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>>5561322

Mahmud sighted, for him a frank was a frank, no matter where he came from, he was not a well travelled caravan guard, he was a simple farmer who grew his crops around the Nile and he really hated those grasslands, hills and trees under a cold, grey sky. And the rain... It was raining every time.

-I do not know, but those Franks were too small to have coats at our size, and now my feet are cold... By Allah I wonder what kind of Jinn has sent us here... We should have been fighting with the mongols under the sun and not trying to fight this mud...

The evil Jaffar practically spat at him. He was already sour in their village, and now he was even more sour in campaign.

-Ah yes, Mahmud is cold, maybe he wants to go back to his three wives so they could help him. He wants sun, he may ask what he wants to the jinns, it was him who cursed our column ! He is doing dark mag...

Mahmud could not tolerate this and told.

-Shut up ! I know that you cannot bear the fact that I have three wives and that I have married Aisha after what happened to her, but it was not her fault and if you...

-Only a dishonourable man marries dishonoured women you fennec !

They would have begun fighting if not Saddam who said.

-By Allah behave yourselves or I will give you a taste of my shoe !

It was definitely more humiliating than beating them with the scabbard of his sword. Mahmud agreed to remain calm, he knew that it was poorly seen that, having already two wives, a rare thing amongst peasants, he married a third one who had been raped and who instead of killing herself our of shame tried to live. Some people blamed Aisha... Sweet Aisha, what could she have done against those bandits ? For him she was to be pitied and not reviled... But Mahmud knew that he was a soft man, it was like this... Even his parents, when they were alive, told him that, and now his three mothers in law told him this too. Heh, if everybody knew what having three mothers in law meant they would probably not call him too lucky. It made him think of Zahira and of Fatima too. And his children, would he see them again ? He had been called by his emir even when he didn't knew how to fight and feared his first battle, fortunately he had only to kill unarmed frankish peasants for now. He hoped that he had not to be in the first line during the next skirmish, fortunately he was now a scout and he was climbing some muddy hill instead of being with the rest of the troops, he could run instead of fight if he saw the enemy. It was in those thoughts that he saw Saddam tell.

-Lie down ! Now ! Before they see us !

But it was too late, the small troop of armoured horsemen bellow the hill that they had just climbed saw them. Mahmud did not knew what to do. But strangely a robed figure left the ranks of the Franks and engaged them.

>>5561325

The figure showed itself and removed it's hood, to reveal the face of a pink haired woman. What a strange sight ! The young Salim told.

-Pink hair... It is not natural ! I am sure she consorts with Jinns !

Saddam tried to calm him looking at the small group of armoured horsemen that surrounded her and estimating their chances of survival as void if it came to blows.

-No, no, Franks are simply strange, once I saw a yellow haired slave girl in Alexandria, she had green eyes too. They are a people of many colours.

The others, who had seldom, if ever, left their village looked at each other. But Mahmud had to agree, Franks were strange, those that their column had killed were very short and had often yellow or even once orange hair and they were quite strong, and he had heard that other strange people lived in the cold north. One of his grandfathers who knew a friend who had travelled to Constantinople, the capital of the romans, spoke about the Varangian guard, yellow haired men strongly built, armed with axes and high as palm trees who guarded the Roman Emperors. He was glad that they had to fight those short men in battle, and that they were lightly armed, being sent by magic in the Varangian lands would have been terrifying. But when Mahmud was thinking about this the pink haired woman spoke, she spoke arabic but with a strange voice, a kind of high pitched male voice, a not very feminine voice, maybe she was a man, she was far away and who knows what Franks look like... Or maybe it was an eunuch ?

-Salamaleykum.

It said. And everyone seemed panicked. What to answer. The young Salim tried to propose something but Saddam cut him.

-I could try to throw a javelin at the jinn and...

-This has nothing to do with jinns.

Jaffar suggested.

-You are the leader Saddam, do something before those armoured men cut our innards open.

-I do not know ! I was a caravan guard by Allah ! Not an ambassador ! I was here to be silent and grunt sometimes and look menacing, but I am not menacing enough to make ten armoured horsemen flee.

It was Mahmud that had the courage to answer.

-Aleykum Salam.

This made the creature smile and it explained in good Arabic.

-I am happy to see you at least, brave people. We have learned that a magical anomaly had taken your brave warriors in our territories and, since the Free City of Diver-City is always ready to help refugees the city council that I, ambassador Fourtione, represents decided to let you live among us. In diver city refugees are welcome, and we will need brave armed men like you. Can you let me see your leader ?

>>5561326

This made some of the armoured men agree, one of them even removed his helmet, to show the face of a Nubian ! By Allah thought Mahmud, the Franks and the Nubians were allied... It smelled of treachery. He decided to tell.

-I... How can we know that we can trust you ? I mean, our men might have ransacked some villages and...

The strange pink haired fellow made a dismissive gesture and explained.

-Do not worry about this, those dwarves were reclusive, and not very tolerant. And their lands were needed for Globocorp so we will write it as an accident. Besides external attacks are just part and parcel of living outside a big city.

Mahmud did not knew what to ask. He was maybe a peasant, but he was not stupid, if killing peasants wasn't important because they disturbed this "Globocorp" he might have been a powerful emir... Maybe it was a Frankish name. And if they needed warriors it meant that they were ready to wage war... If this Fourtione said the truth. He tried to explain.

-Hum... And might I ask you who is this sheikh Globocorp that you speak of ?

-Oh, sorry, it is simply our urban dialect, it is how we call the powerful corporation of Explorers, Mapmakers and Globemakers, a powerful force in our port city. They have just discovered a new plant : onions, and they wanted to plant it here but the dwarves refused. With your fortunate arrival the problem was solved.

Mahmud did not listen to the sentence after "port city" if it was a port city it meant that there was a see, and if there was a see it meant that there were boats, and probably boats that will bring him back home. He looked at his companions and they seemed to understand the same thing. But better be careful. He decided to look thrustworthy while asking the ambassador to part with his guardsmen, what if they decided to jump on the Emir and kill him even if they were killed by his army. They might be dangerous fanatics like those Shia dogs called hashashins.

-We will escort you to the Emir, ambassador. We are peaceful people following a religion of peace, even if we were marching to war and thought that we were in enemy territory. We shall bring you to the Emir, but only if you part with your armed escort.

After a moment of thought the ambassador nodded.

-Then it shall be done, brave warriors following a religion of peace. Let us go...

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

Before I post what happens with us in the meantime I have to remind you that in the last post in Local Lord VI you stopped your column in the hills for the night and you decided to try to speak with Isnott before rolling. Your rolls failed and you told that you will try to see Lady Takable if they failed so here is the answer to this.

>>5561332

You decided to try to give some wine to the young man, maybe it would cheer him up but he refused saying that he didn't need to drink. He seemed to not want to engage anymore and when you saw him taking a damned book and a glowing stone you understood that he will lose his evening reading instead of doing something amusing or useful. Well.. you were at a bit of loss and decided to come see Lady Rose instead.

She was lying under a kind of blanket and you asked her if she was well. She nodded and told.

-I am simply cold Charles.

You proposed her, out of politeness, to move her closer to the campfire but she shook her head and made sign for you to come closer. Once you laid near her she nodded and huddled against you like a little cat. You smiled and silently nodded, deciding to sleep near her, under your cape.
You knew about some occitan maidens whose vision of courtly love was to lie naked near their lover and ask him not to deflower them to show their devotion to the ideals of love. You thought that it was pure cruelty. But here there was no cruelty, even if you were more than a bit aroused by your proximity with your lady, she simply was cold and wanted a reassuring presence near her. You asked.

-Is it your first time outside without a tent.

She nodded and looked at the sky, even if you were in autumn and it was quite cold the stars were all visible, tomorrow should be a sunny day. Looking at the stars she said.

-Are the stars the same in your lands.

You were not an astronomer but you knew that it was not the case so you answered honestly.

-No, they are not, but they are not.

-I loved to gaze at the stars when I was a little girl, I imagined that they are some kind of gems and that I could touch them.

You found the idea adorable.

-If I could I would have made you a diadem of them my sweet lady.

Her face brightened with a smile while she looked at you with a deep look before huddling closer. Her thanks was in her eyes and you understood that she didn't doubted at any moment that you would be able to do it out of sheer devotion. Such must be the relationship between a knight and his lady you thought when you sensed that she fell asleep. She looked like innocence personified while she slept like this and a part of you wanted to fall asleep hugging her. You had to be wed after all... But on the other side, some vile pagans who would not believe in a French knight's honour (such people existed unfortunately) could try to use it against you, saying that you had done more than to sleep with her. And since she was the ward of Baron Crook he could probably punish you for deflowering her. What to do ?

>It would be wise to sleep on your own.
>Let the naysayers bark, you are above their lies.
>Other (write in)

>>5561336
It's back! A gift from the Lord!
>Let the naysayers bark, you are above their lies.

The words of pagans are worth less than those of a peasant or God forbid, a Lombardic Jew.

Also, that prologue...I'm interested in what these Saracens are going to do, they're a likable bunch even if they worship Baphomet

>>5561336
>Let the naysayers bark, you are above their lies.
I see the Local Lord arrives just as I'm going to sleep. I wish good luck upon you all while I plunge into deep slumber, my lords. May your enemies be as impotent in battle as they are in bed and your "bitches" be many.

>>5561322
Welcome back, for a second I though you abandoned us
>>5561336
>It would be wise to sleep on your own.
Control thy urges

>>5561336
>Let the naysayers bark, you are above their lies.
Welcome back, LLQM!

>>5561336
>>Let the naysayers bark, you are above their lies.

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>>5561344
A lombardic jew ? By Saint Denis how can a man hold so much perfidy in his body ? I am certain that he shall explode like a barrel of peat hit by greek fire !
And yes, I am back and we will follow the saracens in some other prologues.

>>5561511
Thank you good sir, good night to you.

>>5561524
No way ! I am not a knave who abandons his brave (and pious judging by your answer) bannermen on the field of battle like king John Lackland or a scheming traitor like Marigny.

>>5561561
Thank you, it is always a pleasure.

>>5561645

You loved your lady, and you were not interested in what some pagans would say. Lady Takable's honor was important to you and sleeping with her in a cold autumn night might me a good idea to not catch a cold even if your men lit some fires.
Even your soldiers slept next to each others, just like in a castle in winter it was customary to let all the guests sleep together in the lordly bed. Huge castles, or outdoors were cold, and it what made them great, you still remembered fondly breaking the thin slice of ice in the water buckets that your father's servants left you to clean yourself in the morning. It is forges character.

To be honest you passed a good night, your fair lady was soft and smelled divinely of strawberries, as always. She was still sleeping when you felt a hand shaking your shoulder. It was your brave Godefroi, always vigilant.

-It is dawn Monseigneur. We should go.

By the heavens, you were sleeping near a woman that could only be described in tales and he talked to you about waking up... And... ouch... The ground hadn't been kind to you and your back hurt a bit. You told.

-Yes... Yes....

-Quickly monseigneur, we must arrive before the baron...

You nodded and tried to wake up the nice Lady Rose with a kiss on her neck, you were berthroted after all and since nobody was watching it was the best way to do it. She moaned adorably and tried to to huddle more towards you but you whispered in her ear.

-My lady, unfortunately we must rise at dawn to catch the...

-Oh Charles, I would have wanted to..

-I know, but people are watch...

You couldn't tell how it worked but the half asleep lady rose and like some kind of small cute animal she rose her head, watched everything around her, opened her eyes greatly, reddened and explained you.

-I... Yes, we should go, it was an excellent night Charles. Becky ! Becky, be kind and help me do my hair.

Of course, not wanting to disturb the ladies during this exercise you decided to see how your men were rising. Fortunately one of cop's sons was keeping watch, and hitting his sleeping brother with the handle of his spear to wake him up while Godefroi kicked those who slept near the fire.

-Raise, wake up you maggots ! It is time to move !

>>5561815

There were groans, but not insults, they knew better than to insult the knight that taught them to fight, it was a good sign, it meant that discipline was respected and that, like you before them, the young soldiers would hate Godefroi before understanding that his teaching saved their lives multiple times. Always charitable and helpful you decided to participate in this waking up, while looking at Brother Louis who was already risen and who was doing his first morning prayers (you would join him in the second round), you decided to kick Ancel in the ribs, for good measure.

-Wake up maraud ! Stop snoozing in your wine.

-Eh... messire... Yes.. Yes... I am waking up messire.

And it was done. Well, almost, Isnott Careless was still sleeping and slow to rise. Your knights feared to anger the count's son and his men were hesitating too, not wanting to put their leader in a foul mood. You sighed and decided to rise the lazy reader yourself. Shaking him vigorously you explained.

-It is time lord Isnott, we have to leave.

-Mmmmhgngph...

-Lord Isnott... We are all waiting for you it...

-Mmmhph I will... Justamomentplease....

You wondered if you should throw a bucket of water at him, like Godefroi did when you were his squire. But it would not have been proper. Maybe you should scream that his precious book has been thrown into the campfire, but he might not appreciate the joke. You then heard Ancel saying one of your men.

-The brat has a golden ring, if we cut his throat and pretend that it was an accident we could...

He saw the cold stare that you made at him and quickly told.

-I... I was simply joking monseigneur... You know me, nobody is a more loyal and honest servant than...

Ancel, if he didn't exist someone would have to invent him. You decided to put an end to his antics and ordered to move.

-Yes, yes, well. Prepare to saddle the horses.

While you prayed with Brother Louis and Godefroi the men saddled the horses and Lady Takable was doing her hair with the help of her handmaiden. The sun was slowly rising in the east and while everybody prepared to continue the journey. You would eat some cold provisions on your horses unfortunately, such were the rules of campaigning when you were in a hurry. During all this time Isnott finally rose, and grumbled something before mounting his horse. Since he was not the only one to be in a foul mood because he was awoken up early the first part of your third travelling day was silent and uneventful. You decided to stop at noon on a forested hill to rest the horses, your brave Ancel and Brother Louis having managed to kill two rabbits (the knight with a bow and Ancel by seeing an old trap that must have been left here by braconeers) and some of the count's men having managed to catch a small kind of rat sized lizard.
You were suspicious at first but once prepared it tasted like frogs, and you liked frogs even if you had rarely an occasion to eat them.

>>5561818

You asked your companions.

-How is this beast called ? It is surprisingly tasty.

Rose, always happy to help explained.

-It is a Saurinid, we eat them rarely because they live in the hills but in a soup they can be delicious. And some people make boots and saddles with their hides.

But Isnott corrected her.

-Yes, and they live near Kobold Colonies, the kobolds domesticate them... We are in savage lands here, they are sparsely populated and dangerous. Until we leave this most remote part of the Hills of Benny we should remain careful.

For once he said something relatively intelligent. Maybe it was because he hadn't read in the morning, his thoughts, not sucked by the books could in these circumstances produce an idea. You asked him.

-Does any of your men knows the region well ?

He nodded.

-Yes, Goglmaps is our best guide in these regions.

He then called him, it was a short brown haired and bearded man who seemed to be in his thirties. He bowed before you and asked what he could do before you told.

-How many time we should spend in these dangerous hills ?

The man seemed to hesitate. He showed you some cliffs and hills with very rough slopes who looked quite beautiful under the sun. And he showed you the biggest one, it was not as rough as the others, it looked like... Like a huge ass, it should have made Ancel laugh but there were ladies here so you did as if you hadn't seen this particularity in the landscape.

-Do you see the big hill m'lord ? It is the butt of Spencer, it's how we call it, and this one, with rough slopes, it's the Hill of Terrence, there is a pathway between these two, if we take it we are in a village at night, with wooden walls and everything. If we turn around them well, we will need one more day to come back to civilisation...

-Then we should take this pass...

-Well, m'lord, we are well armed and numerous, but since this pass is important and the butt is the biggest hill of these lands, Kobolds often have some sentries here to see travellers from afar and assemble their men. Of course we might be too numerous for them to attack, but the pass is between two cliffs and very rough slopes, and if they ambush us and throw rocks or javelins it could turn ugly...

You agreed with him, you had seen, when you were a young squire, what an ambush in a mountain pass could do. In Aragon the locals managed to beat back the french chivalry, the best in the world, by ambushing them in mountain passes. Of course when it came to blows the knights slaughtered the aragonese heretics but the supply convoys that were not guarded by knights were easy prey. And you had to protect a lady here.

>>5561820

On the other side, passing one more night in the territory of these kobolds that you never saw was risky too, they could ambush you and slaughter you while you slept, if one of them was lucky and killed one of your sentries... It was a hard dilemna.

>We shall pass between those two hills, fortune favours the bold.
>We shall take a longer road, we travel with ladies after all and their safety is of utmost importance.
>Other (write in)

>>5561821
>We shall pass between those two hills, fortune favours the bold.
Are we not men, capable of protecting our women from little lizards or Saracens, or whatever these kobolds are? God is with us, men! Charge!

>>5561821
>We shall pass between those two hills, fortune favours the bold.
>But send Ancel ahead as a sentry just as these Kobolds do.

Ancel will surely be able to spot any of these lizards or their tracks before we reach the pass, where we may deal with them on our terms

>>5561821
>We shall take a longer road, we travel with ladies after all and their safety is of utmost importance.
We're at a disadvantage here And have to protect a woman, her maid and... well, Incell could count as one too, if I wanted to be rude, which I am not.
>>5561815
There is something comfortable about waking up to a post about waking up.
>>5561818
>they knew better than to insult the knight that taught them to fight
Good, good. They might even survive till next winter! Kek.[/spoiler
>your brave Ancel and Brother Louis having managed to kill two rabbits (the knight with a bow and Ancel by seeing an old trap that must have been left here by braconeers)
I am confused, is Brother Louis a knight? Since when is he wielding a bow?
>>5561820
>Goglmaps
Oh god.

>>5561838
Supporting

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>>5561826
You speak like a true knight ! Montjoie !

>>5561838
A wise choice indeed.

>>5562029
Hahahaha, he is more like a defrocked monk !
And about Brother Louis he must have taken the bow from a guardsman. Like all knights he would never use it in combat but unfortunately rabbits and pheasants have the bad habit of not engaging in open battle against brave frenchmen. So like a lot of noblemen of those times he hunts with falcons, bows and crossbows and since only a bow was available here he used it.
Of course Templars normally were forbidden from hunting, the rules of their order only permitted to hunt lions because of Peter 5:8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. But when it was not as a pleasure but to feed their companions in campaign it was of course not forbidden.
And well, before the hills one of Isnott's men who guided us was Gepees, these Pleasantville fellows have curious names.

