your family will need my authorisation to marry or leave the land. If another lord takes my place be it by inheritance or another reason he will have the same obligations towards you and you will have the same towards him.

He seemed to think about it, thinking what was bad in it. Then said.

-Well my lord, to be honest with you I have tried to grow corn on most of my lands this year since they seemed to grow better... I have not much... And I do not know if I will survive the winter if I have to sell what I have to pay taxes and feed my grandchildren.. I accept my lord. I do not know what god to thank for it.... perhaps the Caf, godess of generosity.

You answered cheerfully.

-Thank our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept you as a serf. And you family too. Come and bow, and rejoice to be a Serf of Local Oldfossil, write something about it.

The aging man and the two kids kneeled while Oldfossil bowed but answered. You let him talk while you thought about bringing back serfdom. It would definitely be a great boon to society, and the people understood it. No doubt that peasants themselves will ask to bring it back.

-Well, my lord, I... I have not many experience of the institution, what you said is correct but I have not redacted anything about serfdom, I will need some help and time to do this. Can it wait tomorrow ?

You nodded, agreeing to this. You will see it later, it was time to study the next case. But Oldfossil tried to get your attention.

-My lord, my lord ! About serfdom, we must speak now...

What do you answer ?

>>5150804

>Yes, tell me about this, why is it not recommended ?
>No, we will talk about it after our judgements, we have still two cases to deal with.

You gain 4 piety for your just decision. You gain 1 mudcore for introducing serfdom but lose 1 mudcore for being just so nothing changes.

>>5150804
>>No, we will talk about it after our judgements, we have still two cases to deal with.

>>5150805
>Yes, tell me about this, why is it not recommended ?

>>5150805
>No, we will talk about it after our judgements, we have still two cases to deal with.

Business first.

>>5150805
>Yes, tell me about this, why is it not recommended ?
Best to hear it now before we forget

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>>5150804
Not since Tolstoy has there been such a benevolent and redistributive approach to serfdom, though one becomes suspicious as to how agricultural surplus has been so easily generated under such an incentiveless system, and subsequently transferred with great magnanimity. One assumes B'beg The Terrible disapproves of this economic resolution...

>>5151017

Of course good sir, but as a lombard merchant would say, everything is in presentation... And of course, only vile people and burghers can be against such a noble and honest institution as serfdom.

>>5150826
>>5150827
>>5150832
>>5150833

Gentlemen, it seems that we need a tie breaker

>>5150805
>>No, we will talk about it after our judgements, we have still two cases to deal with.

>>5151221
>>5151228

Writing

>>5150805
>>Yes, tell me about this, why is it not recommended ?

>>5150805
>No, we will talk about it after our judgements, we have still two cases to deal with.

Just in case you need another tiebreaker.

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>>5150826
>>5150827
>>5150832
>>5150833
>>5151017
>>5151228>>5151243
>>5151281

Next came a small man with slanted eyes and black hair. He reminded you of your guardsman who was a mongol without hooves. He was accompanied by younger versions of him and they bowed low before you. You looked at the defendant, who was a stocky balding man with cold blue eyes and long arms. He bowed too, he seemed to be with one young brown haired teenager who did not look like him, surely an apprentice. You ordered them.

-Tell me who you are and why do you want me to settle your dispute. Who is the claimant ?

The man with yellowish skin and slanted eyes bowed low and said that he was. He spoke with a strange accent but seemed to be serious.

-The humble worm that is here before you is called Hai Su Yu, and these are my sons, To, Ken, Mino, Riti, Chara, and Kter, only Wa Tsist, my son who works in your guard, is not with us. We are all shoemakers, and our fathers back in Diver City were shoemakers, and their fathers too. Here we make shows for all the village, for all the lordship, even big things, shoes for all the people of a hamlet we do, yes. We even do boots for all the guards when Lord Random, may he feast in the heavens, demanded us. We even did boots for him, if you want shoes we can make, very good quality, I assure you.

You wondered if he will be praising his merchandise even longer when he continued.

-But unfortunately for shoes you need leather, and for leather you need tanner that does it's work and can give it ! And tanner here did not do this ! We had agreement with inhabitants of Rabit, they all are of the same family and they give gifts for the day of their ancestors who founded the hamlet... Old Rabit wanted to give shoes to everyone, two pairs for everyone, 42 pairs of shoes ! Big agreement, huge amount of money. I agreed, I said to Peta the Tanner, give me enough leather to make it in one week. We agree and he not gives !

You nodded, you did not want to mock the man for his way of speaking because you were conscious that some people struggled to understand what you said yourself. But you understood the shoemaker and turned towards the tanner. You asked.

-Well, so, it seems that you did not manage to give what you promised, what do you have to say ?

The stocky man answered.

