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Pirates of the Mezzovian Main -- UPDATED May 12th
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<blockquote data-quote="Desdichado" data-source="post: 4075598" data-attributes="member: 2205"><p>Despite a few raised eyebrows from the guards, the presence of his Highness, Prince Darlanian, vouching for the odd assortment of hangers-on, was sufficient to get them through the gate. Without waiting to be announced, the Prince motioned for the group to follow him and walked through the hallways right into the King's audience chamber, causing all the palace servants to scurry out of the way, bowing as they did. One poor chamber maid, trying to bow and move aside at the same time after suddenly nearly running right into the Prince actually fell on her backside on the hard stone floor.</p><p></p><p>The King was a sour-looking man; thin, with dark hair and a permanent scowl. He was leaning forward in his chair listening to a hobgoblin in fine clothes speaking to him (picture Guy Rolfe's Prince John from the excellent 1952 movie <em>Ivanhoe</em> with Richard Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor. And George Sands as Guy du'Bois Gilbert. If you haven't seen it, you should! Anyway, I couldn't find any decent screenshots online, sadly.) Next to him was his Queen, a younger woman with sparkling blond hair done in a braid of the style that the northerners used. Indeed; she was distant kin to Sven Svensson, and the younger sister of the king of Iclezza, married to King Netalathien of Jekara to cement a political alliance. She looked up interestedly as the Prince and his guests walked in; the King barely gave them a flicker of his eyes, retaining his full attention on the hobgoblin delegate.</p><p></p><p>"Your Majesty, if you do not honor our alliance, our state will be yet another vassal to the expansion of Leng within a fortnight. And, I'll remind you, other than the little caravan stop of Sutaka, their eyes will be set next on you after they have finished with us. Now is the time to make your stand."</p><p></p><p>The King shifted, looked with annoyance at his impatient brother who had walked up nearly to the hobgoblin delegate, the rest of the group standing uncertainly behind. "My Lord Tokraas, we will discuss this further on the morrow. There are indeed dire consequences whichever course of action Jekara takes, and I will not allow my troops to be committed in haste to any course of action."</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin looked frustrated, but he bit his lip and bowed slightly, turning and walking out. He made eye contact with Teren'Kol as he walked out, surprised to see one of his own race dressed as if he were a nomad orc from the desert. His steps faltered momentarily, but then he continued on his way.</p><p></p><p>"Dear brother," said the Prince sarcastically. "I have returned. I bring with me several talented individuals who saved my life from pirate attack only a few hours outside our harbor, where <em>your</em> Navy should have kept me safe. So that they may receive the royal congratulations and reward due them for sparing royal blood."</p><p></p><p>"Royal blood that would not have been at risk if you had not embarked on such a foolish venture!" she King shot back.</p><p></p><p>The Prince flushed red and raised his voice even higher. "A foolish venture that I undertook at your request, brother!</p><p></p><p>The King slammed his fist down on the armrest of his throne. "But the manner in which you undertook it was your own choosing! Spare me the misplaced accusation that any risk you undertook due to your own foolishness was my fault!"</p><p></p><p>The two stared daggers at each other, while the Queen sat quietly, observing the reticent adventurers with keen eyes. "Still," the King said in a quieter voice, "royal blood <em>is</em> royal blood, fool or no." He turned to the adventurers and managed a strained smile which did not reach his eyes. "Please, enjoy my hospitality for the evening here in the palace; in the morning I will see you suitably rewarded for your service before you go on your way."</p><p></p><p>Prince Darlanian spun on his heel and stormed away without a backwards glance, while a seneschal stepped forward to show the guests to their quarters, so they could bathe, change their clothes and be fed and pampered… at least for one evening.</p><p></p><p>While they were walking slowly through the hallway, they were stopped by the Queen. "Pardon the interruption, my fine fellows. I'm sure you are eager to rest after your journey, but I would like to take a moment of your time, if I could."</p><p></p><p>"We would be honored, milady!" Sven stepped up, eager as a puppy. "Perhaps you remember me? Sven Svensson, from your homeland. My older sister I believe was a friend of yours in childhood."</p><p></p><p>"Ah, yes… I believe I remember your father. He was… someone in my fathers court. I don't recall, though… it has been many years since I have been to Iclezza, and I was a young girl when I was promised in marriage to the King here."</p><p></p><p>She ushered them into a private sitting room, dismissing the seneschal to wait outside. "So. You managed to save my fool brother-in-law from death. That is quite an accomplishment. I was certain that his hare-brained scheme of traveling incognito to the country northwards would be the last we saw of him."</p><p></p><p>"If you were capable of saving him, even from himself, then clearly you are not to be trifled with." Although her words were serious, laughter echoed in her eyes, but it faded as she continued.</p><p></p><p>"I have been looking for just such people for some little time now. I have an urgent errand that needs attending to, and my fool of a husband is unwilling to devote time or resources to it."