>>5562029

You decided that it was better to take the shortest path, after all you needed to get ahead of the baron. So you told the man.

-We will go between the hills, we have twenty good men it should be easy to rout any group foolish enough to attack us.

Your companions seemed to agree, but before leaving you decided to ask.

-We can maybe send Ancel ahead he should be able to see these small Saracens.

Goglmaps seemed to disagree.

-With all due respect m'lord... It will be hard.. These kobold slavers are nasty and they often hide in tunnels.

-But they must come out of them to watch for travellers no ?

-Yes, but they come from a tunnel and leave from another, they have a huge system of galeries here.

Strange, it was very strange... Even the Saracens in the massif des Maures were unable to build such wonders. You decided to ask the question to some of your companions.

-Is it true ?

Isnott agreed.

-Yes, the kobolds slavers, not the wild kobolds, have a very well organised society, a strange hierarchy and they are able to build a lot of tunnels from the underworld.

-You cannot smoke them out ?

-No, it leads to the underworld, a huge network of caves under the surface. We mine there too and we have colonies, but the Kobolds use it to travel and sell their slaves all over the world. They have even entire subterranean cities but most of the accesses are too small for humans.

>>5562639

The thought made you frown. So they could not be smoked out, but these city stories were probably legends. How could people grow crops without any sun ? Or see something in the dark ? It would demand them to have a gigantic amount of torches. Impossible, there was only hell bellow the earth. Not cities of small half lizard, half snake, half pig, half rat and half Saracen men... It made no sense, there were too many halves. But out of curiosity you asked.

-And those cities, someone saw them ?

He nodded.

-Yes, those who come back from slavery see it, and they were described in the stories about the campaigns of the Emperor Tremendus Koboldsbane of the Genocide dynasty.

The Genocide dynasty ? You remembered that one of them had conquered the mountains to the north of Bifuria. They seemed to be quite energetic rulers but since Isnott knew about them in books you doubted the practicality of this knowledge. Seeing that you had finished eating you ordered to get to the horses, it was time to continue riding forward.
You were quite silent during your travel, watching the pine trees on the most forested of the hills and waiting for Ancel, who had ran forward, to come back. You preferred to be safe than sorry. You were quite close to the pass when your brave scout ran towards you from a rough slope and explained.

-Messire ! Messire ! There is small lizard-pig-rat men on both sides of the pass ! They have slings and javelins and they have prepared boulders to throw them at the people who would pass under them.

-How many ?

-At least thirty messire, but they are small, three feet high no more, and poorly armed.

So the stories were true, you were curious about these kobolds, there could really be such ugly creatures ? It was a hard choice, you knew that on these rough slopes your horses would not be useful, you would need to fight on foot. But if you dismounted and let some men behind to guard the horses maybe they would be attacked by kobolds coming from a hidden tunnel. You had twenty fighting men, what to do ?

>Split your men into two groups of ten, one will dismount and attack the kobolds that try to ambush the pass, the other will guard the horses.
>Keep a small number of men around the horses, the rest will dismount and slaughter the slavers.
>Try to pass quickly in the passe, gallop on the other side before the slavers have time to react.
>Why not trying to negotiate ? Go speak with the slavers, and maybe take someone of your choice with you, they might perhaps be reasoned with.
>Other (write in)

>>5562641
>Make 6 men form a rear guard to keep an eye out for tunnelers coming from behind us
>Why not trying to negotiate ? Go speak with the slavers, and maybe take someone of your choice with you, they might perhaps be reasoned with.
Leaving Ancel at these midgets' mercy is a sacrifice that I am willing to make.
>>5562639
>Goglmaps and Gepees
>Pleasantville fellows
While that is true and right, I hear those weird name trends all originate from Silly Con Valley. As the name suggests, that place brings the worst out of a man, it truly is a scourge to humanity.

>>5562641
>Split your men into two groups of ten, one will dismount and attack the kobolds that try to ambush the pass, the other will guard the horses.
A good man should be worth several of these beastly Indian heathens, and our knights worth many more than that. As such, with ten of us against thirty of them, they are already outnumbered! That is simply mathematical fact.

>>5562641
>>Split your men into two groups of ten, one will dismount and attack the kobolds that try to ambush the pass, the other will guard the horses.

>>5562641
>>Split your men into two groups of ten, one will dismount and attack the kobolds that try to ambush the pass, the other will guard the horses.

>>5562641
>>Keep a small number of men around the horses, the rest will dismount and slaughter the slavers.

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>>5562686

Poor Ancel, he never deserved it. And if the silly conmen that live here truly name their children this way the we should kill them all and poison their wells, maybe it will spread a deadly virus that will put an end to their existence.

>>5562867

Well said good sir, numbers are no match for valor, it is why a knight is worth more than a dozen peasants.

>>5562955
>>5563116
>>5563323

You thought that even if those small Saracens received reinforcements your men were french knights, well three of them at least and with you it made four brave men. You took Ancel too, he knew were the enemy was, and three guardsmen. You decided to take two of the eight Isnott's men. The rest will be left with him and the women.

-Godefroi, Bohémond, Brother Louis, Ancel, come with me. Cop, order three men to come with us. And help Lord Isnott take care of the women in case of an attack. Dear Isnott, I am sorry to leave you here and I know that you would have liked to take part in the battle but your life is very precious to us as a son of our Count and the ladies need a brave knight to protect them.

You ignored if Isnott understood that you politely considered him to not be very useful in battle but he didn't complain, agreeing with you. Cop, your guardsman nodded, he was competent and having a man like him could greatly help if Isnott proved to be an inept commander. The guard said.

-Fed, Canon and Fodder come with our lord, Swat and Redshirt stay with me.

They were good men, you saw them at training and their spears and shields could prove useful. You then told Isnott.

-May I take Goglmaps and one of your other men with us, they know the land and I will need ten men.

The woman that served in Isnott's forces implored both of you.

-Mylords, please take me, I want to...

-Be silent, woman, battlefields are not the place for ladies or farmgirls. Stay with the other women.

>>5563531

She seemed ready to burst out at your wise counsel but kept her mouth shut. At least she was able to understand simple instructions, it was already exceptional for a woman and explained maybe why she was in the guard. Indians had queer customs after all. Finally Isnott sent Gepees. And you ordered.

-We will dismount and climb here and attack the ambushers, they will have no chance against us !

The men cheered and you began to dismount. While you were departing the brave lady Takable told you.

-Charles...

-Yes my lady ?

-I... Want you to know that I love you with all my hearth while you go into battle and that I will pray for you... Even if we do not share the same gods, I hope that it will help you find resolve.. I know that I gave you my favour when you fought for me in a duel but in Bifuria, the women have a custom to give something to the warriors who will battle. Take this... And come back alive please.

She then gave you a ribbon with a simple cross embroidered on it. It was so kind of her that you kissed her immediately, both of you embracing each other while your men waited. It was these moments that reminded you why you fought, not only for faith and for the glory of it but to marry the woman you loved too. Partying with her and swearing to be careful you put your helmet on and began to climb.

You noticed that Bohémond was wearing a green armband, given probably by lady Takable's handmaiden. He was the youngest and he told you.

-Haha, I cannot see the slaver's yet. Hurry up we have to move.

Godefroi, who was older, grumbled in his beard.

-When I was twenty I would have done this even faster... But now.. wait us a bit, and compose a song, you bard instead of mocking your elders.

This made you smile, and honestly you were not in a too great hurry. Bohémond laughed too and began to compose something about piercing the flank of the enemy "Et on leur percera le flanc", but he hadn't time to finish to compose the melody when, after some rough slopes, Ancel saw that you were coming towards a huge number of figures readying for an ambush.

They were Kobolds, effectively, you had to admit that you were wrong, they were truly something between the rat, the lizard and the pig. They were very ugly and a bit more than three feet tall. Most of them wore only loincloths and they were armed with crude clubs, nets, javelins and slings. You readied your shield and ordered your men to close the ranks.
You began to count the enemy and smiled... They had received reinforcements, but those were on the other side of the pass, so of the fifty Kobolds that you had to beat only twenty five were able to fight you, the other would have to go around the cliffs on both sides of the narrow pass and mount rough slopes before being able to help their friends. Seeing the poor armament of their troops it would be tremendously easy.

>>5563533

Your men advanced in silence but your enemies saw your shining chainmail armours and heard you, they began to panic, not knowing what to do when the ambushed had to become the ambusher. You quickly ordered some of your men to cut their paths to retreat, so they would be between you and a cliff. The Kobolds, not knowing what to do, began to recoil, trying to hide behind an older specimen who wore a kind of cape with some fur on the collar. He was the only one to be dressed like this so you supposed that it was their leader. You were astonished when he spoke to you in a Breton accented but quite understandable french. But then, he was ugly as a Breton so his accent was not very disturbing.

-Greetings brave customers... I see that you have unsheathed your swords and are ready for war... But we are peaceful traders here. And in the name of all our company I ask you to discuss. No need to get violent.

He opened his hands to show that he was unarmed... What did it meant ?

>I have no time to lose ! Attack men ! (Roll 1d100 for combat)
>I can let you leave slaver, if your men on the other side of the pass leave too and we can pass unscathed.
>Peaceful traders ? You are slavers and you clearly were waiting to ambush us, why should I spare your life ?
>Peaceful traders, I see no wares stop lying to us.
>Was your grandmother a pig, your grandfather a man, your other grandmother a lizard and your other grandfather a rat ? I have never seen such ugly faces before and I have seen Ancel.
>Who are you and what do you want ? And why are you calling us customers ?
>Have you been in Brittany, in the French speaking part I mean ? You seem to be well travelled.
>Whom I am speaking too, give me your name before I could trust you. Your face do not tell me that you are thrustworthy.
>Customers ? You were waiting for people to buy you slaves ?
>Other (write in)

Choose 3 choices maximum please and roll if you choose a choice with a roll, I shall take the average of the first three rolls.

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>5563535
>Peaceful traders ? You are slavers and you clearly were waiting to ambush us, why should I spare your life ?
>Peaceful traders, I see no wares stop lying to us.
>Whom I am speaking too, give me your name before I could trust you. Your face do not tell me that you are thrustworthy.

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>5563535
>I can let you leave slaver, if your men on the other side of the pass leave too and we can pass unscathed.
>Peaceful traders ? You are slavers and you clearly were waiting to ambush us, why should I spare your life ?
>Peaceful traders, I see no wares stop lying to us.
This is probably a diversion tactic meant to buy time for even more reinforcements

>>5563568
>>5563535

>+1
By God, could these be...could these be the sons of Bretons, after one of their lot learned that rats and pigs also have orifices!?

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>5563535
>>Peaceful traders ? You are slavers and you clearly were waiting to ambush us, why should I spare your life ?
>Peaceful traders, I see no wares stop lying to us.
>I have no time to lose ! Attack men ! (Roll 1d100 for combat)

File: Charter of the Lore Lords(...).png (148 KB, 975x710)

148 KB PNG

>>5563568

>>5563646
A wise opinion.


>>5563710
By Saint Denis no ! Bretons are maybe dumb and ugly but they remain christian frenchmen (even if not of frankish blood and of dubious loyalty), they would never do this with pigs and rats. Since carolingian times we know that it must be done with horses.

>>5563752

You were outraged by such insolence, how did these knaves dared pretend that they were traders. What kind of peaceful traders prepared ambushes with nets, weapons and boulders ready to be pushed on poor souls passing a mountain pass.

-Peaceful traders ? You are slavers and you clearly were waiting to ambush us, why should I spare your life ?

Strangely it was the Kobold's turn to be outraged, nevertheless it was the first time that you saw a rat-pig-lizard-man looking outraged so you couldn't really tell if he faked it, his face was not frankish enough to have readable emotions. You looked at Brother Louis, he saw saracens in the desert and was the better travelled of you all, maybe he could see if this kobold man lied but he seemed as puzzled as you. The little thing moved his arms, and you saw that he had golden rings on it, that seemed to take Ancel's attention at least. And he explained.

-Slavery ? My company does not deal in such affairs, we are a trading company, an honourable company. I can understand that slavery is a painful memory amongst humans, and that kobolds and humans have some bad blood between them and some of us might have not been kind enough with your people. Regrettably, not all the portions of the deals relating to the humans were properly vetted and some unapproved actions made by concurring firms might have hurt your feelings, but rest assured that our company remains inclusive and treats the memories and the feelings of the customers with utmost respect.

You looked at the Kobold, then at your men, maybe one of them had understood something. You thought that he was probably speaking in some kind of dialect, with his breton accent he seemed to be a rural type. You could understand the peasants of your region, but with those of neighbouring places, be it in Normandy, Burgundy or Artois you had some troubles. You generally considered that when words were not understandable, it meant that there was no thought behind it, but here the man seemed so passionate to express himself that you kind of felt bad for him. You saw that he wanted to tell something but to no avail. You turned towards your men who looked at you, as bewildered as you were. Bohémond looked at you and asking.

-Should we kill them ?

But Brother Louis, the most well read of you, decided to tell.

-I think that he means that he is a trader and not a slaver. I suppose at least.

Uh.... Well, if this was what he meant then he probably lied, and you knew why. You told the short kobold man.

-A peaceful trader ? And where are your wares, stop lying to us !

>>5563854

The kobold clacked his fingers and pointed at you while winking, it was very strange but he continued.

-I see that you are an observant customer, and effectively our company, Ubihard Inc doesn't deal in physical merchandises like many others. As said the powerful and mighty Ceo, praised be his name, "We do not deal in wares, we deal in opportunities", we offer opportunities to brave people who appropriately communicate interactive imperatives, judging by their character and capacities we proactively leverage existing flexible scenarios and help them decide in their future carrier choices. These deeds do not only offer inclusive opportunities to our customers they efficiently promote professional niche markets in developing countries and help redistributing more efficiently the human population to ensure a better and more ecological tomorrow.

You looked at your men, maybe this man was inventing words as he spoke, or it was something like a dialect. Maybe he did not understood what he said himself but talked to you to look like he was, maybe he did not even understand what you said. It was definitely confusing. But he seemed to not be thrustworthy at all, he spoke strangely and was ugly, it was enough to not find grace in your eyes.

-You say that you are not a slaver, so what are you and what is your name, kobold, and explain me all of this more clearly before my patience runs out.

The small man nodded and smiled, by Saint Denis he had horrible teeth.

-I am Revals son of Revals and the function that I occupy at Ubihard is that of special allocator for the Pleansantville and Podunk regions but it is simply a pompous name for a middle level human ressources manager. Would you be interested in our services ? I can tell that our offers defy all concurrence, we are the leaders on the market, as said the all powerful Ceo "At Ubihard we work hard to make you work hard" hehehehe. You are all warriors right ?

You nodded, just like your men, fascinated by this strange man, his gesture could be quite funny in a weird way, maybe he was called like this because he resourced honest men by making them laugh, he must be a kind of jester. But you heard him.

-We offer good opportunities for warriors, imagine, instead of this grey sky you have the blue sky of a land who knows only summer, and you fight glorious battles with powerful fighters from all over the world. It is like one of your knightly tournaments, or I think that is how you northern humans call them, you strike down your enemies, or a powerful monster with great slashes of your swords and axes ! They all fall before you and the crowd cries out your name, how are you called by the way ?

He was imitating the crowd and his kobold associates seemed to find this very interesting, nodding and approving. You had to explain.

-Charles de Villeroi...

>>5563856

He tried to tell the other kobolds to cry with him but they seemed to not understand, or not speak french at all.

-Charles cries the crowd ! Charles, Charles, Charles, the invincible ! Or any other of you good sirs, and everyone will admire you, you will be given the most beautiful breeding women by our sponsors, they will equip you, feed you the best meats and wines, and all of this for free ! A lifetime of battle and glory, imagine !

Free food and wine ? Beautiful women ? And glorious tournaments ? Did he wanted to make a tourney knight out of you ? You had a lordship you couldn't but some of the men seemed to think about it, only Ancel who was too cowardly to want to fight. But seeing this, the kobold merchant Revals explained.

-Oooh, I see that you are a more peaceful type, maybe you want something else, do you like gold ?

Ancel nodded.

-Yes, of course I like gold ! Hehehe ! Were is the gold ?

-There are gold mines at Cidna, in a southern land with a great climate, gold, gold, gold in rocks and everywhere requiring only healthy exercise with a pickaxe to be yours. Our sponsors are ready to give you food, housing and even women there, imagine yourself with the sun caressing your sky with only gold fields around you ! They will even give you all that you need to take it and we can transport you here freely...

You had to intervene, it was too much.

-No more words, Ancel is my servant and he is going nowhere. And besides, you have a silver tongue, merchant, but what you say cannot be true. I never saw a merchant offering his wares, or opportunities, for free, you must gain something.

-At Ubihard we receive some compensation from our sponsors when they receive our customers then they see the rest of the details with them, but be assured that they will engage you and pay you honestly for your work, weassureyouthatwearenotresponsibleonsomesubstractionfromthesalaryduetothepriceoftheequipmentthatoursponsorsgiveyouandpeculiaritiesofthecontractliketheoffersofworkplacetoyourlivingdescendentsbyoursponsors.

You looked at him, he was less and less understandable. But what to do with him ? You looked around, his men on the other side of the cliff were hesitating, these kobolds seemed not to be very brave, and you could slaughter this "dealer in opportunities". Or maybe it was interesting. You needed to reflect on what he said, to process all of it, but after this what will your answer be ?

>>5563858

>Your words make no sense, since I do not understand them, kill him men, and take his money, it is a good opportunity for us to gain some loot hahaha ! (Combat roll)
>Who is this all powerful Ceo ? Some kind of king ? Or god ?
>A company ? You are a sort of lombards ? Are you bankers ?
>You are travelling merchants, surely you have paid your taxes for entering on the lands of Count Careless ?
>I have already a lifetime of battle and glory, and a castle, you can offer me nothing, and if you try to corrupt honest peasants with these stories and promises you are the same kind of vermin that encourages burghers to ask for a charter for their towns. Kill him men, and be assured that you protect our right and proper feudal society by doing so. (combat roll)
>If you are so peaceful, why were you preparing an ambush ?
>You seem well travelled, have you seen other Christians beside us ? Have you heard about the prester John ?
>You make us travel right ? Do you have an "opportunity" for me and my future wife ? Just to know.
>What is a sponsor ?
>If I understand well you offer work in other places to some people... We could... make an agreement, I am in need of labourers and farmhands, but no free food and wine for them, they will have to grow it themselves.
>Battles to the death before a crowd ? What are we, the caesars of old who threw martyrs to the lions in arenas ! How can you condone barbarity like this !
>You are funny, human resources manager, I shall give you that, and spare you and your men if you let us pass.
>You are funny, human resources manager, I shall give you that. Leave him alive men and capture him, kill the rest ! (combat roll)
>Other (write in)

>>5563859
>A company ? You are a sort of lombards ? Are you bankers ?
This reeks of impious financial chicanery.
Still..
>You seem well travelled, have you seen other Christians beside us ? Have you heard about the prester John ?
>If I understand well you offer work in other places to some people... We could... make an agreement, I am in need of labourers and farmhands, but no free food and wine for them, they will have to grow it themselves.

