Book Six, Chapter Four �Lets kill the King after killing the Crimson Dancers�
����������� 29/11/2003
And on the 23rd Azura we killed 59 Gargun, but one got away as Zytsi didn�t kill it out right.
We bicker and talk about computer games for a while but that�s normal. Then we review our plans. Sir Martyn�s plan is to send the Priestess of Agrik, and mother of the King�s half brother, a message saying the succession is imminent. So she is being watched by King Alegar II rather than us.
The previous king was Alegar I, who wasn�t fond of his youngest son, Alegar II. Eldest son died in the Cape Renda disaster. Alegar II was married to two different women and then became heir to the throne. The Jarin Revolt united the Ivinian clans behind him. The other two main clans would be quite happy to get rid of him, but are scared of each other and won�t do it. The Jarin are getting annoyed again. The King�s fifth wife was the daughter of a Jarin nobleman, who was perhaps killed by the latest wife but no one really knows. The brother of the dead Queen is Prince of Pethwus, and he is highly pissed off with Alegar II. Leriel and Quellin Jarin places are in league but probably not up to much. In the previous rebellion the Agrikans came in and put down the rebellion in Geldehiem, the Argikans had as their price Quiman. So it�s the only place where Larani is banned. The Order of the Crimson Dancer, the only female order, holds Quiman (half way between Vaagal and Zuden). The High Priestess had dalliance with Alegar II which is where the half brother comes from, who is now 19.
Our three factions are the Jarins, and Orbaalese clans and the Argikans. The Agrikans have no popular support; all they have is the half brother of the current king. We are in Nuthela heading north to Geldehiem to kill the King, and blame it on the Agrikans. But they might take over anyway as the other Ivinian clans may support him as he isn�t one of them. We will be going through Leriel and then Pethwus, the two Jarin places, to Geldehiem. Quiman is beyond Geldehiem.
Sir Martyn has a cunning plan. We contact the Jarin and say we are going to get revenge for the last rebellion, and wipe out the Order of the Crimson Dancer. We kill the King, put the half brother on the throne (who won�t have any support as we�ll have wiped out the Agrikans), and give the next heir to the Jarins to bring up.
There are 40 Ivinians and 75 Jarins in Quiman, plus the Order of the Crimson Dancers. Most places are small in this world.
We continue on for another 12 days. So it�s the 5th Halane when we arrive at Leriel. Leriel has a population of 450. One of the oldest population centres in northern Harn. It was founded by the Jarins fleeing form the people who became the ordinary Harnic peoples. In charge is a Jarin Prince of Clan Marwyn called Eamon. Clan Marwyn is probably one of the strongest of the Jarin clans, been here for 500 years.
When the Orbaalese turned up they settled the coast and Clan Marwyn lived in the interior so didn�t fight against them. Eamon is a skilful ruler who is supposed to be involved in diplomatic rebellion. He appeases the Ivinians. Leriel is one of the most religiously tolerant places in Harn, even if Larani is banned, not that anyone takes any notice.
We are simple merchants, and unlikely to see the Prince, but Sir Martyn as official champion of Larani could. But we are nought but simple merchants. Oh they have a four star Apothecary and a Mystic/Alchemist as well. We feel a shopping expedition coming on. There is one of the largest temples of Ilvir on Harn, and there rumours of Ivashu kept in under it. The Peach and Frog is an inn but it a dump, patronised by riff raff and people who can�t afford anything better. And an exceptional toy maker. They have a month long piss up that starts next month.
Sell stuff and buy toys. Daniel buys Mirenna Berries, but Bowlhead doesn�t, sucker. Traders have a base of 50 plus 25 for each star in the book. As most merchants are three stars, so they�ll be 125. So Daniel is a two star merchant. Sell 1,000d per merchant and it�s a 20% at the first one, 20% lose, 20% profit. So we sell 3,000d profit and get 200d profit. Takes three days to do this, so it�ll be 8th Halane afterwards. Buy toys here will be 10% per star, so we buy 1,000d worth of five star toys.
For each 20% or part there of that beat them by get 5% profit max 25%. There will be 10% per star. Note - Send Robin an e-mail and he�ll send a set of rules on how to do it.