</p><p></p><p>The group looked at each other uncertainly. Clearly this was not the happiest of families. "What would you have us do, milady?" Fairlight asked hesitantly.</p><p></p><p>The Queen sighed. "I know you have just arrived, but I need capable agents to sail to my home country of Iclezza. We have received word that it is under attack. The savage druids and fey that live in the woods to the north of us have come south, for reasons that we do not yet know, and they will not be negotiated with. Jekara has a long-standing alliance with Iclezza, but my <em>husband</em>," she stretched the word out to give it all the venom of a bitter insult, "will not budge. You heard him speaking to allies even closer at hand. He is an overcautious fool who would sit here planning while the world all around him comes crashing down. Bold action is required, my friends… but I have no access to troops I could send. A band of bold fighters, though, outsiders to Iclezza, yourself excluded, of course, might find a solution that the King, with his troops, even if he were to send them, would not."</p><p></p><p>The Queen dismissed herself after chatting a bit more and the group went back into the hallways. To almost bump headlong into the prince. "My saviors!" he laughed. "I was looking for you. Might I have a word?" The group looked at each other uncertainly yet again as he led them back into the same sitting room they had so recently vacated.</p><p></p><p>"I would ask your help," the Prince started. "My brother, fool that he is, does not esteem the intelligence that I gathered on my trip, but I have heard very disturbing rumors. The dragon-king's Empire of Cryx is supposedly slumbering very restlessly. I heard many accounts of troops massing in the islands, pointing towards the mainland here in the south. Mnar would likely be their first target, but we would be right behind, I believe."</p><p></p><p>"However, I need confirmation of these rumors. Although my sources are trustworthy, their information was also indirect and second-hand. I need someone to scout out what's going on in Cryx and send me back word. Now, I know that my fool sister-in-law just spoke to you, and I can imagine that she pled for aid for her homeland in the north. A worthy goal, no doubt! But, you can accomplish both without too much trouble! While sailing to Iclezza, you must sail very near Cryxian waters anyway… by making a slight detour, you could accomplish my mission, send word back to me, and continue on your way to do what my sister-in-law asked as well."</p><p></p><p>The Prince chatted with them a bit more, and then excused himself.</p><p></p><p>"The only thing missing now," remarked Jek, "is for the King himself to come to us, call both his wife and his brother fools, and ask us to go eastwards to spy on Leng!" That did not actually happen. As the group discussed what to do, Fairlight remarked that their task, essentially, was to discover which of these competing interests was the least <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />-ish and try to attempt their task.</p><p></p><p>They decided tentatively to sail soon for Cryx, and from there to Iclezza. Teren'Kol was the only one reticent, as the plight of the ambassador of Punuwan had moved him; his own city-state had been conquered by Leng itself some ten years earlier.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Desdichado, post: 4075598, member: 2205"] Despite a few raised eyebrows from the guards, the presence of his Highness, Prince Darlanian, vouching for the odd assortment of hangers-on, was sufficient to get them through the gate. Without waiting to be announced, the Prince motioned for the group to follow him and walked through the hallways right into the King's audience chamber, causing all the palace servants to scurry out of the way, bowing as they did. One poor chamber maid, trying to bow and move aside at the same time after suddenly nearly running right into the Prince actually fell on her backside on the hard stone floor. The King was a sour-looking man; thin, with dark hair and a permanent scowl. He was leaning forward in his chair listening to a hobgoblin in fine clothes speaking to him (picture Guy Rolfe's Prince John from the excellent 1952 movie [i]Ivanhoe[/i] with Richard Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor. And George Sands as Guy du'Bois Gilbert. If you haven't seen it, you should! Anyway, I couldn't find any decent screenshots online, sadly.) Next to him was his Queen, a younger woman with sparkling blond hair done in a braid of the style that the northerners used. Indeed; she was distant kin to Sven Svensson, and the younger sister of the king of Iclezza, married to King Netalathien of Jekara to cement a political alliance. She looked up interestedly as the Prince and his guests walked in; the King barely gave them a flicker of his eyes, retaining his full attention on the hobgoblin delegate. "Your Majesty, if you do not honor our alliance, our state will be yet another vassal to the expansion of Leng within a fortnight. And, I'll remind you, other than the little caravan stop of Sutaka, their eyes will be set next on you after they have finished with us. Now is the time to make your stand." The King shifted, looked with annoyance at his impatient brother who had walked up nearly to the hobgoblin delegate, the rest of the group standing uncertainly behind. "My Lord Tokraas, we will discuss this further on the morrow. There are indeed dire consequences whichever course of action Jekara takes, and I will not allow my troops to be committed in haste to any course of action." The hobgoblin looked frustrated, but he bit his lip and bowed slightly, turning and walking out. He made eye contact with Teren'Kol