>>5563880
+1

>>5563859
>>If you are so peaceful, why were you preparing an ambush ?

>>5563880
Support

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>5563859
>I have already a lifetime of battle and glory, and a castle, you can offer me nothing, and if you try to corrupt honest peasants with these stories and promises you are the same kind of vermin that encourages burghers to ask for a charter for their towns. Kill him men, and be assured that you protect our right and proper feudal society by doing so. (combat roll)

He has a very Italian way of speaking, but if you look through it one may see his intention

>>5563880

I agree, he seems dishonest.

>>5564009
>>5564070
>>5564257

>>5564325

You are a wise man, as Saint Eloi.

====

You failed to understand what he said entirely so you tried to have precisions.

-A company ? You are a sort of Lombards ? Are you bankers ?

It would explain why these Kobolds were so rich, cowardly and well travelled. Besides everybody knew that Italians loved to use complicated formulas and move their hands a lot when they talked, maybe this small man was an Italian who learned to speak French by being posted in a trade post in britanny. Did he knew the Albizzi family ? Or maybe the Bardi ? He seemed not to understand ?

-Lombards ? Ah long beards ! No.. no... No... We are Kobolds, those dwarves with long beards are our enemies...

It meant he was a Lombard ! You were sure that he was one because each time that you asked a Lombard if he was one he said some nonsense about really being from Tuscany and that "all Italians are not Lombards, we are more civilised than these northern savages". You did not care that they were from Tuscany, for Frenchmen any Italian banker was a Lombard. Even if Spinello Tolomei, the speaker of the Lombard companies in Paris was from Florence he was considered a Lombard by the authorities, it was simpler. But the small man continued.

-And we are not bankers, that is the gnomes work, we at Ubihard are specialised in human ressources, even if we can deal in elven ressources (including half elves), dwarven ressources, dragonborn ressources, goblin ressources and sometimes birdmen ressources but they are hard to catch since they fly.

You wondered what he meant by Guelph ressources but then you understood, dwarves was how they called short Scotsmen, Ghibellines you saw them, and Half-Guelphs, it probably meant the cities that hesitated between supporting the pope and the Emperor. This man was not really only offering work, no, and he was not a banker, he was a Lombard moneychanger dealing in ressources of all countries ! These Kobolds were the Indian Lombards ! It was evident ! It was why he was so well travelled. They must have made a lot of money by changing the coins of those that they made travel and keeping a margin. Of course, all moneychangers were thieves. But his knowledge might be precious.

-You seem well travelled, have you seen other Christians beside us ? Have you heard about the prester John ?

File: Good Feudal order.jpg (20 KB, 296x170)

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>>5564449

The merchant of opportunities scratched his head he talked in his language with his fellows and one of them produced what you could only describe as a kind of strange book. Since you did not knew how to read you looked at him and while he flicked at the pages he told.

-My friend here can sing for you if you are bored while I consult the register.. It contains all the names of our past customers... You say Prester John, could you describe him to us ?

-No songs thanks. And he is well known, it is a Christian priest who established a realm in India, or in Abyssinia according to legends. So he is a kind of priest king.

-Well, I have it, we have had a lot of Johns who were happy to use our services but only one has pursued an ecclesiastical career. Here, we sol... Sorry for my lack of professionalism, we gave him the opportunity to join the Cult of the Bloody Hand, a religious organisation lead by Shratizzar the impaler, a filial of B'beg the Terrible's forces that is one of our numerous sponsors and partners. He joined as "sacrificial victim" it is a dangerous work, but very useful for society.

You had trouble understanding, was he an acquintance of B'beg the Terrible, and was he partaking in pagan human sacrifices ? Like the druids of Old ? Your voice became dangerous.

-You are partners with the vile B'beg ?

He became fearful and immediately justified itself.

-Our company takes a stance against barbarity and evil but we are forced to travel through his lands and merchants cannot forces lords to change their policies.

Well, he knew how to please an honest nobleman, if more merchants thought like him the world would be a better place. You remained suspicious but decided to push another subject.

-If I understand well you offer work in other places to some people... We could... make an agreement, I am in need of labourers and farmhands, but no free food and wine for them, they will have to grow it themselves.

His eyes shone with the light of cupidity and happiness, a light that you recognised from practically all burghers that you met.

-A sponsor ! What a pleasure ! It is an honor to meet you my lord... We have a lot of packages for human lords, we work with a lot of noblemen here, discreetly of course, but all of them like our services. We have a lot of packages to propose.

-Packages ?

-Yes, you see, all in our business is a question of presentation, and some lords like to look heroic. For exemple we can persuade peasants to accept our opportunities in a rough manner, with nets, stones, clubs and javelins, keep them for a few days, and then you would come and free them. Against a small fee for us. They should thank you and accept to work for you for cheap.

>>5564452

-For free, serfdom is the way. If we begin to pay peasants they become uppity and always complain that they were not paid enough or that the taxes are too high. In my opinion the lord-peasant relationship must be entirely distanced from the concept of money. It has no place in it. Only feudal loyalty and shelter and protection against service are tolerated. But this farce with a fake capture, it is buffoonish.

The kobold seemed to be convinced.

-I understand your opinion about paying the workforce, it is a very popular opinion amongst our sponsors, and between us, I agree with you. But as say the wise and glorious Ceo, praised be his name, "if you give them nothing, better tell that you saved them from worse than nothing so they will thank you and ask for more". But if you dislike this we can sell, with insistence and the help of our working tools, jobs in your lordship to travellers. We could take 100 gold coins in advance and 10 gold by peasant ?

Of course, they paid in gold and gold was worth nothing here, but with the curse that changed your gold into silver it became a huge sum of money for you. And damn it, these sneaky lombards were talking about banditry !

>This... Is banditry ! You talk about stealing peasants and deporting them to my land ! You are a slaver and a bandit ! Kill this scum men (combat roll)
>I am interested in your "false liberation" offer. I shall give you 100 gold coins.
>I am interested in receiving people with your offers, let us say that I will "buy them out of slavery" and in exchange they will work for me as serfs. I shall give you 100 gold coins.
>I am interested in your "false liberation" offer. But it is too expensive. I shall give you 50 gold coins.
>I am interested in receiving people with your offers, let us say that I will "buy them out of slavery" and in exchange they will work for me as serfs. But your prices are too expensive for me. I shall give you 50 gold coins.
>What other noblemen have taken your offers ? I am curious.... (intrigue roll)
>You sold an honest peasant to celtic druids in league with our enemies ! You are not an honest merchant, you practice witchcraft and consort with heretics ! Kill them all men, and burn him alive ! (combat roll)
>Other (write in)

Choose only one choice please and if you choose to roll roll a d100, I will take the average of the first three rolls.

>>5564453
>I am interested in receiving people with your offers, let us say that I will "buy them out of slavery" and in exchange they will work for me as serfs. I shall give you 100 gold coins.

>>5564453
>What other noblemen have taken your offers ? I am curious.... (intrigue roll)
This could be our chance to get one over on the Baron, boys!

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>5564528
Huh, the roll didn't take.

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>5564453
>>What other noblemen have taken your offers ? I am curious.... (intrigue roll)

>>5564486
>>5564528
>>5564713

It seems that the question option is winning, if nobody else answers this in the next two hours feel free to roll a third time for the average. I will try to answer during the night.

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>5564816

>>5564453
>This... Is banditry ! You talk about stealing peasants and deporting them to my land ! You are a slaver and a bandit ! Kill this scum men (combat roll)
Behead this bastard son of devil. His doublespeak reeks of Silly Con Valley.
>>5563710
KEK

File: These Kobolds are as bad (...).jpg (276 KB, 800x950)

276 KB JPG

>>5564486
>>5564844

>>5564528
A wise move good sir, the move of a true intriguant like Robert d'Artois.

>>5564529
This devilry has trouble working.


>>5564713

>>5564898

Yes, he seems to be a treacherous fellow. I would trust him as much as I would trust the bastard son of a venetian merchant and a greek schismatic"noblewoman".

By the way you rolled 3 times and passed 2 times but it was not enough to not fail the roll since you have a very low intrigue of 25. But since 2 rolls passed I should consider it as a small failure.

====

You thought about all of this, maybe these Kobolds were the explanation for the baron killing his people so liberally. After all if he had a supply of people he could do what he wanted. And surely being in league with such scoundrels could be poorly seen at the count's court. You decided to ask.

-What other noblemen have taken your offers ? I am simply curious and I wouldn't want to be the only one, some people might ask questions you understand.

You saw a look of fear in the Kobolds eyes..

-I.. am sorry to inform you that Ubihard has a strict privacy policy with it's sponsors in Imperial territory. We have to remain quiet to avoid them unwanted attention.

You frowned... And smiled, he knew something, but the scoundrel would not say it out loud. Not without some persuasion at least. Probably Ancel would have to tickle his bowels with his knife to make him talk a bit. Or you could threaten the knave.

>Soldiers, let us kill those bastards and take their book. And take the merchant alive. (Combat roll)
>My men would slaughter you and your kin if you do not talk, who consorts with you ? Mmmh ? (Rulership roll to intimidate)
>Kill them men, kill them.
>If you give me the names of the lords who work with you I shall accept to take one of your offers.
>Well, we will see each other another time then. Let us pass and we will forget all of it good sirs.
>Other (write in)

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>5565610
>My men would slaughter you and your kin if you do not talk, who consorts with you ? Mmmh ?
Combat would preferable, but I suppose we have women and 'scholars' with us who me might spare such risks.

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>5565610
>>My men would slaughter you and your kin if you do not talk, who consorts with you ? Mmmh ? (Rulership roll to intimidate)

>>5565610
>Kill them men, kill them.
I just don't like this scum.
>>5565622
The women and incels are nowhere close, the battlefield is just us and the goblins.

>>5565968
*kobolds
**Lombards

>>5565974
***semites

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>5565610
>>My men would slaughter you and your kin if you do not talk, who consorts with you ? Mmmh ? (Rulership roll to intimidate)

ngl this average system sucks

>>5565610
>>My men would slaughter you and your kin if you do not talk, who consorts with you ? Mmmh ? (Rulership roll to intimidate)

>>5565610
>>Soldiers, let us kill those bastards and take their book. And take the merchant alive. (Combat roll)

File: Saracen Kobolds destruction.jpg (3.03 MB, 2320x1940)

3.03 MB JPG

>>5565622
>>5565784

>>5565968
Yes they were behind.

>>5565974
Lombards are more likable, at least if we refer to Spinello Tolomei.

>>5565981
Your comment would have been forbidden by the laws of the Republic, fortunately this regime will not rule France before some centuries. King Saint Louis approves it.

>>5565990
>>5566017
>>5566038

You decided to persuade the kobolds, you hesitated to kill them, dead witnesses would not be useful, and so you explained.

-My men would slaughter you and your kin if you do not talk. Who consorts with you ? Mmmh ?

You said this unsheathing your sword while the kobold looked panicked, he tried to see the cliff behind him but falling from such heights for such a small being would probably be lethal. So he explained.

-Let us not be hasty it...

-Enough words, men, kill these bastards !

He seemed panicked and cried.

-They want to kill us ! Security ! Help ! Remove this men !

But his "security" seemed to be less effective than your knights and men at arms. Bohémond was the first to strike, cutting the head of a javelin wielding kobold with his sword while brother Louis bissected two of them in one strike. One creature jumped on you, trying to bite you but you bashed it's head with your shield and opened it with your blade. You screamed.

-Montjoie ! Strike great blows good frenchmen, we are in our rights and these heathens must die !

You were too enthusiastic to remember to tell your men to spare the merchant to interrogate him so when you saw one of your lads, in this case Swat, spearing him in the back while he fled while you removed the arm of a kobold from it's body with a powerful blow you cursed yourself. But your men were enthusiastic, screaming warcries and killing everything. Seeing such righteous fury the kobolds on the other side of the cliff got back to their holes while you looked at the field. The kobolds were all dead and you had no losses. Maybe a guard or two had a javelin planted in it's shield or a bruise from a stone or a club but the difference in equipment between your troops was too great to let them a chance.

Seeing the carnage, and seeing that Ancel was sawing off the fingers of the dead Revlas to take his golden rings you ordered your men.

-Take back the book, maybe we could find something in it.

Brother Louis, who carried already a Bible, agreed and took it after having removed the blood from the cover. He opened it and told you.

-It is not written in french nor in latin... Not even in the dialects of the Empire or Spain, the letters are not the same as ours and it is not greek nor arabic. I never saw such writings.

>>5566074

Damn it... You hoped that the young Isnott would be useful at once and recognise this language. Since the battle was finished and 25 heathens lied in the field you fell on your knees and did the sign of the cross. You had killed three enemies in battle and had vainquished those that the devil sent on your path. You had to thank the lord. You began to pray in latin, joined by your knights, Ancel (once he had made sure that the pagans amongst you would not touch his loot) and one of the soldiers who was a convert baptised by Father François while the others looked at you strangely. Once it was done you ordered your men to come back to the horses, this place stenched of dead kobolds and you had a pass to pass.

Seeing you coming back all alive seemed to render your beautiful Lady joyful, she practically jumped at you, taking you in her embrace and asking.

-Are you well Charles ? Are you not wounded ?

>No my lady, your favour protected me, I am safe just like all of us, and the road is open. I see that you had not to suffer from attack on your side.
>No my lady, we are all safe, but we better move quickly, maybe the kobolds will come back.
>Yes my lady, the battle was hard and long but we triumphed even if these kobolds tried to drown us in numbers. I must admit that you were right, they were truely pig rat men. But with faith and blade we triumphed.
>Yes my lady, we won and it was easy. Small pig-rat men were nothing against warriors like us !
>Yes my lady, we won, but some discoveries on the field of battle make me want to speak with Lord Isnott. If you permit it of course.
>Other (write in)

You gain +20 xp for dealing with the kobolds of Ubihard and courageously fighting for our good old feudal society against me*chants. You lose 1 mudcore because you fought slavers.

===

Your new stats :

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 3
XP : 415+20 = 435 (next level at 450)

Stats

Combat : 51%
Intrigue : 25%
Rulership: 36%

Piety : 51

Mudcore : 48-1 = 47

With 47 Mudcore you have a bigger 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. You have chosen Blood of Mud and so your mudcore field will become a bit bigger and stronger but could be transmitted to your children.
Next level at 50, your field will become more important.

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.

>>5565990
About this I thought that it would make more people participate in rolls and avoid some randomness, plus it would show if a choice is popular if chosen by three players. At higher levels you would be able in some occasions to choose your rolls based in a "best of three" system instead of "average of three". But even if this thread is anti democratic by nature I can be swayed by the demands of people (and huge bribes in ducats and livres tournois) so if really a lot of people prefer to have only the first roll count, we could change in the future.

>>5566082
>Yes my lady, we won and it was easy. Small pig-rat men were nothing against warriors like us !
I won't miss a chance to humiliate filthy m*rchants in the eyes of a lady.
Why does fighting slavery remove mudcore? IIrc D&D has slavery (might even be lots of it), so destroying it shouldn't make a difference between reality and fantasyshit.

>>5566082
>Yes my lady, we won and it was easy. Small pig-rat men were nothing against warriors like us !

As we know, women enjoy their men best when they are grand

>>5566082
>No my lady, your favour protected me, I am safe just like all of us, and the road is open. I see that you had not to suffer from attack on your side.
>(Also God)
>but some discoveries on the field of battle make me want to speak with Lord Isnott. If you permit it of course.

>>5566082
>No my lady, your favour protected me, I am safe just like all of us, and the road is open. I see that you had not to suffer from attack on your side.

>>5566099
"Mudcore" is built by acting like the memetic grimdank and grungy, corrupt and shitty "Local Lord" stereotype. Here, rather than slaughtering every nonhuman immediately OR taking advantage of a chance to subjugate peasantry, we negotiated with rat-lizard-Lombard-Smites and then decided slavery was bad.

Just my guess/interpretation.

>>5566082
>>Yes my lady, we won, but some discoveries on the field of battle make me want to speak with Lord Isnott. If you permit it of course.

>>5566136
>rather than slaughtering every nonhuman immediately
I was voting we cut them down from the beginning, my good sir. Alas, it seems most of us have been distracted by that ugly devil's silver tongue.
>decided slavery was bad
But why have slavery when you have peasants who love you unconditionally and pay taxes?

>>5566082
>>Yes my lady, we won and it was easy. Small pig-rat men were nothing against warriors like us !

>>5566085
I can offer you complete absolution of your sins and a free ticket to heaven
>>5566136
Slavery got banned in 1840 something in France so maybe its because we made Charles think slavery is bad?

>>5566173
I'm just saying how the votes landed and how that might have affected Mudcore.

>>5566252
Isn't Charles about 700 years (and one especially-brutal French slave colony) too early for that? I think, like charging interest, chattel slavery was just something considered fundamentally Unchristian in that era and region, and only was deemed permissible by king and church later.

>>5566259
Yeah, what I meant was maybe it was during that era it was not considered that bad? Maybe Charles or the region he comes from thinks it's okay? I do not know

>>5566263
At least according to Wikipedia, Charles' era saw the French conception of Christianity partly defined against Islam by their relative lack of slavery, and it was outlawed within a hundred-or-so years by Louis X literally declaring France to "signify freedom" and that any slave (or, well, almost any slave) setting foot on French soil was to be considered free.

(Then again, then he also went about dismantling serfdom, so I doubt Charles would approve.)

>>5566082
>>Yes my lady, we won and it was easy. Small pig-rat men were nothing against warriors like us !

File: Philippe IV the Fair.jpg (338 KB, 352x645)

338 KB JPG

>>5566099

The brave >>5566136 answered about mudcore better than I would have done it. He put it in a nutshell. Fighting slavers is "noblebright" and every "good" adventurer has done that, so of course it removes mudcore. But mudcore is not always good, after all it can change your gold into silver and bring medieval illnesses to your lands.