>>5151320

-Well, My Lord, I am the only tanner here, and my father, Peta senior was tanner too. I came with my apprentice, Furrypurge who has seen all this scenes. I always managed to honour my agreements. You know that my work is dirty, treating furs and hides can be dirty, there is fumes and some water that is used to degrease the hides has to be thrown away after we use it. So I rented to a farmer, Wojak, the terrain where I could install all my tools down by the river. Everything was nice but those midgets, sorry, dwarves, who make their beer say that they take the water from the river to do their beer, and they live downriver from me. It is a long way, two hours on foot to get to them, but they say that the taint caused by tanning in my river is bad... We had a lot of disputes over the years about this but they decided to act this week ! They bought the terrain of Wojak and told me that as the new owners I have to pack my things and go.
I had no choice, and I asked all the peasants along the Queste to give me a terrain but they tell that tanning taints the land. And your lands along the river, my lord, are already occupied by farmlands. Finally I managed to find someone, even more downstream than those pesky dwarves, and I needed to move everything this week. It was less time that I could give to my trade.
Even today I will have to produce less because my new workshop is on the middle of nowhere, in a makeshift hut and I have to walk three hours a day to get there, and three more hours to go back home. It is six hours lost when I could work. So I did not manage to give the leather on time. Hai Su Yu did not pay any money and I did not ask to be paid, but understand that it is not my fault.

To be honest, the short scotsmen's beer was delicious indeed and you understood that they wanted quality, but without leather your seigneury would be in trouble. You looked at the shoemaker who wanted to talk.

-My lord, I understand this, but I have agreed to be paid in advance for 42 pairs of shoes, and I just lost a big deal of money, I can pay back the Rabit patriarch but other shoemakers, like those in Baronial, or Hostil's land will maybe take my work...

It was interesting. Very interesting indeed. And 42 pairs of shoes seemed to be costing a lot for commoners. On one side the tanner did not respect his agreement, but on the other side it was not really his fault since he lost some days of work to move everything. On the other side the shoemaker would loose a contract and have to give back the money he has taken in advance, and probably you will see a Rabit asking for a fine against the man who took money in advance without meeting his part of the deal.
You maybe needed more informations.

>>5151322

>Ask Oldfossil about Hai Su Yu, is he seen as an honest person ?
>Ask Oldfossil about Peta the Tanner, is he seen as an honest person ?
>Ask Hai Su Yu why does he is not trying to buy some leather from villages on the baronial lands, or even hostil lands, or from another village in your land if they have tanners.
>Ask Peta the Tanner why he did not try to buy some already tanned hides to respect his agreement and give the merchandise.
>Suggest Oldfossil to do something, maybe have a small boat with a rower to travel along the Queste, it will be faster than walking.
>Peta has not made his part of the deal, he will have to give some money to Hai Su Yu in compensation.
>It was a case of force majeure, Peta has nothing to pay.
>Other (write in)

>>5151323
>Ask Oldfossil about Hai Su Yu, is he seen as an honest person ?
>Ask Oldfossil about Peta the Tanner, is he seen as an honest person ?
>Ask Hai Su Yu why does he is not trying to buy some leather from villages on the baronial lands, or even hostil lands, or from another village in your land if they have tanners.
>Ask Peta the Tanner why he did not try to buy some already tanned hides to respect his agreement and give the merchandise.
Lets first see how these people are and why they didn't do anything else beforehand

>>5151323
>Ask Oldfossil about Hai Su Yu, is he seen as an honest person ?
>Ask Oldfossil about Peta the Tanner, is he seen as an honest person ?
>Ask Hai Su Yu why does he is not trying to buy some leather from villages on the baronial lands, or even hostil lands, or from another village in your land if they have tanners.
>Ask Peta the Tanner why he did not try to buy some already tanned hides to respect his agreement and give the merchandise.
>Suggest Oldfossil to do something, maybe have a small boat with a rower to travel along the Queste, it will be faster than walking.

>>5151323
>>Ask Oldfossil about Hai Su Yu, is he seen as an honest person ?
>>Ask Oldfossil about Peta the Tanner, is he seen as an honest person ?
>>Ask Hai Su Yu why does he is not trying to buy some leather from villages on the baronial lands, or even hostil lands, or from another village in your land if they have tanners.
>>Ask Peta the Tanner why he did not try to buy some already tanned hides to respect his agreement and give the merchandise.

>write in
>see if extending the contract would be feasable.

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>>5151334
>>5151344
>>5151461

You decided that you needed a bit more information about the two men that wanted you to deal with their case and you asked in a low voice.

-Oldfossil, tell me, do you know this Hai Su Yu, what is his reputation ? And what about this tanner, Peta sounds more like a woman's name to be honest.

The man answered.

-This Hai Su Yu came from Diver City, he is an honest merchant and most people have nothing to say about him. He was banished from the city when he mounted on the roof of his old shop, took a crossbow and shot some bolts at rioters who tried to burn it.