Sir Martyn sends the Jarin Prince, Eamon, a letter saying that Sir Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo the Champion of Larani, currently known as Martyn of Kiban is in the best inn in town. Wishes to see him, diplomacy 119% for writing the note. It will be an official letter with the seal and everything, as he really is the real thing. Delivered by a merchant (Markus Spencer), as normally is done.
It gets delivered and three days later (after the trading is done, i.e. on the 8th Halane) there is a message for Martyn of Kiban saying he has a private audience with the Prince this evening. The Castle is just really a big Manor House.
So we all go and see the Prince in his private audience chamber, his bedroom. Sir Martyn spins him the plan above. The Prince is happy for problems for the Orbaalese and the Agrikans but not looking after the 12 year old heir. He can put us in contact with the Jarins in Quiman but won�t put anything in writing and will deny everything. He suggests various Ivinian clans as prospects. The Syens are the best option. Contact the Jarin resistance in Quiman. He has heard that Brigyth daughter of the leader of Sysmek clan. If she can be found the Jarin would unite behind her and the Jarin would revolt. He is happy with the current king, he�s weak.
Mount Quorone regarded an important place, an Ilvin place. Clear the snow from the top of the mount and the Jarin win, local legend. The password is �May there be a heavy thaw this year.�
There are about 100 women-at-arms in the Order of the Crimson Dancer, all told. 100 competent fighters, not all Paladins. And not all in Quiman.
Starting on the 9th Halane. 14 days to Geldehiem, going through Pethwus (pop 240) and another 14 days to Quiman going through places of minimal importance.
And it�s the 23rd of Halane. Geldehiem has a population of 600. Nothing of any great interest here. Temple of Agrik (a dozen soldiers plus clerical types), a Temple of Sarajin and a Castle (complete with political prisoners), the Orbaalese Herald (he�ll be busy working out the succession), a couple of markets, a mass grave of Jarin, an inn that it�s the only one that has both Jarins and Ivinians, a Jarin pub full of rebellious talk which gets raided very now and then, a harbour, plus the usual stuff.
The Castle is made of stone, Ivinian built. The castle is in the middle of town and is a walled keep with a few small buildings and the castle itself which is three stories high. Great Hall in on the first floor, with the throne above the castle cesspit! Ground floor is kitchens and stuff. First floor is the Great Hall and the Second floor is the private quarters. The whole building is 100 feet by 50 feet long; the Great Hall is about 50 feet square. Mediocre strength castle.
Spend a couple of days here. Make some inquires about trading. There are two merchants here who are good at their jobs, both five stars. No trading here then. Every male here will be considered loyal and competent in combat.
Narin of Chateme originally from Thay, a conman and seer wandered around Harn with his brother. He had prediction of Alegar II dying being stabbed to death in a stairwell. He was killed by an impatient archer when he was babbling, and supposedly his brother is still around. Ah that will be the messenger of Odin then. Hmm do we find the brother then? We don�t think it�ll help.
We leave on the 26th Halane. We go through lots of small towns, average pop 200. The average Ivinian Lord is brutal, ruthless and unpleasant. Most of the population is Jarin, but the leaders are Ivinians. So it�s the Normans ruling the Welsh then. (Did you know that the Anglo-Saxon word for the British race is Welsh?)
Vagaal is ruled by one of the few cleaver people, Halvor, who had much to do with planning the raids on Thay. Obviously missing out on the last one. He had six wives, they go through a lot of wives in this land, and four of them are still alive. And eleven surviving children, mostly girls but there several males as well. Sell 250d of our stuff and make 13d profit.
We get to Quiman on the 10th Savor. Quiman has a population of about 120 (40 Ivinians and 5 Jarin).
Trealle of Maryne a Jarin made destitute by the Order of the Crimson Dancer, and his son was raped by them and publicly humiliated by the Order. Could be a good contact! The Jarin here are really badly treated here. Much, much worse then anywhere else in Orbaal. Here they are just plain persecuted. They loose Jarins into a nearby wood and hunt them, skinning them (alive or dead) in a public ceremony afterwards. Very female dominated. It is a really nasty place, let�s not go there.
We skirt the town and go to Trealle�s farm.