>>5566103
>>5566131
>>5566133
>>5566138
>>5566173

>>5566252
>>5566259
>>5566263
>>5566266

About slavery and Charles opinion of it there was no more slavery in Champagne at his time, but there was slavery in Provence or other regions. Slavery was still not banned in France because we are in 1299 and the edict of Louis X was proclaimed in 1315 if I remember well. We are under Philippe IV the Fair, the father of Louis X the Quarrelsome. Slavery was mild in France since the kings forbade to sell slaves but people born into slavery stayed slaves and their children were slaves.
About Christianity and slavery the church ordered to not mistreat slaves but was never against slavery in itself. Indeed in the 1270's the opening of the Genoese trade post of Caffa, in Crimea made the Genoese great merchants of slaves, they bought them from the Golden Horde and, since they were italians, sold the men to the mamelukes and kept the women for themselves.

The point of view of Charles would be the one of the church, it was strongly against slavery of Christians by muslims, but not against the fact that infidels enslaved eachother (what else to expect from them) or the owning of non christian slaves. For exemple in the crusader states people could have slaves but if a slave genuinely converted to Christianity (not simply to earn his freedom) he had to be set free. So dealing with slavers outside of France or slavery, as long at it was not the enslavement of Christians, was tolerable (but not seen as virtuous).

About Louis X's reforms against serfdom it was more of a kind of deal with the serfs, and only in the royal demesne, the king offered freedom to every serf who could buy it since he needed money to wage war against the Flemish. But factually it was not very effective because seeing the huge price of their freedom a lot of peasants preferred to stay serfs. The fact that this scoundrel of Marigny (that our dear Charles rightly despises) emptied the treasury and that the brave Charles de Valois (the leader of the "feudal party" that our own Charles considers to be a genius), who was the power behind the throne used the treasury like his piggy bank to pay off the debts that he made because he felt alone when not eating a banquet with at least 60 guests might have played in this huge price.

>>5566554

You smiled your more confident smile and told the truth.

-Yes my lady, we won and it was easy. Small pig rat men were nothing against warriors like us !

>>5566894

Her face brightened after hearing this, not truly believing you, did she doubted your qualities ? Hey, she had seen you killing a dark wizard and battling another one. She even heard a song about you battling an assassin.

-Charles... You are always so brave and smile in face of danger. You are truly a hero from the songs. I should maybe compose one for you... Or ask a bard to do it.

She blushed while asking it and it made you blush too. But you were to humble, humility being, in plus of your bravery, wisdom and handsomeness, one of your defining traits. So you answered laughing.

-Maybe dedicate it to our love or another future heroic deed. The "Song of how lord de Villeroi and his companions have beaten three feet tall bandits" do not sound very impressive.

It was her time to laugh and you saw on her face that she was not afraid or worrying anymore. Only joy remained and you liked her like that. You then offered to help her mount her horse while you were going to pass the pass. Civilisation awaited, and without you it felt probably lonely !

You first stayed alert, when you passed the pass quickly, after all more Kobolds could have ambushed you. But when it was clear that you were out of danger, and you saw the rolling plains were the Queste flew under you you were far more talkative and all your attention was taken by your beautiful bride. Her red riding dress fit her perfectly and you could only admire how even by sleeping outside she managed to stay clean and beautiful. These were some things that women were inexplicably good at. She told you some anecdotes about Pleasantville, saying that count Careless loved to eat well, you thanked mentally the lord, you finally met someone in India with an appetite. Then you told her about the beauty of the land and you talked about the joys of horse travels. You promised to offer her a white mare on the day of your wedding. After this interlude and when the sun was setting you saw a village surrounded by a wooden palisade and Goglmaps explained that you should stop there and that after one entire day of riding tomorrow you should get to Pleasantville. He explained that this village was called Fillerville and that nothing interesting was happening here.

>>5566897

You wondered if you would have to sleep in a commoner's house but the strange Indian laws about a great number of Inns in lordships seemed to apply to count's demesne too, and you were for once, happy to see that there was an Inn, the "Dead Kobold Inn" here. You could not read the name of the establishment but there was a painting of a dead kobold on a sign before it. Once inside, while your men were entering you saw that there was some travellers already there. Three guelphs in light armors carrying swords were looking at you, two gentlemen, clearly of noble blood, dressed as if they were on a hunt and some peasants. The patron seemed to be a cagot woman, since they were descendants of heretics and leper carrying people you began to worry about the cleanliness of this place.

>Order wine for you and your lady and noble companions and beer for the troops.
>Ask the innkeeper if the place is clean.
>Tell the innkeeper to free his best room, even if occupied, for your lady, the second best room for the count's son, and the third best for you, Lord Charles de Villeroi.
>Tell discreetly to Isnott that it is maybe unwise to go in an establishment held by a cagot.
>Talk with Isnott, you need to know what is written in the kobold's book.
>Talk with lady Takable, you need to be ready for tomorrow, you probably will have to agree on what to say to the Count to sway him to your side.
>Ask who are those three armoured Guelphs, you do not recognise they do not carry any heraldry but are all dressed the same.
>Introduce yourself to the two noblemen, you are a polite man after all.
>Other (write in)

>>5566899
>Order wine for you and your lady and noble companions and beer for the troops.
>Tell discreetly to Isnott that it is maybe unwise to go in an establishment held by a cagot.
>Talk with Isnott, you need to know what is written in the kobold's book.

>>5566899
>>Order wine for you and your lady and noble companions and beer for the troops.
>>Talk with Isnott, you need to know what is written in the kobold's book.
>>Introduce yourself to the two noblemen, you are a polite man after all.

>>5566899
>Order wine for you and your lady and noble companions and beer for the troops.
>Tell discreetly to Isnott that it is maybe unwise to go in an establishment held by a cagot.
>Talk with lady Takable, you need to be ready for tomorrow, you probably will have to agree on what to say to the Count to sway him to your side.
I think the book can wait until later.
>>5566894
You are a learned man, lord local.

>>5566899
>>Order wine for you and your lady and noble companions and beer for the troops.
>Tell discreetly to Isnott that it is maybe unwise to go in an establishment held by a cagot.
>Talk with Isnott, you need to know what is written in the kobold's book.
>>Introduce yourself to the two noblemen, you are a polite man after all.

>>5567054
+1

File: modern cagot.png (649 KB, 600x886)

649 KB PNG

>>5566928
>>5567045

>>5567054
I try to be as everyone. I studied history of law good sir, and I I did not appreciate the period I would not have ran this quest.

>>5567365
>>5567431

Seeing the cagot innkeeper you told her quickly.

-Hey here brave woman, give your best one to my knights and noble companions, and beer for the troops.

She nodded, telling something like "of course" and going to her kitchen. It was an important part of your next move since she could not hear what you would say quietly to Isnott.

-Lord Isnott, we cannot remain here...

-Why ?

-This place is owned by a cagot, who knows what illnesses they bring. And they are dishonest. In the south they do not even let these knaves in their villages, sleeping in the inn of one seems to be an invitation to be robbed or sick.

He looked at you in disbelief, clearly taking time to understand your simple reasoning, clearly the universities did not help much to develop intelligence, they were just money laundering scams.

-You consider halflings unclean ??? Halflings ???

-Yes, you saw her hairy feet as well as I saw it, how could you trust someone who hasn't even shoes. It is the mark of a vagrant.

-How could she be a vagrant if she owns an Inn, I do not follow your thoughts lord Charles...

-By being one mentally, in her head. She can think like a vagrant while living like an innkeeper ! Have you seen Italians ? They tell sometimes that they are noblemen but they think like merchants and so they cannot be trusted.

He sighed, clearly your logical explanation seemed to bring him discomfort. So he told you.

-And tell me, lord Charles, if they are so untrustworthy why do you not fear falling ill when you will drink their wine ? Or give the beer to your men ? Why only if you sleep here.

You didn't like his sarcastic tone and answered.

-I have at least three reasons : the first one is that if cagots poisoned people or wells they would be expelled from the realm, like jews, but not simply kept out of our cities.
The second one is that I have already drunk beer served by cagots, I have some in my castle, but supervised by normal Indians, and it was excellent, even if made by short Scotsmen so we can not know what their beer means.
And thirdly I did not see any vineyard or hops when we came here, so clearly the wine and the beer is not made by the cagots so it is clean.

It was an invincible demonstration, and the young man looked at you, dumbfounded by your showing of facts, reason and logic. That will teach those university professors one thing or two. Before he could answer the cagot lady came with wine and beer. And after she left he decided to hit you under the belt. Asking.

-Rose, tell me, you plan on resting here tonight ?

>>5567991

She turned her beautiful head, she was hearing Bohémond telling poetry to her handmaiden, and nodded.

-Yes of course Isnott, why not ?

-No, some people seemed to complain about the cleanliness of this establishment.

-Oh... We should maybe send someone to check, what do you think about it Charles.

You could only answer.

-Yes... yes..

No you could not explain anything, well you could but later. But you should remember these underhanded pro cagot tactics from this pagan scholar. Educated faithless men were truly simply clever devils.

But you needed this clever devil so you sighed and ordered Brother Louis to give him the tome.

-When fighting Kobolds I found this book, apparently it keeps records about local noblemen who deal with slavers. I do not know how to read it, nor my men.

The man looked at you quite disturbed. And interested.

-The sick bastards... I... Of course, give me it please...

You passed him the book and he shook his head.

-I do not know the runes, it is written in the dark tongue of the forces of evil. I can know some signs from my lessons of ancient languages, like this one "Ürünündür" it means "is the product of"...

Brother Louis, who was nearby, told.

-It sounds like the tongue of the Turks. I fought these vile nomads during the crusades.

Isnott turned towards him.

-You thought the forces of evil ?

Brother Louis answered without a hint of doubt.

-Yes.

The young man looked at him with respect, at least, maybe this young man would finally understand the importance of chivalry. But since you looked at him Isnott continued.

-I could not traduce the book, but I could if I had Professor Tolkien's book about evil languages.

-And of course you do not have it.

-No, but we have it in my father's castle library. I could traduce it when we will be back.

Finally ! You knew that maybe books besides the holy scriptures were not totally worthless, since so many people took their time writing them they could be useful. You then told.

-Then I will give it to you once we will arrive. Thank you Isnott.

-No, it is I that shall thank you, if noblemen trade in slaves, they are criminals and should be punished, we cannot allow our peasants to be enslaved. It is even worse than serfdom, it is unthinkable.

You looked at the ceiling after his remark about serfdom, and decided to order food.

>Stay in the inn for the night
>Try to find shelter in a civilian's house, we cannot trust cagots.
>Other (write in)

>>5567993
>>Stay in the inn for the night

>>5567993
>Try to find shelter in a civilian's house, we cannot trust cagots.
It would be outrageous to let this quill-warrior get the better of us!

>>5568009
>>5568126

Mmmh it seems that I will need to roll if there is no tie breaker. I will be able to begin to write in two hours so I will roll then.

>>5568856

1-3 = staying
4-6 = trying to find shelter amongst villagers.

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5568992

And I forgot to roll like an idiot.

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>>5568009
>>5568126

You decided to stay finally at the inn, if your lady stayed you had to be with her to protect her after all and with Ancel at your door you should be able to stop cagots from stealing your money.

You then decided to relax during a pleasant evening. You asked of course to give the best room to Lady Takable, but you learned that it was occupied by one of the two gentlemen dressed like they were hunting. They introduced themselves as knights from Bofuria who came here to hunt aurochs and quickly offered one of their rooms to the lady, as gallantry demanded. It seemed to be the realm of where the young Isnott was studying in his university. They had an accent from Anjou and seemed to drink as well as the Angevin that you met, you wondered if their women were just as lustful. You imagined a whole kingdom of Angevin people and you quickly realised that it existed, well, at least a kingdom run by angevins : it was the Plantagenet empire, or what stayed of it so the kingdom of England and it was probably the closest thing in our normally right and proper feudal society that could be called to be evil. But who were to blame ? The Angevin and Norman noblemen or the English masses ? Probably both of them, a good Englishman was a dead Englishman in your opinion, you had fought them too much to like them.

Fortunately the two men were sympathetic and when you learned that Bifurians and Bofurians were brotherly people and that what Bofuria lacked in aurochs it made up in wineyards you considered them sympathetic ! For too long you were deprived of good wine and good climate to grow gorgeous grapes that will make delicious vintages for your feasts. You quickly decided to command wine to celebrate the occasion and invited the two knights, who now were relevant enough for you to remember their names, to a hunt in exchange of a barrel of their local production. The tallest one who was broad shouldered with a black beard was called Sir Ren the Loud and the other one, more thin, blond haired and blue eyed with an always smiling face was Sir Vice the kind.

Glass of wine after glass of wine you all introduced yourselves, everybody shared stories, you talked about the time when you rode against the count of Bar and put it's men at arms to flee, the two knights, who never knew war, seemed impressed and praised your deeds. When, late in the evening lady Takable accepted to play the harp while singing with her handmaiden, and you basked in their angelic voices while Godefroi and sir Ren the Loud were quietly armwrestling after a wager the loud knight from Bofuria proclaimed after his loss.

-Bah ! You are strong people and fine knights, brave men of Bifuria, but I cannot understand how can such a brave people can be ruled by a fen witch and her pointy heared lackeys ! By the heavens we are a human empire not some forest colony ! Bring me more wine servant...

>>5569284

He told while banging the table, he caught himself after this since he was, as you all were, quite intoxicated. The wine was good and strong. But a sharp voice came from the other end of the room.

-Did I hear treasonous words from an talking ape ?

Ouch, it was one of the pointy eared armoured Guelphs, who were not drinking and not looking amused by your antics. He seemed to be unhappy, maybe he was one of those pointy eared bastards. Of course maybe he wanted to defend the honour of your queen but she was a witch, it was well known and the only reason why someone should obey loyally and without asking questions to a monarch is because it is a pious Christian monarch. What the knight said was completely right. You were about to rise and to suggest this Guelph that you could cut off his hears, so he would no more be part of this pointy eared cabal that was criticised by your drinking buddy. But when you looked at the guelphs table you saw that they were no more three but six and two had risen and you shook your head. No, they were three and you had drunk too much.

Isnott put his hand on your arm before you could say anything and whispered in a pasty voice.

-They are queen's justiciars.. they uphold the realms laws we cannot...

You did not knew about this justiciar's nonsense, but you understood. These guelphs without tabards were the equivalent of the kings sergeants. These men in France at least, carried bâtons and were named in each prévoté by the provost to collect taxes, pursue criminals and collect debts from filthy peasants but from brave noblemen who spent a lot on the king's wars too. Provosts who named them were often corrupt and sergeants were violent, King Philippe IV was always in need of money and he always raised the taxes and the number of sergeants to beat the people into submission. You understood that peasants had sometimes to be reminded of their taxes by a solid branch of oak applied into their back, but it was the role of local lord's men, not some commoners from the central authority who dared to be impolite with those who had a divine right to rule them. But killing one of them meant that you would be hanged...

On the other side.. Some of the queen's troops had dared to attack your castle a bit more than a week ago. If you remembered what the goat who was leading the assault said. Yes.. so you had already killed some Indian sergeants without consequences. Maybe they needed to be reminded to stay out of the dealings of the nobility ?

>>5569288

>Try to defuse the situation, clearly sir Ren was drunk and did not meant what he said. Let us all drink to our fair queen. (rulership roll)
>Ask the sergeant what he does here drinking in a tavern while some evil noblemen consort with slavers at the queen's expense (intrigue roll).
>Draw your sword and kill the blackguard who interrupted your nice evening. And tell your men to kill the rest ! Montjoie ! (Combat roll)
>Do nothing, if the Bofurian is arrested it is his fault.
>Help arrest the Bofurian knight if there is an altercation, he is a stranger and arresting him will make you well seen by the authorities, even if betraying a man with whom you drank and that you invited in your halls would be seen as dishonourable (combat roll).
>Try to bribe the sergeants, if it works in France it should work here.
>Other (write in)

>>5569293
>Ask the sergeant what he does here drinking in a tavern while some evil noblemen consort with slavers at the queen's expense (intrigue roll)
This pointy-eared fuck is lucky we have a Lady with us (for now). I say we try intrigue, but if the situation escalates, we shouldn't shy away from snapping those twigs in combat!

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>5569293
>>Ask the sergeant what he does here drinking in a tavern while some evil noblemen consort with slavers at the queen's expense (intrigue roll).

Should this fail... Montjoie!

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>5569293
>>Draw your sword and kill the blackguard who interrupted your nice evening. And tell your men to kill the rest ! Montjoie ! (Combat roll)

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>5569293
>Ask the sergeant what he does here drinking in a tavern while some evil noblemen consort with slavers at the queen's expense (intrigue roll)

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5569293
>>Ask the sergeant what he does here drinking in a tavern while some evil noblemen consort with slavers at the queen's expense (intrigue roll).

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>5569293

>Ask the sergeant what he does here drinking in a tavern while some evil noblemen consort with slavers at the queen's expense (intrigue roll).

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>5569317
forgot roll

File: A street at Pleasantville.jpg (219 KB, 1199x666)

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>>5569317

Wise idea, very wise idea with great potential to create chaos.

>>5569427
>>5569497
>>5569563
>>5569669
>>5570048

I took into account the first 3 rolls of Intrigue and you passed them ! Congratulations !

=====

You decided to try to defuse the situation by changing the subject. You explained the sergeant.

-Hey, you there brave man, I do not know your name but don't you think that you should be more preoccupied by those who sell our people into slavery at our majesty's expense than by a man who has simply maybe drank too much ?

-What do you mean ?

Said the Guelph who looked at you with hostility.

-I mean, that I fought Kobolds today and one of them carried a book with the names of their clients to whom they sold slaves and amongst these clients it said that there were local noblemen.

There was a moment of silence and the Guelph frowned.

-What do you m...

You showed him the book, still closed and he came to your table and opened it, everyone was watching at him now and Isnott seemed completely unhappy about the situation.

-I can't read it, it is written in the dark tongue.

Told the Guelph and you were amazed to see a literate sergeant. He then continued to say.

-I should take I...

You put your hand on his arm and looked at him. The bastard was taller than you but thinner and you clearly were the strongest.

-No way, I need it. But once traduced it will be given to you. I simply need it for my personal use. After this I will give it to your superiors.

-You have no right ! I am a justiciar of the queen and...

-And you have two armed men, well one of them is a woman so she counts for half and they seem so thin and malnourished that I wonder how they carry their armors while I have twenty good men. Let us not fight, I should give it to your superiors, you could come with me at this moment so you could say that you participated in retrieving it from me.