You did not understood.

-But, he defended his property, what is bad about that ?

-Well, my lord, Hai Su Yu is good at his job but is short-sighted, he fired three bolts, killed a cow with two of them and wounded a guard who tried to protect the shop in question. He is one of the reasons that crossbows are banished in this city now. But old Lord Random trusted him and even took his son, Wa Tsist, in the guard. There is better shoemakers in the other villages but his family are the only ones in Local and they work quickly and efficiently. I do not remember that he had problems with the law before, he effectively made the boots of our guardsmen and even some shoes for Lord Random and for me, I even wear them actually. They are good. They still rent us the lands where their home and always pay their taxes.
And about the tanner, Peta, as every tanner he had his problems with his neighbours, after all his trade is dirty my lord and it can poison the land and the river. But he is the only tanner in Local, there is only another one in the seigneury, that is in Forgotten. He works hard and has a lot of work, and it is true that if he works less we will have problems. He took one of the sons of the miller as an apprentice. And yes, Peta had judicial problems with some peasants that said that the water was of lower quality because of his business, they asked reparations, Lord Random always said them to take water upstream if they wanted to drink and that a small tannery is nothing and necessary. And it is true, the impact on productivity has been negligible. And with the dwarves of the dwarven community they never wanted to resolve the conflict by decision of our lord because dwarves have some privileges and they prefer to be judged only by dwarven courts and keep their problems between themselves. When they bought this terrain we had no time to react and say that it was of utmost importance that our tanner could stay here, we were too occupied with preparing your arrival and the death of Lord Random. But it will cause us problems if we do not find a solution, we need leather.

>>5151475

You then decided to ask some questions to the two men, beginning by the claimant.

-Tell me, shoemaker, why have you not bought some leather from villages on the baronial lands ? Or on the lands of lord Hostil ? Or even from Forgotten, there is a tannery here.

The man bowed and answered.

-The humble scarab that I am thought about it, but when he sent his son towards Forgotten... But he found the locals being very dirty and unclean and when he asked for help they called him names and said that they do not trade with strangers.

His eldest son nodded and you were surprised at this, but then Oldfossil had said that the people of Forgotten have lived in autarky for a long time and that they did not like strangers. You then let the man continue.

-And my lord I can try to go to Hostil or Baronial lands but it would be more costly, and because it is not my fault that I cannot honor the deal I would want the tanner to pay me the difference in cost.

He bowed a second time... Interesting. Then you asked the tanner.

-Tell me Peta, why did you not try to buy some leather from other sources to honour your deal ?

-Well, my lord, it would have been costly, and even if I asked it would have been bad for my reputation, my competitors would say that I cannot honour my deals and would tell rumours like that I think that their leather is better than mine. And let's be honest, I do the best leather in the seigneury and the nearby lands, I think that I have the best formula to prepare it.

What is your decision ?

>Suggest Oldfossil to do something, maybe have a small boat with a rower to travel along the Queste, it will be faster than walking.
>Peta has not made his part of the deal, he will have to give some money to Hai Su Yu in compensation, for exemple the difference in price between his leather and the leather of his concurrents.
>Peta has not made his part of the deal, he will have to give some money to Hai Su Yu in compensation, the cost of the 42 pairs of shoes that the shoemaker did not manage to sell
>It was a case of force majeure, Peta has nothing to pay.
>Redact an edict saying that the dwarves must let Peta rent their lands for his old rent to maintain the village's leather supply.
>Ask the two men to extend the contract, maybe those Rabits can receive their gifts later.
>Let Oldfossil decide on this case.
>Other (write in)

>>5151478
>>Ask the two men to extend the contract, maybe those Rabits can receive their gifts later.

If rabits complain tell them to send a representative.

>>5151323
>>Suggest Oldfossil to do something, maybe have a small boat with a rower to travel along the Queste, it will be faster than walking.
Can we still do this? It would be good to have some river traffic

>>5151478
>>Ask the two men to extend the contract, maybe those Rabits can receive their gifts later.

>>5151535
+1 the river boat

>>5151535
support
Why don't we have a larger boat travel downstream and deliver the residents past our borders some good Scottish beer? May give us a few more gold pieces

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>>5151491
>>5151535

Yes, it is in the options.

>>5151586
>>5151697

It was a difficult decision, but to you none of the men were in the wrong. One man agreed to a contract thinking that he would have leather and not being delivered while the other one agreed to be able to provide enough leather in time but circumstances outside of his will have delayed his work. Maybe you could explain this to the Rabits. So you said.

-None of you seems to be in the wrong. You all thought that this agreement was good, and were good craftsmen who did their job but circumstances outside of your will and not foreseeable by you have made Peta unable to deliver his leather and you unable to deliver your shoes. You will have nothing to pay, tanner, and you will not loose your contract shoemaker, I will send a representative to the Rabit family and talk with them about this fact. Maybe they will think about not delivering the presents during their feast but after it. We will explain them the situation. Continue your work and make leather and shoes in the meantime.