We have dinner, which was good and so was the wine.
Then Aruth scouts the area to find out if anyone has been around here. Power points expended and only peasants seen. But Sir Martyn thinks it is being watched. We sneak up on the back of the building, and we succeed. Aruth looks at the watcher; it�s a male bedraggled peasant. Daniel see does a Sounding x3 and then a Sleep Song (rolled 98%) so he went to Sleep. Bowlhead knocks on the front door and is greeted by a middle aged woman who looks ill, distressed, repressed, etc. Bowlhead is polite and it works, he isn�t armed to the teeth. He looks like a holy man and she is a servant. He asks too see Trealle. She shuts the door and a bloke comes to the door and lets him in.
It�s a fairly decent manor house but all the land has been nicked. Bowlhead had doesn�t give quite the correct password, He opens the window and conversation ensues. He doesn�t want to known. Then we get invited in as we are obviously mad but legitimate. He realises that we are want directions to someone that they don�t to talk about. Bowlhead takes the woman�s disease - fleas. Sir Martyn looks at curing the wife of clinical depression; it may or may not work and takes 10 to 100 days. It�s probably quicker to kill the Crimson Dancers. We�ll be wanting his idiot son, Mosaic, whose off to join the rebels. He is not impressed with us and we leave. But the woman (servant) tells Bowlhead to head towards Mount Quorone, go up the canyon and when we are challenged asked to speak to Ormanoam.
We leave. Camouflage the wagon and go off up the valley. Walk four or five miles into a gorge. Up the gorge expecting to be challenged and we spot the watchers. So we stop 105 or so feet away and wave at them. One goes off and one stays. Then after a few minutes the other comes down. We give the password and are taken to a small cave and asked to wait. After about 20 minutes a group of poorly armed Jarins turn up. Sir Martyn goes into full nutter roll, it isn�t working. Sir Martyn uncovers his shield and holds aloft his glowing sword and says he is Sir Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo the Champion of Larani. Some basically just leave rather fast and the leader backs off about 20 feet. He�s got a false hand and a false foot, knocks about with a Khuzdul and some other blokes. OK he believes it�s us. So what do we want? We heard that Brigyth is around and could unite them. (PS we think she might be dead, due to magical investigations.) This isn�t Mosaic�s bunch, we get directions. These aren�t the homicidal idiots we are looking for. They will be right behind us if we succeed. There is a full and frank discussion. We need Brigyth to unite the Jarins and then we can assault the place with the help of the many local Jarins. This guy could organise the leaders to gather together in a few days. But we need Brigyth or a.n.other figurehead (which could be Sir Martyn but the ramifications would be � interesting).
We get directions to a camp. We go there. No sensible guards around it, rather like a refuge camp not an outlaw place. Eventually we get spotted and eventually the leader says �What do you want�. �May there be a heavy thaw this year�. �We want to see Mosaic. I�m Sir Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo, he�s Zytsi the Khuzdul, and these are my two companions. Oh and he�s with us, only just joined us� (Bowlhead). Sir Martyn goes into nutter mode and spins the tale, at least this one is Mosaic.
OK so we need Brigyth, or reasonable facsimile there of. He can provide a candidate, but no one would believe him. But they would believe Sir Martyn. She was only six months old at the time. So most young woman could get away with it. But Mosaic has scruples and will only use a volunteer Brigyth, but he knows a potential volunteer. We need to convince a half a dozen or so leaders with 30/40 men each.
This is the story. She was spirited away by a holy man of Siem (called Certies) aged 6 months, about 20 to 25 years ago. He gave her to her foster parents and he kept the secret until his death bed. Bowlhead was his acolyte and now wants to right the wrong and bring her back to her inheritance. The clerics of Siem will have a ring proving her rights. Therefore, we need to go back to Geldehiem and get the symbol that Zytsi cuts on to the ring.
So the plan is we go to Geldehiem and get the design and Zytsi makes a ring. Then we hold a meeting and convince the leaders and then work a crowd of local peasants, sorry local resistance members. Daniel to work the crowd and whip them up and then the Holy Man of Siem - Bowlhead. Could be a week in Geldehiem and week rounding up the leaders. So we could be spending two months before it happens.