You had perfectly nailed the man who probably simply wanted a promotion by saying that he found the book and bringing it to a dusty archive where queen's legists would use it against noblemen that displeased her. But you needed it against your own enemies, after this the count would use it in his turn and then you would give it to the queen's agents. You found it, you kept it. The Guelph looked at his comrades, they seemed unhappy by being called malnourished, and in truth you had seen guelphs like your soldier actually still in local, Gardasil, compensating their lack of strength by astonishing speed so your criticism was a bit unfair but two of them could never beat twenty of your men. The leading sergeant nodded and released the book.

-Very well then, I shall come for you when you will the book to my superiors.

He then regained his politeness and added.

-My lord.

>>5570683

He then nodded and retired to his table after telling you that he will be back at Pleasantville aftertommorow when his patrol will be finished here. Your evening was saved. You passed it by talking with your lady about your future travels but both of you drank too much to remember it.

Fortunately there were no cagot treachery in the night and the next morning was silent since everyone had a headache because of the wine but you rode through what you could only describe as a rich country. Even if the time was gray and there was even a light rain in certain moments you rode through three villages in the morning and could see that the center of the count's lands, around Pleasantville was truely a beautiful place. The Queste river that you joined at noon flew calmly near the village inn where you stopped and you were in a land of fertile plains surrounded by beautiful forests full of game to hunt. You saw pheasants and ducks flying in the air and even the imprints of a boar near the road. You rode fast, encountering many villages and sometimes seeing others far away. Their houses were even bigger than those in Local with ever more extravagant glass windows and the peasantry seemed well dressed and fat. Clearly the taxes were low and people were obedient since they saluted Isnott's men telling "Hail the count" each time they saw their tabards.
You counted at least twelve villages, not hamlets, villages because there was a temple in each one before finally reaching Pleasantville.

The town was a good town of about 3000 inhabitants as you heard. It was definitely not a huge city like Troyes, Reims or Provins but it could be comparable to a small prosperous town in your native Champagne like Epernay. A solid stone wall protected the place even if a part of the town was outside of it and on a hill you saw a really huge castle. Even in the grey sky of this autumnal day it was an impressive sight, some towers were so thin and delicate that you wondered how they held and the castle in itself was thrice bigger than yours. It completely dominated the crossing between two rivers, the Tigie and the Queste, it's tributary. Once inside the town you saw that it was composed of huge three our four stories buildings who were richly decorated and often brightly coloured. The people looked at you and were amazed, hailing the son of their lord and you too and you tried to look imposing to not disappoint the populace.

It was when you passed a huge place with an imposing statue in an Italian style of a sitting knight fed and caressed by two mermaids that your convoy was stopped by an angry orange haired lady flanked by two strange armed beings.

>>5570688

The first being was a kind of cat man, once more a proof of the lecherous nature of the Indians, who carried two swords on his back. The second one was a strange old man with a baton, couloured robes and a thin beard. But the person in the middle was known to you, her fiery hair only matched by her temper and her blue eyes seemed to look at you with utmost contempt. She wore a kind of bronze coronet but was in her fighting leathers and wore a steel breastplate and her sword was at her flank. Her voice clearly emitted.

-Lord Charles de Villeroi.

You answered with a smile.

-It must be me, yes. What ows me the pleasure lady Sue ?

But you were careful not to look too playful, your beautiful lady was just near you and she frowned at the red headed woman. Isnott, proving his intelligence, whispered.

-She seems angry...

Oh, really, what an educated man... She looked more than angry in truth, she looked ready to murder you, for a reason unknown. But then she was a silly woman who dressed like a man (even if these leathers put her beautiful legs at advantage you must admit... Before doing the sign of the cross and imploring the lord to protect you from such lecherous thoughts). She then decided to finally explain the reason of her anger by saying.

-You murdered innocent adventurers of the adventurer's guild of Pleasantville !

Huh ? What ? The last adventurers that you executed were from Podunk ? What did she meant ?

>I am sorry about what adventurers did you talk about ? The first group or the second group that I executed ? (gigachad move)
>I am sorry my lady but what does it has to do with you ?
>Silence woman, I have not fought kobold slavers and insolent basement dwellers to be insulted by a woman, the unnatural spawn of a man and a cat and a magician. Begone from my way or face my wrath ?
>The count reigns here, what about talking about it before him instead of making a scene here ?
>Killing adventurers ? Me ? Never !
>Yes, I probably executed a group of adventurers, where is the problem ? These armed vagrants were insolent and forgot to show proper respect to a lord.
>Lady Sue ? I thought we were on good terms since we fought these wolf men together. Why do you make such accusations at me ?
>Other (write in)

>>5570691
>Lady Sue ? I thought we were on good terms since we fought these wolf men together. Why do you make such accusations at me ?
>I am sorry my lady but what does it has to do with you ?
First assess how deep is the shit that we are in. Then, we can see if we wish to bury ourselves deeper.

>>5570691
Did the midget lie to us when we offered to spare his life? Son of a rat and a skunk! How audacious!
>Lady Sue ? I thought we were on good terms since we fought these wolf men together. Why do you make such accusations at me ?
>Yes, I probably executed a group of adventurers, where is the problem ? These armed vagrants were insolent and forgot to show proper respect to a lord.
The senile sorceror has no power around a faithful christian knight, and the excessively-haired individual will kill himself before he can cut anything, if he plans to wield both swords at once like a clown. We should be good to tell these heretics to mind their own business, my lords. The God protects.

>>5570691
>Lady Sue ? I thought we were on good terms since we fought these wolf men together. Why do you make such accusations at me ?
>Yes I did execute those adventurers but innocent? absolutely not, both times have been for self-defence and they even dared to attack me in my own keep!
The best lies have grains of truth to them, but we, as a man of god would never lie so its all truth.

>>5570691
>>Lady Sue ? I thought we were on good terms since we fought these wolf men together. Why do you make such accusations at me ?

>>5570691
>>I am sorry about what adventurers did you talk about ? The first group or the second group that I executed ? (gigachad move)

>>5570698
Supporting

File: Veryon Careless.jpg (1.69 MB, 1664x2432)

1.69 MB JPG

>>5570698
A wise opinion good sir.

>>5570754
The vile cagot was from Podunk. But he is probably a liar and a traitor as his small size can attest.
And of course, an old satanic man and a cat man, unfortunately you have no hunting dogs to release them on the latter, it would be funny.

>>5570777
They are commoners and they disrespected you, you have right of life and death on your lands. They had it coming.

>>5570998
>>5570999
>>5571390

You were a bit shocked by the words of Lady Sue, you thought that you were now on good terms but she seemed to hate you now.

-Lady Sue ? I thought we were on good terms since we fought these wolf men together. Why do you make such accusations against me ?

Two feminine voices answered you at the same time. The first one was your sweet lady Rose.

-You fought wolf men with her ? And you haven't told me ?

The second one was lady Sue who seemed to be as angry as before.

-It is not baseless accusations ! I have a witness ! Beau the Bard ! He was a member of the adventurer's guild of Pleasantville, that I have the honour to lead, and he told me how you killed his companions and threw him in a dungeon, forcing him to learn you poetry.

Ah, this... And this scoundrel escaped and finally came here... He was from Pleasantville then. But their insolence was the reason why these men were killed. But first you had to answer your beautiful lady.

-Lady Rose I was followed by Lady Sue, she wanted to confound me and prove that I was in league with evil since I was going to attack the lair of witches and wolf men. She then fought with us, but I didn't want to mention it because I have supposed that you were mayhaps not on the most friendly terms with her.

Lady Takable frowned cutely and fortunately the brave Bohémond helped you, he was always a gentleman.

-Yes gente dame, lord Charles tells the truth, I was here and we were followed. He didn't want to disturb you about tales of his fight and wound.

Her face softened, you decided to give Bohémond a new horse or a new sword for his trouble. Or maybe some gold to buy something for his Becky. He supported you, you supported him, as always when you courted women. But lady Sue decided to intervene.

-We are not talking about his ! Do not change the subject lord Charles ! You and your men murdered the adventurers called Murd, Ehhr and Hob and imprisoned Beau. It shall not go unpunished.

But before you could answer your bride to be snapped back.

-You really want all the attention ! I am sure he had good reasons. How can you follow the future husband of another lady to make accusations against him ? You were jealous of us ?

-Says the lady doing nothing but looking pretty in her dresses. I am not jealous of you ! You compliment perfectly each other always bigoted and judgemental !

>>5571685

-I am maybe judgemental because it is improper for a lady to dress like a man and gallivant with adventurers instead of doing her duties and marrying. How but what you would know about marrying, you are bastard born.

You looked at one of the ladies, then at the other, not knowing what to do. They were not verbally shooting arrows at each other, they had passed to ballistas and trebuchets. You tried to tell.

-Gentes dames, please...

But lady Sue did not hear you, answering.

-I may be bastard born but at least my father hasn't been executed for treason !

-You... Kikimora ! You tell this kind of things and then you wonder why nobody wants you, imagine being 23 and celibate.

You cleared your throat.

-GENTES DAMES ! Maybe there is better places than a busy street to tell what you think of each other ?

You then saw that your beautiful Rose looked at you but before she could tell that you did not support her you explained.

-And lady Sue, please, could you not insult my gentle lady. I do not appreciate such..

The redhead, her orange hair showing her violent and treacherous temper by being a mix of red, colour of violence and yellow, an impure white colour of treachery and of the clothing of Judas Iscariot, continued nevertheless.

-Hah ! The perfect knight rescuing his lady ! I do not need my man to fight my battles for me, I am an independent woman.

You wanted to chuckle at this ridiculous idea but Rose was quicker.

-Maybe because my Charles killed your Fors in a duel after he dared insult me ? And now you are alone.

-You bitch ! You will pay for this !

-Slut !

-Tart !

-Harpy !

You were looking to intervene, it was always troublesome, especially when you saw that Lady Takable had her fist clenched around her riding crop and Lady Sue on the pommel of her sword. Since you didn't want to lose your lady in an unequal battle you decided to advance between them but before you could tell you heard a powerful voice telling.

-What is happening here ?

Isnott exclaimed.

-Oh... It is my elder brother Veryon.

>>5571689

It meant that the baron was here, since Isnott's elder brother was accompanying him. He must have arrived before you since he departed before you and was closer, but you gained two days with your shortcut so if you counted well he was only here since yesterday. The two ladies, your men and the people who wanted to see them battle and who dared to even take bets on which one of them will lose her clothing in the fight first (you remembered their faces to quarter them later) made way to an armoured young man with a brown beard and a virile air. He was not built like a scholar like his younger brother, he had the strength of a warrior and was even probably more stocky than you. He had a fatter face than his brother but wore a marvelous and very ornate armour made of the finest steel, you really envied the Indians for the quality of their armourers, these armours, apparently called plate armours must be far more effective than your full mail, but their designs, like here, were sometimes not very practical. The man seemed to be more or less of your age, or a bit younger since he was six years elder than his little brother. He spoke with a powerful voice.

-Oh, you seem to be the nobility of the Someplace barony, my father awaits you at the castle.

>Let Isnott introduce you, after all he led you there and he knows his brother.
>Follow silently.
>Introduce yourself and explain the situation to Veryon Careless, tell that you were injustly accused and your lady insulted.
>Introduce yourself and do not mention lady Sue's accusations, you shall talk about it later.
>Other (write in)

>>5571690
>Introduce yourself and do not mention lady Sue's accusations, you shall talk about it later.

The whinings of a 'femmecelle' are unimportant, let's put forth a good first impression!

>>5571690
>Let Isnott introduce you, after all he led you there and he knows his brother.
Lets hope we can win this court case
Hopefully, the Kobold list is pretty incriminating

>>5571690
>Introduce yourself and do not mention lady Sue's accusations, you shall talk about it later.
I'm sure Veryon sometimes has troubles understanding Isnott like we do, and we don't want any misinformation.
>>5571685
>no hunting dogs to release on cat-man
But we have plenty of water to spray his malformed face! Inside of us.
>>5571689
>Maybe because my Charles killed your Fors in a duel after he dared insult me ?
Ohoho, we did WHAT? Which thread was that? I must've been busy taxing peasants.

>>5571690
>Introduce yourself and do not mention lady Sue's accusations, you shall talk about it later.

>>5571690
>>Introduce yourself and do not mention lady Sue's accusations, you shall talk about it later.

File: Count Hapyon Careless.png (415 KB, 512x511)

415 KB PNG

>>5571695
Always.

>>5571714
Hopefully it does not concerns half the region's nobility.

>>5571735
Yes, Veryon seems to be less scholarly. And Lord Fors Hostil was the rumoured lover of Lady Sue, Charles killed him in a duel after he had dared to insult Rose when we first met the baron to swear fealty to him.

>>5571878
>>5572623

You decided that it was time to introduce yourself, without mentioning the incident, hopefully it will make the ladies stop their infighting.

-The nobility of the Someplace barony indeed, I am lord Charles de Villeroi, Lord of Local.

The count's heir raised his eyebrows, quite astonished.

-Glad to see you my lord. And hello Rose, and lady Mary.

The two ladies gracefully saluted him. He then made you sign to go to the castle. Riding near you Veryon explained.

-To be sincere I heard only your description by baron Crook and I thought that you would be a more religious and scholarly type. You are a knight ?

-Of course, and I suppose that you are too, your brother told me that you were a warrior.

-Yes, yes of course. Do you hunt ?

-Of course I hunt, but unfortunately I have never had the time to do this since I am in India.

-We should correct this, my father and I love to hunt and we would be glad to organise a hunt before all this court case business.... Do you compete in tournaments ?

-Yes, but it seems that your tournaments are more about jousting than melees. Back in France I always preferred melees.

-Really ? I always dreamed to organise a melee with good knights, they say that it is like war.

-You never were to war ?

-No unfortunately our land is peaceful, I wanted to join the legion in my youth but since I am a first son I have to learn to be a lord and be near my father. I hope there will be war soon, what other way do we have to distinguish ourselves ?

You smiled and decided that you liked the man, he had sane and reasonable ideas and it was rare in India. You could only agree.

-Without wars the chivalry grows soft and cannot fight, to be good warriors need to practice. But I am sure that war will come soon enough. You have maybe a borderlands conflict with the nearby count ?

-Unfortunately no, and I would prefer to wage war far away, to spare the peasantry. Some say that the barbarians will invade again but I do not believe it, they are primitives and idiots. And they have no leader to unite them all and pass the impassable passes with our fortresses that hold them.

Isnott decided to comment on your discussion too.

-I do not know brother, some say that they are uniting under a new leader. I heard this from a legionary who once was stationed in the passes.

It was when you were hearing this interesting discussion that you came before the gates of the mighty castle. Trumpets blowed and you quickly entered the courtyard and dismounted.

>>5572789

Here you found an assembly of well dressed nobility waiting for you. You recognized some of them, unfortunately baron Crook was among them, and his court witch was there too. Then you saw those who must be the Pleasantville nobility.
First amongst them was a richly dressed fat man with blonde hair who had became partly white with age and an elaborate mustache. Since everyone was around him you supposed that it must be the count.
Then you saw a fat cagot woman at his left who looked satisfied and had a witch hat. It must be his court sorcerer. A thin one eyed man in armor must have been the guard's captain but since there were at least ten other noblemen assembled here you wondered if they were courtiers, councillors or nearby vassals. The fat man spoke first.

-Welcome welcome good people ! I see that you have brought back our dear Rose, Isnott... And... I suppose that you are the new Local Lord ! I am glad to finally see you ! And lady Sue has came too ! Excellent ! Anyway, welcome to Pleasantville. Have you travelled well ?

He looked at you so he clearly expected you to answer. Probably to judge your character. You saw Isnott nodding and telling "yes father" while Rose curtsied and smiled her most charming smile.

>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions.
>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions but tell about your travels, about how you encountered a strange basement dweller and fought kobolds slavers and took their accounting book as a trophy.
>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions but tell about your travels, about how you punished the basement dweller and fought kobolds.
>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions but tell about your travels, about the basement dweller and about how you fought kobolds, compliment lord Isnott saying that he was of a great help.
>Simply introduce yourself and your companions without unnecessary flattery.
>Simply introduce yourself and your companions without unnecessary flattery and tell about your battle with the kobolds and the basement dweller.
>Simply introduce yourself and your companions without unnecessary flattery and tell about your battle with the kobolds and the basement dweller and about the book that you took as a trophy.
>Other (write in)

You could choose to mention other subjects too.

>Your altercation with Lady Sue in the streets of the town
>The fact that you saw queen's sergeants interested in the kobold's book
>Decide to give one of your horses as a gift, you had forgotten to bring a boar spear from the armoury but giving something to the judge is always good before a trial.
>Other (write in)

>>5572795
>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions but tell about your travels, about how you punished the basement dweller and fought kobolds.
Don't mention the book until we have some privacy. Make sure Issnot knows this, too. It could be dangerous.

>Mention meeting some of his sergeants, also
>>Maybe they might have something to discuss with him?
When he is informed more orivately of what we know, he will surely call us for an audience and to see the book.

>>5572795
>>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions. Tell about your battle with the kobolds.
This should suffice, we're a humble man after all and I'm sure the Count will ask more of our journey later, when he thinks the time is right.
>The fact that you saw queen's sergeants
Say it's a story for later.

>>5572795
>>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions but tell about your travels, about how you punished the basement dweller and fought kobolds.

>>5572795
>>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions but tell about your travels, about how you punished the basement dweller and fought kobolds.

>>5572795
>>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions but tell about your travels, about the basement dweller and about how you fought kobolds

>>5572795
>>Compliment the Count on the greatness of his home and introduce your companions. Tell about your battle with the kobolds.

File: Pleasantvilles Castle.jpg (100 KB, 808x606)

100 KB JPG

>>5572812
It is a wise idea. I will give the option to talk about it when you will be in private.

>>5572942
Wise idea, wise idea.

>>5572959
>>5573382
>>5573400
>>5573890

You decided to tell how you came here after introducing your companions.

-I am the new lord of Local, your excellency. Charles de Villeroi, at your service. You already know my bride to be Lady Rose Takable and there are my noble companions Messire Godefroi de Trifouillis, a bannerman of my dear father who had taught me all that I know, Messire Bohémond d'Autrelieu, a good friend who had campaigned with me in Flanders and Spain. And finally Brother Louis de Pierredargent, knight of the most holy order of the Temple. We have travelled through valleys and hills in our haste to come here, braved many dangers and saw some things that we haven't since we were born and baptised.

This piqued the count's curiosity.

-And what may they be ?

-We found a man fleeing the world not in a monastery but in a basement, without a home on it, who surged from the earth and frightened travellers. Fortunately we punished him from his insolence.
We then had to fight off Kobold slavers who tried to ambush us in a narrow pass. Fortunately my brave Ancel spotted them and we managed to take them by surprise. And it is how we came here.

The count seemed to be curious, approaching you and asking.