The men seemed surprised and then bowed very low, praising your sense of justice and your defence of the craftsmen. After all it will cost nothing to try to have an arrangement with the Rabbits and since they live in a hamlet producing food it will be good to buy some of their food. Then you turned towards Oldfossil.

-Tell me, dear Oldfossil, can we try to have a man row a boat down the river on our lands ? It will be faster than walking and it will probably help bring people like Peta down the Queste, it would be for paid travels of course and it will give us some money.

The man thought about it and nodded, saying.

-It would be an excellent idea my lord... Generally we feared this because of the beast of the river, but now that it is dead we can try to build one. Lord Random was already ill when it was killed and we had other problems to deal with after his death. But now we can.

You then said.

-We could even try to build, or buy, a bigger boat, and transport people between Local and the baronial lands, or even further away.

Oldfossil seemed more skeptical.

-Well, for this we will need to build the boat, or buy it because we have no craftsmen capable of building a barge, and have some people knowing how to sail a river barge, and a captain who knows his job... We had one but he moved to the capital. Generally it is merchants that go from the lands near the source of the Queste, but they need to be well armed to cross the Forest of Gump. But if we would have our own commercial or transport barge it would be beautiful, even if probably we would need the authorisation of the Baron to sail it on his lands, and the authorisation of the other barons if you plan to sail upstream.

You nodded, of course it would be difficult to realise this but the idea was good. You approved and you would think about realising it. You bid farewell to the two men and decided to let the next people enter.

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>>5152217

The third case was the strangest one, you saw a woman crying and her sad husband looking downhearted near her. He tried to support her and they seemed to be a bit muddy. Another man, with a pockmarked face on the left side seemed to be ashamed. You asked.

-Tell me, who are you, and what are your griefs.

The woman cried and did not manage to speak, the husband did it in her place.

-Sorry my Lord, for my wife Beware, she is devastated by the loss of our child. I am Themud and I am a farmer in the village of Nearby. I... It was horrible. My wife let our small child, Kenny, outside in his basket but a pig entered and hate him ! This man’s pig !

The man pointed at the ashamed peasant with hatred in his voice. For your part you frowned. It was murder then, and for murder you needed a confession of the murderer. You will have to make this pig talk. But Oldfossil said, astonished.

-Pigs eating people ? What does this mean ? I never saw this in my long life !

Other people in the room agreed but Ancel, Godefroi and Bohémond did not find it strange. Hell, even you knew this, pigs could be wild, they were half domesticated boars and they ate everything. You shall not let a child near a pig, every year some children were eaten because their parents were not careful. But of course the pig's owner must pay a huge fine. And of course the pig must be held responsible, why was he not there ? Was the pig fleeing justice ? You said to the owner.

-What is your name villein, and is it true that your pig ate the child ?

The man nodded.

-I am Sausage the swineherd, and yes it was one of mine, probably Snowball fled in the street and began to eat everything... The baby was there.. I am sorry my lord....

Well this man did not manage to keep his pig. He will be punished, but where was the pig. You asked.

-Where is the guilty party ?

>>5152219

They looked at you, astonished. And the father pointed at the swineherd. But you answered.

-I am not talking about him, I am talking about the murderer ! Where is the pig ?

They looked at each other and the swineherd said.

-I have brought him here to sell it on the market and...

-Well then bring him here ! And stop trying to profit from the bastard, we need to interrogate him !

They looked at you strangely and then Oldfossil said.

-Oh ! You know to talk to animals like a Druid !

You frowned, what does this meant ? But in the room they were all speaking amongst themselves. And, to be true, there was a little problem here. You were told how inquisitors or other people managed to interrogate animals with the help of their executioners and interrogators but you had not anything nearby to help. You will need to improvise, but without confession there can be no murder.

>Ask for Ancel to replace the role of executionner, and do the interrogation in the dungeons with your councillors. Questioning is not a spectacle for females.
>Use Ancel to interrogate the pig, and do it in front of the people, they must watch that they are though on crime.
>Try to interrogate the pig yourself with the old technique of « If you are guilty say gruik gruik »
>Use another person to help you interrogating the pig.
>Other (write in)

>>5152221
>>Ask for Ancel to replace the role of executionner, and do the interrogation in the dungeons with your councillors. Questioning is not a spectacle for females.

>>5152221
>>Ask for Ancel to replace the role of executionner, and do the interrogation in the dungeons with your councillors. Questioning is not a spectacle for females.

>>5152221
>Ask for Ancel to replace the role of executionner, and do the interrogation in the dungeons with your councillors. Questioning is not a spectacle for females.