Birthright: Tuornen IC

[ewancummins]

Castle Haes, Gate house

A younger, smaller guard approaches from within the gate to whisper something to the big burly guy.

"Okay, you've been admitted. You'll have to leave any weapons here at the gatehouse. Got a knife under that cloak, lady?"

The big man looks Dominica over...

[steveflam]

Castle Haes, Gate house

A younger, smaller guard approaches from within the gate to whisper something to the big burly guy.

"Okay, you've been admitted. You'll have to leave any weapons here at the gatehouse. Got a knife under that cloak, lady?"

The big man looks Dominica over...

"My dear man," she smiles here, grinning slightly. She unstraps a dagger from each arm, beneath her odd looking armor. "I'd be more afraid of what is under my armor than my cloak, good sir." She nods, handing over each dagger.

"Now, what, sir?"

[ewancummins]

Castle Haes, Gate house

A younger, smaller guard approaches from within the gate to whisper something to the big burly guy.

"Okay, you've been admitted. You'll have to leave any weapons here at the gatehouse. Got a knife under that cloak, lady?"

The big man looks Dominica over...

"My dear man," she smiles here, grinning slightly. She unstraps a dagger from each arm, beneath her odd looking armor. "I'd be more afraid of what is under my armor than my cloak, good sir." She nods, handing over each dagger.

"Now, what, sir?"

The guards search her, but find not other weapons.

"Alright, the Castellan says you may enter. You will need an escort so I'm coming with you", says the burly guard.

Once inside, the big man takes Dominica into the palace, where a dark-haired man in a City Watch uniform is speaking with a teary eyed serving woman.

Dominica catches something about "the children", but misses whatever else the woman had just said.

Her escort announces-

"Brought a woman here to see you, sir. She asked for you by name."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Fifteen years a sellsword, and never once had Roald ever taken a job for Old Duke Gilgaed Flaertes.

And yet he still had a messenger hand deliver a letter to me. I suppose I should feel flattered.

The contents of the letter had been sparse, simply an invitation to meet the Old Duke in person. There had been no mention of work in the letter.

The Old Man probably needed someone dead, Roald thought. Nobles always needed someone dead. And though a letter saying "Dear Roald, I'm Lord Suchandsuch. Please kill this wretch for me and I'll pay you a lot of gold," would've been refreshingly straight forward, it wouldn't have exactly been a seemly thing to write.

Well, I guess I'll find out what this is all about soon enough, Roald thought to himself. He glanced behind him to make sure that his "squire", Reese, was keeping pace with him before returning his attention the gates of the castle as they loomed close.

Pulling out the letter to be visible to the gate guards, Roald said, "I bear an invitation from the Duke. Please let him know that Roald has arrived. No doubt the Duke has some gravely important bushiness he means to hire me to take care of."

[VAN]

When Lady Shandor appears Filbert bows to both her and Devlin and says:

"Your Grace and Lord mayor if I'm excused I will head back to the palace."

When he is dismissed the halfling makes his way back inside the palace. With the sudden news of the Duke's death he didn't have the opportunity to pay attention at the crime scene. Trying to avoid the front door he gets inside from the same window he got in before and heads directly for the Duke's room hoping he can sneak in and take a good look of the place.

[ewancummins]

One of the guards fetches a clerk to the gatehouse. The clerk reads the letter at least twice. He looks up at Roald, frowns just a little, and nods.
"Genuine."

The guards admit Roald and Reese along with their animals. Unless Roald tries to smuggle in a weapon, he has to leave his sword at the gatehouse. An pair guards are dispatched to walk with him while a boy helps Reese take the beasts to the stables. More men are called to the gate to shore up the armed might there...


Inside the castle, Roald notes a lot of guards but few servants in view.

One of the two men escorting Roald says, "Please, sir, follow me to the garden."

[ewancummins]

When Lady Shandor appears Filbert bows to both her and Devlin and says:

"Your Grace and Lord mayor if I'm excused I will head back to the palace."

When he is dismissed the halfling makes his way back inside the palace. With the sudden news of the Duke's death he didn't have the opportunity to pay attention at the crime scene. Trying to avoid the front door he gets inside from the same window he got in before and heads directly for the Duke's room hoping he can sneak in and take a good look of the place.

As Filbert walks back to the palace, he notices a big man being escorted towards the garden.

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald leaves all his weapons with Reese and the animals before he follows the guards inside.

"I'm no 'Sir'. Just lead the way. No doubt the Duke has weeds that need pulling."

[ewancummins]

Roald leaves all his weapons with Reese and the animals before he follows the guards inside.

"I'm no 'Sir'. Just lead the way. No doubt the Duke has weeds that need pulling."

The guard nods and walks on...



...

Leading Roald to a spot in the garden where a young nobleman converses with a slim, middle-aged brunette who wears civic robes and a chain of office. Peering a bit more closely at the fine-garbed noble, Roald notes a subtle, faerie-touched look about the man-- something Roald has seen before in bastards and foundlings near the edge of elf-forests.


The guard bows to the young noble.

"Your Grace, this man, Roald, bears a paper from your father."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

PALACE

"May he rest Haelyn's kingdom," Renn said almost reflexively when the matron spoke of the duke's passing. He had little use for the gods or piety, but there was no reason to let the plebs know about that.

Renn nods, taking in the information. Toys? What strange folk these Southrons were. And if the duke had already been cold when she found the body, it must have happened sometime deep in the night, not a recent kill. But how did it all fit?

"I'll talk to them about the children, ma'am," he assures her. "I'm Captain Ghonallison, by the by, a pleasure."

[ewancummins]

PALACE

"May he rest Haelyn's kingdom," Renn said almost reflexively when the matron spoke of the duke's passing. He had little use for the gods or piety, but there was no reason to let the plebs know about that.

Renn nods, taking in the information. Toys? What strange folk these Southrons were. And if the duke had already been cold when she found the body, it must have happened sometime deep in the night, not a recent kill. But how did it all fit?

"I'll talk to them about the children, ma'am," he assures her. "I'm Captain Ghonallison, by the by, a pleasure."

The servant woman thanks Rennalt.

The guard shrugs and says- "Right, I'll just leave this other one here with your, sir."

And walks away, leaving the red-headed (and roguishly alluring) female stranger in the room with Rennalt and the serving-woman.

[Adam]

Cormac clears his throat, tossing another glob of tobacco juice onto the cave floor. He looks pointedly back and forth between his bow and the numerous men with arrows in their torsos.

"You think we need to go after that'n?" he nods his head towards where the other man ran off. "Don't like leavin' loose ends."

[RocEter]

Cormac clears his throat, tossing another glob of tobacco juice onto the cave floor. He looks pointedly back and forth between his bow and the numerous men with arrows in their torsos.

"You think we need to go after that'n?" he nods his head towards where the other man ran off. "Don't like leavin' loose ends."

The Huntsman looks at Cormac "No, we are here to save the girl. Besides there is no glory in chasing down and killing a retreated enemy." He says the cleans his sword and sheathes it.

He turns his attention to girl. "Are you well child?" He says approaching her and offering his hand.

[JMaytr]

Devlin stares at the sell sword a little longer than seems proper. He then clears his throat and looks to the guard who brought him.

"I don't like being handed things," Devlin replies. "Please read the note if you can."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Devlin stares at the sell sword a little longer than seems proper. He then clears his throat and looks to the guard who brought him.

"I don't like being handed things," Devlin replies. "Please read the note if you can."

Roald arches an eyebrow at Devlin and says, "It doesn't say much. It's just an invitation from the Duke asking me to meet him in person. So when will he be joining us, by the way?"