-Your zeal to arrive in time is remarkable. But may I ask you if Isnott took part in this skirmish with the Kobolds.

-I left him with half the men to protect our horses and the ladies.

-By the heavens ! You managed to give him a military mission ! Hah ! You astonish me lord Charles. You will speak to me in detail about all of this before the feast. The sun is setting and you must be hungry. Backstabber, Ikea, is everything ready ?

He put his hand around your shoulder and directed you towards the gates like an old friend. To be honest he had a kind of sympathetic tone of voice that made people want to hear him. Showing the two people whose names he called he explained.

-This is Ikea my court witch, specialised in domestic magic, far more useful than battle magic if you want my opinion. Magically spicing some desserts or mounting and dismounting heavy furniture on high towers is far more useful than this fancy battle stuff.

You only nodded, not knowing what to think of people who use the power of the devil simply to bake a cake instead of doing it to at least kill or curse their ennemies. You looked at the small cagot woman who smiled at you and you nodded.

-And this is Backstabber MacTraitor my trusted chancellor. A fine fellow who served me loyally for many years.

>>5574414

It was one of the courtiers, a very thin and tall man with pale skin and small vicious eyes. He was ugly, but hearing his name he was probably a Scotsman, a trustworthy people who hated Englishmen as much as any Frenchman. You were at Paris when King Philippe had received representatives of the Scottish king to sign an alliance. The fact that you finally saw a proper sized Scotsman, so almost a neighbour of France if you looked at the distance between France and India, made you shake his hand and tell.

-I am glad to finally see a true Scotsman. It is a pleasure to meet you messire Backstabber.

He seemed not to understand what you said but answered in perfect french.

-Thank you good sir, be welcome in my master's castle too.

The count seemed to be pleased and he continued while you passed before courtiers and beautiful noble ladies who probably came from the lower nobility of his county.

-Speaking of stewards, chancellors and other councillors I have heard about the death of Rollarion MacFumbles... May he rest in peace, but how is Oldfossil ? He was always behind this good old lord Random, may he rest in peace too, we shall drink to their memory.

-Yes your excellency. Oldfossil is well but travelling through the hills and sleeping outside would not be wise at his age. He already caught a cold when we travelled to Someplace to swear allegiance so I decided to leave him rule local in my absence.

-Yes... Yes I suppose that it is for the better.

When you entered the main hall you saw that huge tables for a feast were already prepared in this gothic room with a high ceiling. A beautiful tapestry representing a hunt adorned the main wall and hunting trophies were everywhere. It was clear that the count must love hunts at least as much as King Philippe. You watched stuffed heads of various beasts, boars, wolves, deer, bears, and saw one huge bovine head that you supposed belonged to an aurochs. You saw an unicorn's head too and the head of a gigantic eagle and one of a gigantic owl they were bigger than all the others. While you marvelled at it Count Careless explained.

-An owlbear that I killed in my youth ! Fighting it with a boar spear was a true challenge but with the help of some hunting dogs I prevailed. And this one is a white hippogriff. We hunted it three years ago after it ate five peasants in the village of Collateral... Baron Crook was there yes... You had this beautiful falcon he picked out one of it's eyes while mine got the other. Once blind it fell and it was easier to kill... How was it called baron Crook ?

For the first time your enemy spoke, and strangely not with hostility.

-Buck, it is called Buck your excellency...

-And is it still alive ?

-Yes your excellency, I always bring him when it is time to hunt.

>>5574417

You indeed remembered that falconry was probably one of the favourites pastimes of the baron. The count seemed to appreciate it too. It was good to know.

-Good, good. A noble beast this Buck. But you must enjoy hunting too lord Charles ?

-Yes, of course your excellency. But not such beautiful and rare beasts. Boars, bears, wolves, deer, various birds.

-Birds, yes I have an entire hall of trophies, I store birds and reptilian beasts there, the other ones like the creatures of the deep dark and cursed things are in the cellars. Ikea has an excellent spell to remove dampness, it helps conserving the stuffed trophies.

The man spoke in a joyful tone and you were about to answer when Lady Sue decided to come to him, probably to complain.

-Your excellency, Lord Charles...

-Lady Sue ! Why are you looking so upset ? You ate something bad ? Someone was mean to you ? Let me punish this person immediately, the hospitality of Pleasantville must not be trampled. Tell me why your beautiful eyes seem worried.

Lady Sue changed her tone a bit and told.

-Your excellency, I do not know if reducing a woman to her looks is just, as would say lady Sufra Gist It...

-Nonsense lady Sue, nonsense, she was probably not half as beautiful as you so she didn't get complimented.

The lady reddened.

-But tell me everything, why are you upset, and I will do everything in my power to make you smile again.

-Thank... Thank you your excellency, it is just that I wanted to complain about lord Charles about...

-Complaining ? But he has only arrived ? Don't you think that this poor man deserves hospitality after a long journey of battles and travels ?

-But he killed three members of the adventurer's guild ! And lady Takable called me a...

He opened his eyes and his mouth and looked at you. Asking.

-Really ?

You had only time to answer.

-Well I...

-This is concerning, very concerning. But we will talk about it once fed and after a good night of rest. And a hunt ! Tomorrow we go on a hunt !

Baron Crook tried to intervene while lady Sue proclaimed.

-But Lady Takable told I was a...

-But your excellency, with all due respect we could stage the trial tomorrow so we would not need to disturb you any longer I...

-Lady Sue ! Baron Wickedson ! What do I hear ? Of course your presence does not disturb me ! Such as the presence of each one of us ! We are one big happy family, or a great group of good friends who had exchanged oaths of fidelity. We will hunt tomorrow before I see the court case. And Lady Sue, how can you and our dear and lovely Rose not get along ? You are two beautiful young women who have all their life before them. I cannot understand this...

He then clapped in his hands and told.

-But no need to talk about those unimportant subjects. I am hungry and I am sure that you all are ! And I need to talk with my son Isnott whom I haven't seen since I sent him to Local.

>>5574422

The count then came behind the great table and sat on the great lordly chair while ordering his servants.

-Musicians, play something merry for our guests ! And you servants, bring some good liquor to to begin the night.

When he sat, heavily, on his throne he made sign for all the landed nobility to seat on the lordly table while the lesser nobles would simply sit on the many other great tables that were perpendicularly put across the room. The great chimney made the place strangely warm and you recognised that your stay here must be pleasant. It was when the Count spoke to you.

-Baron Crook, Lord Charles, as our highest ranking guest, and our newest guest, you should be at my right or left but since my wife, and my youth, passed away I always preferred to be surrounded by beautiful women during these festive events. So would you mind letting lady Sue and Rose take your place.

Gallantry forced you to say yes, and you had probably nothing to fear from the old man. At his age and weight his lance was probably not rising anymore in these kind of jousts, he probably only wanted to remember his youth and seeing how he talked well he must have had some success back then.

-Of course your excellency.

Both of you said and you were seated in the next places. Near your dear Rose so, and on the other side of you was another woman. A brown haired lady in a skillfully cut red dress who must have been ten years your elder. Of course she was far too old for your tastes but you recognised that she had still some remnants of what she must have looked at her prime. After her, there was a nobleman in a rich doublet who had a golden chain around his neck with a golden pendant representing an iron gate and a long mustache that he seemed to twirl often. Before you could engage a conversation you remarked that Lady Takable had cleverly spoken with the Count who nodded quickly. You heard his answer since he told both of you.

-Of course, of course... You are still in your riding dress and your chainmail armor. I promise you it should be quick, we will drink the time for my servants to prepare your quarters and then you could change. Of course. Sorry, I simply did not realise this... I am so careless hahaha...

You nodded and while he explained to his second son that he woukd need to talk to him after he had changed ,Rose whispered to you.

-Once we will be alone we will need to talk.

She then continued her conversation with the count. Since the castle was this tall you supposed that the servants would take their time so you decided to talk to someone.

>Try to talk to the count (intrigue roll) (chose a subject)
>Introduce yourself to the lady in the red dress.
>Try to talk to Rose.
>Try to listen to what Rose is saying to the count.
>Introduce yourself to the mustache twirling man.
>Other (write in)

Choose one option please.

You gain 15xp for finally managing to get to the castle for your trial and only one day after the Baron.

>>5574425

Your new stats :

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 3
XP : 415+15 = 430 (next level at 450)

Stats

Combat : 51%
Intrigue : 25%
Rulership: 36%

Piety : 51

Mudcore : 47

With 47 Mudcore you have a bigger 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. You have chosen Blood of Mud and so your mudcore field will become a bit bigger and stronger but could be transmitted to your children.
Next level at 50, your field will become more important.

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.

>>5574425
>Introduce yourself to the mustache twirling man.
I am curious about the symbol on his neck, and he seems powerful and important.

>>5574425
>Introduce yourself to the lady in the red dress.

>>5574425
>Try to listen to what Rose is saying to the count

Better we stay on a similar page. As in, from a book. Standing on a page would hurt the poor boy.

>>5574425
>>Introduce yourself to the mustache twirling man.

>>5574425
>>Introduce yourself to the lady in the red dress.

>>5574425
>>Introduce yourself to the lady in the red dress.

File: Nothing better than a feast.jpg (1.93 MB, 3543x2451)

1.93 MB JPG

>>5574580
Of course, it seems to be the symbol of a family or a function.

>>5574692

>>5574855
Eavesdropping my lord ? It is not knightly.

>>5574956
>>5575056
>>5575184

You decided to talk to your neighbour, the lady in her red dress. Looking at her jewellery and the fact that she was at this table you deduced that she was probably of noble birth so you introduced yourself politely.

-Gente Dame, I fear that we haven't been introduced. Charles de Villeroi, lord of Local, at your service.

She smiled at you kindly and explained.

-Lady Scarlet Red at your service, I am the sister of the overlord of your southern neighbour, the baron of the Red Neck... If we exclude this horrible Forest of Gump we are neighbours after all.

-Oh, the famous Red Baron, I have heard that he flies like an eagle in the sky on his winged mount. A griffin I think, to be honest I never saw a Griffin outside of a tapestry or a banner hahaha...

It made her laugh lightly and she answered.

-Yes, my brother is quite proud of his Griffin, and yes... I have heard that you are from far away... I, I remember my little brother receiving an egg from my father... I saw Focker, it's his name, growing. It is hard to imagine that someone never saw a Griffin once in his life. Let me help...

It was true, Indian fauna was impressive. You told.

-Yes, I was always impressed by your fauna, I was astonished the first time that I saw the skeleton of a dragon, or a living turtle ! Even your smaller beasts like saurinids do not exist in our lands.

The part about the turtle made her laugh, maybe her brother fought one to the death too. Since he had a flying mount he could probably do this. She then said.

-You see the hippogriff's head ? Imagine it slightly larger but without the rear legs of a horse, no, with those of a lion.

You never saw a living lion but nodded.

-It only eats raw meat and sometimes we give him a bandit or a criminal. But... Enough gruesome talk, it is particularly beautiful when it flies. When my brother received one I asked my father to buy me a Pegasus.. but he refused, saying that it was too dangerous to fly. He was probably right... I was still a little girl then. Finally my husband bought me one so I can enjoy the view of our county from the top down. The world is far more poetic when you see it from above.

You even had trouble imagining to see the word from a bird's eye view. And it fascinated you... To be able to fly wherever you wanted... But politics first, you asked.

-And may I ask you who your husband is ?

-Oh, yes of course, to the baron of Podunk, Insign Ificant.

-Oh you reside in town ?

-No, no, of course not. It is a hopeless little place, we live at the capital. We come back here only two months in the year. Our steward tends to the lands for us.

>>5575818

She wanted to talk about Briberopolis when finally you saw servants arriving with some spiced wine. They served you all and the Count decided to speak in his bellowing voice. He drank to the fact that you were all united. Amusing, seeing that you were all here to be judged because of your disagreements, but maybe it was an attempt at mediation. Then, while everyone drank and before you could join your place the count asked.

-Tell me lord Charles, I have received news that you practice a religion from your country of origin. Even if many people talked to me about this I wasn't able to understand one thing.

You were ready to answer, and a part of you hoped to convert him.

-Does your religion permits the hunting of shadowbeasts ?

Shadow... What did he meant by this ?

>I am sorry your excellency, shadow what ?
>We always bring the light of God to the shadows.
>Yes.... I suppose so.
>No, absolutely not !
>Are you talking about a kind of demon ?
>I do not know, Brother Louis can only hunt lions but for us we can hunt anything that you want your excellency.
>It depends, how are they hunted ?
>Other (write in)

>>5575820
>We always bring the light of God to the shadows.
Why yes, shadow beasts must have to do with shadows.
>>5575818
>Focker
LMAO, I fucking can't. These names are underrated as fuck.

>>5575820
>Are you talking about a kind of demon ?
>We always bring the light of God to the shadows.

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>>5575920
>>5575935

You decided to answer boldly, you had absolutely no idea of what were shadow beasts but explained.

-We always bring the light of God to the shadows.

The man proclaimed "oooooh" and nodded.

-I see... But be careful, this vermin jumps far and but it has beautiful pelts and horns.

You wondered what kind of beast could have a pelt and a horn. Probably some kind of dark unicorn ? No ? You were not so much impressed by the stuffed head in this room since you already saw another unicorns head in a castle near Soissons plus the horn here was shorter. Well, it was white horse with a horn like any white horse with a horn. Beautiful of course but it hadn't the novelty of the Hyppogriff's head. But who wanted a horse's pelt... Maybe it was a particularly hairy black unicorn ? You then told.

-Do not worry your excellency, I will adapt, and it will be a pleasure to hunt with such great hunters as your son and you.

You looked at his trophies and he nodded, promising you to show his other trophies. Finally, after a bit of drinking you were informed that your apartments were ready and that you could finally remove your chainmail. You ordered Ancel to come with you, being the closest thing to a servant that you had but before you could come to your apartments through halls and corridors Lady Takable approached you and told.

-Charles, it is important that you listen. I know count Careless since a long time ago and he was preoccupied by my safety, I think that he is on our side. But he has sometimes strange ideas and I wouldn't want you to commit any faux pas. He is a simple man but : be careful when you talk about elves, do not tell that some beasts like unicorns must not be hunted, and never tell that there is better wine than the one that they grow on the Imperial lands near Gandolf.

You tried to remember but she said.

-And about Lady Sue, I think that she might be a problem... With how she behaved... Don't you think that her Fors awaits her in the afterlife and it would be criminal to let him waiting.

Your bride to be looked absolutely stunning when she asked you to kill someone. Really, she had the kind of big innocent blue eyes that made you want to do what she wanted immediately. Her small half smile and her girlish cheeks that gave her a naive air contrasted greatly with her demand. You understood that she tried to be less cruel but these insults from lady Sue must have made her cruel nature win back. You excused her, she was a woman, so led by emotions and not reason, a pagan so she knew no right and wrong, and young so you had still to teach her.

>>5576143

But you thought about it, executing peasants or vagrants were not a big deal, it was lawful after all and it wasn't if they were important. But arranging a hunting accident, or killing a woman in a duel, it was dishonourable actions, and forbidden by the laws of chivalry. And even if Lady Sue deserved a good spanking, you could agree about it she had fought side by side with you and killing her would be awful.
On the other side... On the other side her disappearance would help greatly. If the adventurers were as powerful as they said, and if the count considered that you were in the wrong he could punish you and then rule in favour of the baron, saying that you could have a bad influence on Rose... As if she needed it. You looked around and seeing that you were alone you decided to answer.

>Rose ?!? Are you mad ? It is unchristian ! We do not murder people ! I am a knight, not a cutthroat.
>Rose ?!? Are you mad ? It is unchristian ! We do not murder people ! I am a knight, not a cutthroat, ask Ancel if you want this done. (Machiavellian version)
>Lady Rose, don't you think that it is not the place for such a conversation ?
>My love, don't you think that you have let your emotions do the talking for you ? It would be most unwise to try to murder someone when we have already so much enemies.
>My lady... I have no.. Experience in these kinds of things, how do you suggest that we act ?
>Yes, of course, I will do it.
>It goes against all that I stand for, my lady, but I love you, and you are my lady. If you want me to kill, I shall kill.
>Ask Ancel if he would murder women and children for money (it is a purely rhetorical question) and explain that the fact that you would not do it. Even for a better reason like love and that it was what separated us, nobility, from the common rabble. Virtue, chivalry and the moral guidance of the Church encouraged us to not murder people like this.
>Ask Ancel if he would murder women and children for money (it is a purely rhetorical question) and tell that it is why people like you and her had henchmen. You were not a murderer but Ancel could be anything.
>Other (write in)

>>5576145
>>My love, don't you think that you have let your emotions do the talking for you ? It would be most unwise to try to murder someone when we have already so much enemies.

>>5576145
>>Rose ?!? Are you mad ? It is unchristian ! We do not murder people ! I am a knight, not a cutthroat, ask Ancel if you want this done. (Machiavellian version)

>>5576145
>My love, don't you think that you have let your emotions do the talking for you ? It would be most unwise to try to murder someone when we have already so much enemies.

>>5576240
I would do this, but I'm uncertain if we can trust Ancel to be subtle.

>>5576145
>>Other (write in)
>Murder? That's too much. But we can permanently imprison her of course. We have plenty of space down there in the dungeons.

>>5576145
>My love, don't you think that you have let your emotions do the talking for you ? It would be most unwise to try to murder someone when we have already so much enemies.

>>5576145
>Won't this go against laws of chivalry ?
Surely, there are some loopholes when pretty women like Lady Rose are involved...
>My lady... I have no.. Experience in these kinds of things, how do you suggest that we act ?
Ultimately voting for yes, this Lady Sue is going to be more problem here than baron Wickedson.

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>>5576176
>>5576240

>>5576304
Ancel can be subtle, he is sneaky and smells tracks well... People can get lost in a forest...

>>5577311
Hahahah, your point of view is not the most widespread but you can proudly say that you follow the footsteps of Robert d'Artois.

>>5576804
>>5577025

You choose to try to moderate the lovely lady. You didn't need more problems than you already had. So you told.

-My love, don't you think that you have let your emotions do the talking for you ? It would be most unwise to try to murder someone when we have already so much enemies.

You hoped that she would understand and agree but were dumbstruck when she smiled sweetly and kissed you quickly on the lips.

-I prefer you like this Charles. The count has said me that he wouldn't want me to marry someone impulsive or stupid. But you are always a wise man.

You frowned.

-You feared that I would be impulsive or stupid ? It is why you proposed this ?

-No... No my lord. But you are sometimes so much like a knight from a song like your sire Lancelot that I feared that you would do what I say without any questions out of love, or to defend my honor. But you are even better.

It seemed to satisfy you, even if a small doubt remained in your mind. Was she inventing this story right now to try not to seem too bloodthirsty in your eyes ? You asked.

-So you do not want to murder lady Sue ?

-No, right now no... What use of killing her without making her suffer a bit first ?

You ignored if it was humour or completely serious but you understood one thing. Your lady Rose was genuine so you simply smiled before exchanging some kind words and parting ways to change.

Of course you were quicker, Ancel helped you remove your mail armor and give you your most impressive doublet. You quickly washed your face and hands and came back, under the guidance of a servant, in the great hall. Here everyone was watching the count's jester doing some faces and acrobatics. It amused you a bit, you liked the idea of having a court's jester but unfortunately you hadn't one. Jesters and dwarves were necessary to amuse the people.
You remembered being once sent to find a dwarf for the Archbishop of Reims's court. How you travelled in villages to ask if they had a deformed dwarf amongst them. Unfortunately another knight close to the archbishop had found one, and a good one who could fart on command and amuse the guests. You were amazed by the lack of dwarves in India, they seemed to simply not exist amongst the peasantry just like pox marked people. When you were watching them joyfully the count leaned over the empty seat of lady Takable while saying.

-Lord Charles, what a pleasure, but while everybody enjoy the acrobatics of my dear Macron might I ask you something ?

-Of course your excellency ?

-Tell me, you were from a faraway land, how did you came here ? And how do you learned that you were related to Lord Random ?

>>5577390

>Tell that you are a distant relative of Lord Random, do not tell of what branch of the family tree you came from.
>Invent a story about a branch of distant relatives in France. (lie)
>Tell that you came here by land (lie)
>Tell that you came here by teleportation because of magic
>Tell that you are the third son of Lord Eudes de Villeroi
>Tell simply that you are the son of the Lord, not saying that there are other people before you in the inheritor's line.
>Tell that Oldfossil knows more about the genealogy of the Local Lords than you, being from a very far away branch of the family tree.
>Other (write in)

====

Your pragmatism makes you not gain mudcore or piety but 5xp, the way of wisdom is a good way.

Your new stats :

Charles de Villeroi

Class : Local Lord
Level : 3
XP : 430+5 = 435 (next level at 450)

Stats

Combat : 51%
Intrigue : 25%
Rulership: 36%

Piety : 51

Mudcore : 47

With 47 Mudcore you have a bigger 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. You have chosen Blood of Mud and so your mudcore field will become a bit bigger and stronger but could be transmitted to your children.
Next level at 50, your field will become more important.

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.

>>5577390
>Tell that you are a distant relative of Lord Random, do not tell of what branch of the family tree you came from.
>Tell that you came here by teleportation because of the will of God

>>5577392
>>Tell that Oldfossil knows more about the genealogy of the Local Lords than you, being from a very far away branch of the family tree.

>>5577392
>>Tell that you are a distant relative of Lord Random, do not tell of what branch of the family tree you came from.

>>5577390
>Macron
kek

>>5577392
>Tell that you came here by teleportation because of magic
>Tell that you are the third son of Lord Eudes de Villeroi
>Tell that Oldfossil knows more about the genealogy of the Local Lords than you, being from a very far away branch of the family tree.

It is a lie with a grain of truth and the diversion for responsibility.

>>5577417
>>5577693
>>5577392
And of course our teleportation is the will of God. Are not all things part of God's plan?

>>5577392
>>Tell that Oldfossil knows more about the genealogy of the Local Lords than you, being from a very far away branch of the family tree.

>>5577392
>>Tell that you are a distant relative of Lord Random, do not tell of what branch of the family tree you came from.
>>Tell that you came here by teleportation because of the will of God

>>5577392
>Tell that you came here by teleportation because of the will of God
We were trying to cross the border. Walked right into that portal, same as Ancel over there.

>>5577392
>Tell that Oldfossil knows more about the genealogy of the Local Lords than you, being from a very far away branch of the family tree.

File: Feasting is always good.jpg (400 KB, 500x385)

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>>5577417
>>5577434
>>5577516

>>5577693
Clever, very clever...

>>5577695
It is my opinion too, God sent us on a trial to bring Christ and our right and proper Feudal society to India.

>>5577798
>>5577835

>>5577939
Yes, you were crossing the border and almost fell into an Imperial ambush. Damn germans.

>>5578131

You tried to answer the good man the most honestly.

-I am a parent of Lord Random of Local, but from a very far away branch, he had no direct descendants so it was our branch of the family that inherited. Oldfossil did all the research and he probably could know more about it and how we were linked between France and India.

He seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a few seconds before nodding.

-Yes, yes, the lords of Local were a quite old line but I cannot remember any parent of lord Random, even in ten generations... Yes... It must be why Oldfossil had to search this long. But how did you were brought here.

-By the will of God, your excellency.

He looked at you with a puzzled face.

-The will of God ? The will of God... Hahahahahahahha !

His laugh was powerful and resonated in all the room. He quickly tapped on your shoulder and continued to laugh for a long time. When he finally stopped he told.

-Truely ? The will of God...

-Mmmmh... Yes your excellency, I was in my lands then everything became white and I was transported here.

He seemed to think about it and asked.

-So it could be a spell ? Or a minor miracle ? I do not know.. but the will of God.... Hahaha, it is a good way of explaining it. But whatever, you came and I am sure that this good old Oldfossil knew what he did.

He then turned towards his servants and told.

-What are you wainting for ! It is time to serve dinner.

He then asked you.

-Will Rose be long ?

-I do not know but I suppose so. Women are not renowned for their quickness to prepare for a feast.

-Haha, it is true, you are still young but wise. Then let us drink to your good health before eating.

>>5578231

You accepted merrily and you were quickly drinking more spiced wine with the count who seemed to never get drunk. It was at this moment that finally Rose came back. She was stunning in a blue dress complemented by silver jewellery and her radiant smile put some warmth in your heart. Her generous cleavage wasn't here to displease you. You let her sit and complimented her while the first service came, hot bread, pieces of smoked bacon, apples, pears and other fruits that you did not knew, different kind of sausages. You saw the count eating generously, just like you. And as you were helping, like any true gentleman, the lady at your right, in this case Lady Takable, with cutting her bacon he told, over the conversations of everyone.

-Brave lords and noble ladies. I am a bit ashamed before you, we have a well travelled man who comes from the other side of the world and I have not asked him about the wonders of his land. We are humble people here, from a faraway province of Bifuria, and if some of us travelled in the empire most of us never have passed it's borders. Only maybe my dear One-Eye who fought in Smaug but it will soon become the empire when we will win so it does not count.

He designed his guard's captain, the thin one eyed man in armor who simply nodded while the count continued.

-So ravish us with tales, tell us about wonders and glory. I have heard from my son that you were at war... But what is F... France like yes ? Do you have feasts like us ?

-I do not want to disturb...

-No, no, please talk, I am sure that everyone wants to hear... And do not forget to tell about feasts !

The people seemed to agree, nodding and asking you to talk. Ceding to so much demands you began. You had drunk maybe a bit too much of spiced wine so you ignored if your speech would be better because of it but you began to talk.

-France is a beautiful realm of course, from the great plains of Champagne, to the deep forests of Ardennes and the cliffs of Normandy who fall into a turbulent, forever watching, like sentinels, for an attack of the perfidious Englishmen. It is where the greatest city of Christendom lies : Paris ! Proud on the Seine and home to many wonders, but she is not alone, Rouen, Provins, Reims, Troyes, each rivalling by their richness and the magnificence of their cathedrals. And yes.. About feasts...

>Talk about how you were received into the hostel of Count Charles de Valois and saw the most magnificent feast of your life.
>Talk about the noble king Louis VI the Fat, he knew how to eat and was a good king !
>Tell how your father feasted on great days.
>Other (write in)

After this first speech the count seemed to be fascinated and ordered the second service, made of different soups, to be given while commenting.

-Marvelous, and your land, today is it ruled by a king ? Is he, you may speak freely, what we call a good king ?

>>5578234

>Tell that he is a great king, of course he is, he brought everyone to heel, strengthened the realm, reformed it's institutions, expelled forced the jewry to buy back it's stolen goods gained by usury, and on the field he has beaten the perfidious Flemish traitors and the Englishmen. He brought order to the realm and it is the most powerful realm of Christendom.
>Tell that he is a good king, of course, but sometimes it would be better if he listened more the opinion of his brother, the Count Charles de Valois, and not at this uppity commoner of Marigny. That maybe some feudal privileges could be kept, and these assemblies of burghers disbanded. And if money would be more stable it definitely would be better.
>Tell that even if he is the king King Philippe is mistaken because of his burgher advisors who encourage him to rule the realm for their profits ! Freedom has been abolished ! Glorious and natural rights like the right of lords to mint their own money or to wage private wars have been abolished ! The tax collectors collect more every day and to approve of this decisions some vile men like Marigny ask for the opinion of councils of burghers and legists that have not even been born with blue blood !
>Other (write in)

If there was some reactions to your words but the count asked one question that seemed to interest him a lot.

-And this King Philippe, what does he thinks about elves ? And your people, how are it's relationship with them ?

You remembered Rose's words at this moment, that you had to avoid to bring the subject of elves on the table or be careful when you talk about the subject. But now you had no choice.

You remembered Rose at this moment, that you had to avoid to bring the subject of elves on the table or be careful when you talk about the subject. But now you had no choice.

>>5578236

>Guelphs... We have no Guelphs in France, they are more of an Italian problem.
>Guelphs, we support the Guelph party, if the Emperor becomes dominant over the pope it will become more powerful. Too powerful. But the Pope too is not a good pope, not a pro French pope... So we simply continue to support the house of Anjou, they are parents of our king's house, because they are the Guelph candidates for the throne of Sicily.
>Guelphs, no, no, no, no, no, we are true supporters of the Ghibellines, the Ghibellines are our only hope against total papal control of everything like under Innocent III who stopped us from rightfully taking England. (lie)
>Black Guelphs are tolerable, but white Guelphs are a bunch of upjumped burghers with no conception of chivalry, even in a people as dishonourable as Italians they are below standards.
>Try to adopt a balanced point of view.
>Other (write in)

Roll 3 intrigue rolls with a bonus of +30 so a d100, if you roll more than 55 your enthusiasm and the spiced wine will bring you some "creative formulations" that could have your pleasant anecdotes described as "drunken rants" by the ill informed.
I will take the 3 first rolls and apply them to each one of the 3 choices.

Rolled 98 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>5578234
>Talk about the noble king Louis VI the Fat, he knew how to eat and was a good king !
>>5578236
>Tell that he is a great king, of course he is, he brought everyone to heel, strengthened the realm, reformed it's institutions, expelled forced the jewry to buy back it's stolen goods gained by usury, and on the field he has beaten the perfidious Flemish traitors and the Englishmen. He brought order to the realm and it is the most powerful realm of Christendom.
>>5578238
>Try to adopt a balanced point of view.
Let's do as Rose said. This man seems obsessed with Guelphs, so it's unwise we roast them over the fire.
>>5578231
While mentioning germans, don't forget their damned Guelph overlords.

Rolled 44 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>5578234
>>Talk about the noble king Louis VI the Fat, he knew how to eat and was a good king !

>>Tell that he is a good king, of course, but sometimes it would be better if he listened more the opinion of his brother, the Count Charles de Valois, and not at this uppity commoner of Marigny. That maybe some feudal privileges could be kept, and these assemblies of burghers disbanded. And if money would be more stable it definitely would be better.

>>Try to adopt a balanced point of view.

>>5578234
>Tell how your father feasted on great days.

>>5578236
>Tell that he is a good king, of course, but sometimes it would be better if he listened more the opinion of his brother, the Count Charles de Valois, and not at this uppity commoner of Marigny. That maybe some feudal privileges could be kept, and these assemblies of burghers disbanded. And if money would be more stable it definitely would be better.

>>5578238
>Guelphs... We have no Guelphs in France, they are more of an Italian problem.
>>The ones here seem a mixed bag. Some are quite beutiful and live ling, like in the bible. Some are dark magicians who spy on men's midns and attack hm, like the one I threw rocks at a few days ago...
Launch into a tale of our impressive defeat of that respected and feared Black Guelph minion of B'beg

>>5578234
>>5578236
>>5578238
>Talk about how you were received into the hostel of Count Charles de Valois and saw the most magnificent feast of your life.
>Tell that he is a great king, of course he is, he brought everyone to heel, strengthened the realm, reformed it's institutions, expelled forced the jewry to buy back it's stolen goods gained by usury, and on the field he has beaten the perfidious Flemish traitors and the Englishmen. He brought order to the realm and it is the most powerful realm of Christendom.
>Guelphs... We have no Guelphs in France, they are more of an Italian problem.

Rolled 74 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>5578234
>Talk about how you were received into the hostel of Count Charles de Valois and saw the most magnificent feast of your life
>Tell that he is a good king, of course, but sometimes it would be better if he listened more the opinion of his brother, the Count Charles de Valois, and not at this uppity commoner of Marigny. That maybe some feudal privileges could be kept, and these assemblies of burghers disbanded. And if money would be more stable it definitely would be better.
>Try to adopt a balanced point of view.

Our grand adventures make feasting all the more sweet

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>5578234
>>Talk about the noble king Louis VI the Fat, he knew how to eat and was a good king !

>>5578236
>>Tell that he is a good king, of course, but sometimes it would be better if he listened more the opinion of his brother, the Count Charles de Valois, and not at this uppity commoner of Marigny. That maybe some feudal privileges could be kept, and these assemblies of burghers disbanded. And if money would be more stable it definitely would be better.

>>5578238
>>Guelphs... We have no Guelphs in France, they are more of an Italian problem.

>>5578234
>Talk about how you were received into the hostel of Count Charles de Valois and saw the most magnificent feast of your life.

>>5578236
>Tell that he is a good king, of course, but sometimes it would be better if he listened more the opinion of his brother, the Count Charles de Valois, and not at this uppity commoner of Marigny. That maybe some feudal privileges could be kept, and these assemblies of burghers disbanded. And if money would be more stable it definitely would be better.

>>5578238
>Guelphs, we support the Guelph party, if the Emperor becomes dominant over the pope it will become more powerful. Too powerful. But the Pope too is not a good pope, not a pro French pope... So we simply continue to support the house of Anjou, they are parents of our king's house, because they are the Guelph candidates for the throne of Sicily.

>>5578458
>98
Oh, my.

>>5579469

It is indeed a critical failure, and I am writing. It seems that Louis VI, the balanced opinion about the king and the balanced point of view about the Guelphs have won. In case of equality I choose the first to get to the score.

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>>5578723

>>5578768
Your choice would have been epic, but better skip the part about throwing rocks like a peasant.

>>5578773

>>5578824

Of course, any hero deserves some rest.

>>5578924
>>5579062
>>5579469

When you told about feasts you decided to tell about king Louis VI the fat ! He has been alive more than 150 years before you but you knew familial legends about him and it would probably amuse the good people.

-Feasts in France ? Yes we feast a lot, there is no feast without roasted pork, poultry, swans served with sugared almonds, dear pies, cervil tarts. And we like rulers who eat well. We had a king once, Louis VI the fat.

The count seemed interested.

-The fat ? How could he be called the fat ?

-We called him the fat, or the pugnacious. He put order in the realm, brought the royal power for the first time under the Loire and burned Montferrand. Never the southern men had seen a king act so boldly and they followed him against the Normans. But the greatest act that he did was eating.

It seemed to amuse some people so you continued, the spiced wine helping you find your words.

-You see good lords and ladies, when two vassals were quarrelling. The king told them to come to his castle and invited them to eat. It was more than a century ago and the table manners were not as civilised as today, we were not cutting the meat of the ladies around us or cleaning our fingers in small cups of water. No... You should imagine a fat king on his throne, eating like four normal men and dishes, entire boars, hundreds of deer cooked with the priciest spices brought by Venetian merchants, entire tankards of Burgundian wines. And the king looked at them and ate, he did not even say a word, we could only hear his mouth crunching the bones of some pheasant. They waited and waited for him to tell something, but he said nothing, he simply looked at them eating in one day what their lordships produced in a year. Hahaha ! And they understood that if they continued to quarrel he would spend all this money not on tons of meat, rare spices and extravagant dessert but on chainmail and swords to equip so much men at arms that they will simply walk into their castles and rase them to the ground. He did this to the robber barons of Ile de France and took the dungeon of Monthléry by storm ! That was a good king.
After seeing him the poor lords only had to go back to their pitiful castles and eat eggs, vegetables and maybe some boar that they had the chance to catch during a happy day hahahaha !

Your enthusiastic rant was appreciated by the count who laughed but you heard something. It was lady Takable who emitted a cry of pain. You asked her.

-Rose ? Is everything alright ?

Everyone looked at her and she smiled saying.

-Y... Yes yes Charles... Everything is alright.

>>5579546

She then put one hand under the table as to massage her leg, you wondered why. But since the count told you to continue you continued.

-So, I was saying, yes they got back to their poor castles and remembered the insignificance of their lordships and the generosity of the king. He even invited vainquished enemies to dinner in this strange way ! Hahaha ! That was until he ended some too troublesome lines.

You smiled at that, one day your ancestor has seen King Louis VI eating, it amused you. But if the count seemed amused, just like his first son, when you looked to your left or to your right you saw only very cold stares. You then realised that baron Crook must have considered your comment about robber barons as an insult and that the count, if in a more affable way, was doing exactly what king Louis VI did. All this feast and this display of riches was to remind all those people that they were bellow him... And you just rubbed it in their faces... In their eyes you were the bastard who insulted them and laughed to be well seen by their superior. By the heavens and Rose... She must have been hurt while trying to kick you and kicking the wooden leg of the table instead.

You cursed the fact that you were not the first son of your father and that your understanding of politics was limited to the fact that you should kill what your father or elder brothers designated to be killed. You tried to look kindly at Scarlet but she simply frowned at you. The count was laughing at least, laughing and laughing and he told everybody.

-Hahahahaha, ah, this brave lord Charles has a way of telling stories isn't it ? I like it very much don't you ?

When he looked at all the landed nobility in the room and they told some unenthusiastic "ayes" and some of them tried to falsely laugh. The count did as if they were honest and told.

-Excellent, excellent, very interesting ! Your kings seem to be glorious rulers indeed ! And tell me about the actual king ? Is he a good king ?

It was a good question, and since you already were considered by everyone as a perfidious individual you decided to be honest.

-Our king Philippe the Fair, fourth of his name, is a good king, yes. He brought the Englishmen and the Flemish rebels to heel. But sometimes... He can be maybe a bit... Swayed by bad councillors. Imagine, a man like Marigny, a commoner who has bought a title on the council ! And he calls to have councils to approve the decisions of the king !

A strange lord with a short red beard asked.

-Councils ? Like our council of many ?

-No, councils where they assemble burghers, villeins and other manants in the cities to approve the decisions of the king and tell how wise they are.

>>5579548

The red bearded lord seemed to not find anything bad about this, he was probably of commoner's stock too and has bought his title. Or his mother had slept with a stable groom and he was a bastard, that would explain his ugliness.

-Ah so to control the people's opinion ?

What was this imbecile saying ? You spoke authoritatively.

-Control it's opinion ? But it is already scandalous that the people HAS an opinion ! Who ASKS the people it's opinion ? You ?

-But if they are not represented they might rebel and...

This red headed imbecile was clearly possessed by the devil, as shown by the colour of his hair. Of course Lady Sue and Baron Crook approved, Isnott too, the cowards, the fools. You then decided to tell to your scout.

-Do you have an opinion Ancel ? There seem to be people who want to ask for it...

Ancel looked at them, then at you, like a rat caught with a pack of cheese, and then shrugged with his shoulders. This made the Count laugh a lot and to thank Ancel for his antics you threw him some meat while he was on the floor. You remarked happily that the count, unlike his second son, wasn't against letting commoners eat on the floor. It was the sign that he was a wise man. But you continued.

-And unfortunately Marigny gains more power every day... Even if our brave Charles de Valois, the brother of our king and the biggest landowner in our realm tries to protect our right and proper feudal society against such barbaric novelties. He defends the true old customs left to us by king Saint Louis.

The count seemed fascinated but tried to explain.

-Saint Louis ? Is it the fat one ?

You would have laughed but corrected him politely, these discussions made you sober.

-No, Louis VI was called the fat, Saint Louis is Louis IX, a pious and just king the best king that we had, he was canonised and under him good customs were kept. He is the grandfather of King Philippe.

-And what were those good customs ?

-The right for lords to mint their own money ! The right of private war ! And many others !

It was enough to create an important discussion. The idea of minting their own coin seemed to please everyone and to fight their neighbours, yes, the people began to appreciate your ideas. They maybe still saw you as a vile individual but a vile individual with intelligent ideas. The lord with it's golden pendant in the form of an iron gate explained.

-Yes, it would be better, today only the regional Kings and Queen, and the Emperor can mint coins and in Bifuria some say that a part of the gold is transmuted magically, it creates inflation !

You approved.

-We have the same problem, the king needed money and he reduced the gold in each livre tournois by one third to mint more coins.

>>5579550

A glorious discussion ensued, everyone, even your sworn enemies, agreeing that minting their own coins would be a good idea. But a young knight with a blond beard was even more enthusiastic, he told that there were too much commoners in their strange "council of many" and that the guilds should be expelled from it, only the feudal nobility should be able to council the Emperor. You were going to agree when the count stopped everyone by asking.

-And tell me, this King Philippe, what does he thinks about elves ? And your people, how are it's relationship with them ?

Everybody became silent in an instant and you saw the pressure mounting towards you. They had stopped their discussions and were fascinated by your answer, in this, very delicate matter. You tried to adopt the most balanced point of view possible.

-On one hand, I can understand the Guelphs, papal primacy is an important part of our religion and nobody wants to be ruled by germans, despite all the efforts of Charlemagne they remain barely civilised. But the Ghibellines have a point, they want their Emperor to appoint the bishops, like our king wants to appoint the bishops, and they do not want the pope to interfere too much into their politics. Like when Innocent III stopped us from conquering on pain of excommunication England because the English king told that he was now a vassal of the pope.

They seemed to look at you as if you spoke Flemish. Some tried to understand when finally the count's first son, the brave Veryon asked.

-So you are telling me that... The elves and the goblins are worth each other in your eyes.

You nodded.

-That is exactly what I said.

Everybody seemed to stop for a moment, there was silence, and then, then you heard the count laughing, and then his son, and then a great deal of the noblemen assembled here. Count Hapyon told you, at this moment.

-I do not know if you are brave or foolish to tell this, but be reassured, we are fed up with those arrogant pointy eared bastards too ! Let us drink some liquor before the fifth service, you have a lot to learn about some plots of the Guelphs.

And he spoke, he spoke he spoke but you failed to remember exactly what he said, there was apparently a Guelph plot to usurp the crown. What you remarked was that even baron Crook seemed to half agree with it and that there were no pointy eared guelphs in the room. It was strange, there was a lot of nobles here but no Guelphs while Oldfossil told you that they made a non negligible part of the nobility. Unfortunately the liquor, then the beverage that they called strongwine messed with your head. Some small bit's of yesterday's night, like when Ancel and your men, just like you, taught the song about how we hanged the bailli of Limousin by his innards to some young knights and soldiers or the laugh of Lady Rose came back to you but most of it was blurry.

>>5579553

You remembered watching some stuffed animals, and singing with the count, then going for a stroll with his first son and some young knights, then... Cries and pain... And... Ouch.. You just fell on your head and looked around you. Your head hurt, it hurt a lot. Especially when it was combined with the pain from your hangover. You really had drunk too much. You hoped that at least you could remember something from the last evening but something... Was wrong... You failed to recognise your environment. You were not in your room at the castle. You were in a basement... A strange and empty basement. Were you put here by your companions because you were too drunk ? Or were you a prisoner ? And Rose ? And your men ? Were they alright ?

Despite your hangover you tried to open the only door but it was locked and while putting a hand on your face you remarked that a frontal part of your head hurt, you hadn't anything to look at yourself but you clearly fought... And you hadn't your sword on your person. It was when you heard some voices if you pressed your hear against the oak door that stopped you from leaving.

>Try to listen to the voices.
>Scream that you want to be freed.
>Try to find another access to the room where you are.
>Try to find something in the basement to use it as a weapon.
>Other (write in)

>>5579556
>Try to listen to the voices.
Well, our speech went better than expected (we impressed our lord, and who cares for the opinions of pagan rivals?), but... Eesh. Things went sour while we were drunk, I gather.

>>5579556
>>Try to listen to the voices.

>>5579556
>>Try to listen to the voices.

>>5579556
>Try to listen to the voices.

>>5579556
>Try to listen to the voices
Damn, but I thought... he liked the Guelphs? Rose said to be careful when talking about them?
Well, no matter now. This might give us some advantage in dealing with the vagrants' guild situation, if we can speak to Count in private and tell him one of them was a manly dressed, entitled Guelph who threatened and spat in our face... and the lizardman we honestly mistaken for a rare beast to hunt...

>>5579556
>>Try to find something in the basement to use it as a weapon.

We must be ready for action

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>>5579665
Of course, but having many enemies could be detrimental to our cause.

>>5579686
>>5579819
>>5580168

>>5580528
In this case it seems that he dislikes them. And yes, you should remind him of our glorious victories, he seems to like you.

>>5580539
A wise decision but the majority prefers to ear first what the knaves who locked you here wanted to say.

====

You stuck your hear near the door and heard a young woman's voice

-Are you sure that this is a good idea.. I mean he looked dangerous.

A young man answered her in a confident tone.

-He tried to punch some guys but he was too drunk to do anything. And I can just blast him easily with my powers. Or in the inexplicable case if I don't do that you could do it too.

She seemed to be a bit taken aback.

-And if he has hangover and cannot answer ?

-Oh he will, we will play good cop bad cop, I will be the bad one, and if he cannot answer try the spell against hangover. You must have learned domestic magic and all that crap.

Good cop and bad cop ? Did they meant cup ? They wanted to make you drink something ? Maybe poison you ! The bastards !

-Y...yes...

-Well then once he will speal the beans out we will know everything. Let's go !

You the heard footsteps towards your door and began to recoil, you understood that they will open. If they were a man and a woman you decided to try to jump on the man, knock him out or kill him, and then scare the woman so she would tell you everything. You waited a bit and heard that someone was putting a key in the reinforced door but before you could act your heard a strong voice, the voice of the young man.

-WAKE UP YOU BASTARD ! HAHA ! WAKE UP !

His strong voice, since he was screaming, even if not at you, hurt your head terribly, screaming near people with an hangover was always a bad idea. You held your head and told.

-Shut up by Saint Denis... Shut up...

But the man, shorter than you by a head, with short brown hair and dressed in an elegant red robe with a golden trim told you.

-You are not giving me orders you son of a bitch ! You will now answer me, tell me why you killed the adventurers of the Dashing and Daring party ? Mmmmh ? You better answer now or we will teleport you to a secretive prison in a demiplane and do waterelementaling on you and more than waterelementaling ! There was a magical anomaly. Are you covering it ? Mmmh ?

He then poked at you with his finger and you were at a loss of words after such insolence. You looked at him and saw that he had only a sheathed dagger as a weapon. You could probably kill him. You then looked to the woman, a small and young girl with innocent eyes who looked like she was very intimidated. Even in your state you didn't doubt your chances to prevail against them. But maybe you should let them talk more before choosing violence.

>>5580711

>Use violence to make the insolent man shut up (combat roll)
>Their insolence killed them. Do not try to be insolent.
>Where I am and who are you ?
>Magical anomaly ? Are you a witch ?
>Do you know that I am a nobleman ? Who are you to imprison me like this ? You do not look like royal sergeants or provosts !
>Other (write in)

>>5580712
>>Do you know that I am a nobleman ? Who are you to imprison me like this ? You do not look like royal sergeants or provosts !

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>5580712
>Use violence to make the insolent man shut up (combat roll)

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>5580712
>>Use violence to make the insolent man shut up (combat roll)

We can do interrogations after silencing this fool

>>5580712
>Where I am and who are you ?
>Do you know that I am a nobleman ? Who are you to imprison me like this ? You do not look like royal sergeants or provosts !
I demand to speak to their manager!

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>5580712
>Use violence to make the insolent man shut up (combat roll)

>>5580712
>>Use violence to make the insolent man shut up (combat roll)

>>5580712
>>Where I am and who are you ?
>>Do you know that I am a nobleman ? Who are you to imprison me like this ? You do not look like royal sergeants or provosts !

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>>5580822
>>5580940

>>5580971
Well said, it is the way.

>>5580999
Lady Karen would be proud.

>>5581008
>>5581119
>>5581274

Since the man poked you with his finger you put your hand on the side of his face and when he said...

-What.. y

You pushed his head into the stone wall with all your strength it hit his skull with a strange crushing sound. The lady behind him gasped and you decided to hit him twice more, once because he was insulting you and a second time because the sound it's skull made each time you hit it with full force against the corner of the wall had a strange relaxing effect on your headache. You then turned towards the lady who seemed to panic and stutter and tried to say something in a language ressembling latin while moving her hands. You grabbed her by the neck and began to choke her. She seemed terrified but at the same time reddenned even when your relaxed your grip to allow her to answer... Strange. You told.

-Where am I and who are you ?

-Y... You are at the Mage's guild headquarters in Pleasantville my lord. I.. am Ava.. I was.. sent here with Zoomer Brushcutson to investigate about a magical anomaly in the local lordship.. and Zoomer.. is he dead ?

You looked at the man, some blood poured from it's skull and he didn't move. You told.

-Who cares. Do you know that I am a nobleman ? Who are you ? Some guild members, some burghers to DARE imprison me like this ? You are not even royal sergeants or provosts.

She seemed even more terrified since you said it in a very outraged tone. It was true ! Some traitors tried to kill you when you were drunk, or imprisoned you. What was this ? The Sicilian vespers ? It was a move perfidious enough to come from a Flemish ! And being imprisoned by burghers who are witches ! It was too much ! A sane hatred was building inside you, they already should be burned alive for practising witchcraft but now it was really personnal. They deserved to suffer ! She stuttered some words.

-B... but we thought that you were in league with dark powers, you killed the adventurers that we had sent, we wanted to come to Local to talk to you but since you were there and you were drunk and trying to fight with someone in the Len Inn we decided to send some mercenaries to pick you up and...

-Silence, I have heard enough..

-Please let me live, I was against this idea, I...

So these magical blackguards were trying to interrogate you like they were some kind of royal sergeants ! They thought that they were above the law and above nobility ! They should be hanged like the common bandits that they were if they were not to be burned alive first for practising magic. You decided to ask.

>>5581460

>And how to get out of here ?
>Is there more heretics above ?
>And you didn't think that the count would search for me ?
>Other (write in)

Then you had to do something with the witch while you escaped. You loathed killing or hitting women but she was a witch so potentially dangerous.

>Kill the witch.
>Attach and gag the witch with something.
>Knock the witch out.

>>5581462
>And you didn't think that the count would search for me ?
>Is there more heretics above ?

>Attach and gag the witch with something.
killing her would be foolish, we could make her a spy. maybe even spread misinformation, blaming it on the Baug the Terrible guy.

>>5581462
>>And how to get out of here ?
>>And you didn't think that the count would search for me ?

>Knock the witch out

>>5581462
>And you didn't think that the count would search for me ?
>Is there more heretics above ?

>Attach and gag the witch with something.

>>5581462
>>And you didn't think that the count would search for me ?
>>Is there more heretics above ?

>>Attach and gag the witch with something.

>>5581462
>And how to get out of here ?
>Is there more heretics above ?
Goddamned heretics. We should set the whole building on fire!
>Kill the witch.
We cannot leave the witnesses. Last time we did that resulted in THIS very outrageous situation.
>You loathed killing or hitting women but she was a witch
A witch loses all female rights when she lets devil take her virgin purity, that is why we burn them!
>>5581460
>the sound it's skull made each time you hit it with full force against the corner of the wall had a strange relaxing effect on your headache
Here I go cackling at 1am. Thank you, LL.

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>>5581470
It is a wise idea in the future, having a spy network helps a lot with intrigue and war.

>>5581479
>>5581529
>>5581769

>>5581849
Preferably once we will be outside. And your opinion on purging the witch shows your determination, you should have been an Inquisitor (I still regret that you haven't chosen Frère Ponce as a companion but such is life).
And I am happy to have made you laugh.

====

You decided to ask the lady the first question that came to your mind.

-And you didn't think that the count would search for me ?

-I... I thought so but Zoomer... told that you were with two drunk people, one of them slept, the other one even told us that we can take you since you were an... Do not hit me but he said that you were an asshole...

It was treason then... One of those parasites betrayed you because of your speech... Of course you should have known it. Or the baron paid him. You will need to find him. But when you frowned she added.

-And the count cannot search you here. The Mage's Guild is protected from searches by Imperial Decree.

Privileges to burghers. India was truely an awful realm. You decided to kill your frustration by hitting the wood of a box lying there with your fist. You then asked.

-How many people is there upstairs.

-I... I do not know but the Mage's guild here is composed of ten people but some are not here so I don't know...

You began to think quickly and decided to take the dagger of the lying man who was still bleeding and not moving. Once in possession of the dagger you tried to find something to attach the young witch. She was terrified and told.

-Will you... Kill me.

-Be silent, witch... And no... I am searching for some rope.

-B...but you will kill the others I can't... Let you do this...

You looked at her and frowned, signifying that yes you will probably kill enough to leave the place. She then placed her hand on yours and told.

-Somnis...

You wondered what that meant.

-What are you trying to do witch ? Curse me ?

-B... But... It's... Impossible, it worked with that creep at the tavern it...

-What ?

-No, nothing sorry, I am sorry... Y... You are searching something to... Attach me ?

-Yes.

She then redened, you wondered why, and waited very quietly for you to find some ropes in one of the boxes and to cut some cloth from another to gag her. She looked excited and gasped when you did this, it was almost if she took pleasure in it. Witches were strange, probably a side effect of their satanism. You then picked the keys of the door from the body of the insolent man whose head had hit the wall. There seemed to be a lot of keys in it and if it might be noisy you wouldn't want to come before a closed door and not be able to open it.

>>5581934

You decided to try to go out of the door and remarked that you were in a corridor which ended in a small spiral staircase from which voices came. You distinguished the voices of at least three people but could not know what they were saying if you didn't move towards the door.

On the left and the right of the basement you saw two other oak doors. Each one of them had, unlike yours a kind of smaller trapdoor to permit the guardians to look in the cell from outside. You opened one and saw a strange thing, a woman, but not like any woman, she looked a bit like a pointy eared Guelph but was all blue and glowing. It was like her skin was made of glowing blue matter. When she saw you she began to run towards the door and tell.

-Finally, it is disenchanted ! And you don't look like a mage you...

She touched the door and disappeared in a flash of fire. You recoiled, afraid, and did the sign of the cross against this devilry. What did it meant ? You opened the door and saw that all that remained from that glowing woman was a small pile of ash. You did the sign of the cross a new time. You never saw something like this... Was this door cursed by some evil person ? Was it stopping prisoners from touching it ?
Yes, it was probably prisoners since the door was clearly reinforced by steel nails and that instead of a pile of boxes it had a kind of couch for a person to sleep in it and nothing else. There must have been no place in the prison so you were thrown into the cellar.
You deduced that the other prison cell must be full.

You watched through the trapdoor and saw four people chained to the wall. They seemed to be in good shape despite this. Clearly they were not questioned often and seemed well fed.

The biggest of them was a young man, perhaps younger than you but strong as an ox with clearly the build of a warrior and a kind of charisma that emanated from him. The second one was a beast woman who looked like a cat, she was probably the result of an intercourse between man and beast. She seemed to sing something to herself like a madwoman.

-I hate humans. We must kill humans. Kill humans. Behead humans. Roundhouse kick a human into the pavement. Slam dunk a human baby into the well. Crucify filthy humans. Defecate in a humans food.

Clearly this showed once more that dogs were more amiable companions than cats. You then looked at the third prisoner, a kobold ! A small kobold with a stupid air who simply tried to make the cat lady be silent by saying something in his tongue sounding like.

-GAK..... GAKGAK !

>>5581935

The last one was the most interesting. She was... The most beautiful woman that you saw. Her pale flesh contrasted perfectly with her black hair and even if she was asleep you clearly saw the pointed ears that indicated that she was a Guelph. But unlike other guelph ladies like the merchant's daughter, who you classed before as the most beautiful woman that you saw, this one was... Almost naked ! She had no dress, only something to cover her private parts and breasts. It let you see that she had what she needed where she needed and was quite athletic, if tall and thin like all the rest of her people. But even if you were extremely aroused you wondered if she was some kind of prostitute to dress like this or if she was undressed by the Wizards living here for their pleasures.

You then looked at your keys, you could enter this cell of course or directly go upstairs.

>Go to the staircase.
>Try to open the cell containing the four prisoners with one of the keys.
>Search for another exit
>Other (write in)