as he walked out, surprised to see one of his own race dressed as if he were a nomad orc from the desert. His steps faltered momentarily, but then he continued on his way. "Dear brother," said the Prince sarcastically. "I have returned. I bring with me several talented individuals who saved my life from pirate attack only a few hours outside our harbor, where [i]your[/i] Navy should have kept me safe. So that they may receive the royal congratulations and reward due them for sparing royal blood." "Royal blood that would not have been at risk if you had not embarked on such a foolish venture!" she King shot back. The Prince flushed red and raised his voice even higher. "A foolish venture that I undertook at your request, brother! The King slammed his fist down on the armrest of his throne. "But the manner in which you undertook it was your own choosing! Spare me the misplaced accusation that any risk you undertook due to your own foolishness was my fault!" The two stared daggers at each other, while the Queen sat quietly, observing the reticent adventurers with keen eyes. "Still," the King said in a quieter voice, "royal blood [i]is[/i] royal blood, fool or no." He turned to the adventurers and managed a strained smile which did not reach his eyes. "Please, enjoy my hospitality for the evening here in the palace; in the morning I will see you suitably rewarded for your service before you go on your way." Prince Darlanian spun on his heel and stormed away without a backwards glance, while a seneschal stepped forward to show the guests to their quarters, so they could bathe, change their clothes and be fed and pampered… at least for one evening. While they were walking slowly through the hallway, they were stopped by the Queen. "Pardon the interruption, my fine fellows. I'm sure you are eager to rest after your journey, but I would like to take a moment of your time, if I could." "We would be honored, milady!" Sven stepped up, eager as a puppy. "Perhaps you remember me? Sven Svensson, from your homeland. My older sister I believe was a friend of yours in childhood." "Ah, yes… I believe I remember your father. He was… someone in my fathers court. I don't recall, though… it has been many years since I have been to Iclezza, and I was a young girl when I was promised in marriage to the King here." She ushered them into a private sitting room, dismissing the seneschal to wait outside. "So. You managed to save my fool brother-in-law from death. That is quite an accomplishment. I was certain that his hare-brained scheme of traveling incognito to the country northwards would be the last we saw of him." "If you were capable of saving him, even from himself, then clearly you are not to be trifled with." Although her words were serious, laughter echoed in her eyes, but it faded as she continued. "I have been looking for just such people for some little time now. I have an urgent errand that needs attending to, and my fool of a husband is unwilling to devote time or resources to it." The group looked at each other uncertainly. Clearly this was not the happiest of families. "What would you have us do, milady?" Fairlight asked hesitantly. The Queen sighed. "I know you have just arrived, but I need capable agents to sail to my home country of Iclezza. We have received word that it is under attack. The savage druids and fey that live in the woods to the north of us have come south, for reasons that we do not yet know, and they will not be negotiated with. Jekara has a long-standing alliance with Iclezza, but my [i]husband[/i]," she stretched the word out to give it all the venom of a bitter insult, "will not budge. You heard him speaking to allies even closer at hand. He is an overcautious fool who would sit here planning while the world all around him comes crashing down. Bold action is required, my friends… but I have no access to troops I could send. A band of bold fighters, though, outsiders to Iclezza, yourself excluded, of course, might find a solution that the King, with his troops, even if he were to send them, would not." The Queen dismissed herself after chatting a bit more and the group went back into the hallways. To almost bump headlong into the prince. "My saviors!" he laughed. "I was looking for you. Might I have a word?" The group looked at each other uncertainly yet again as he led them back into the same sitting room they had so recently vacated. "I would ask your help," the Prince started. "My brother, fool that he is, does not esteem the intelligence that I gathered on my trip, but I have heard very disturbing rumors. The dragon-king's Empire of Cryx is supposedly slumbering very restlessly. I heard many accounts of troops massing in the islands, pointing towards the mainland here in the south. Mnar would likely be their first target, but we would be right behind, I believe." "However, I need confirmation of these rumors. Although my sources are trustworthy, their information was also indirect and second-hand. I need someone to scout out what's going on in Cryx and send me back word. Now, I know that my fool sister-in-law just spoke to you, and I can imagine that she pled for aid for her homeland in the north. A worthy goal, no doubt! But, you can accomplish both without too much trouble! While sailing to Iclezza, you must sail very near Cryxian waters anyway… by making a slight detour, you could accomplish my mission, send word back to me, and continue on your way to do what my sister-in-law asked as well." The Prince chatted with them a bit more, and then excused himself. "The only thing missing now," remarked Jek, "is for the King himself to come to us, call both his wife and his brother fools, and ask us to go eastwards to spy on Leng!" That did not actually happen. As the group discussed what to do, Fairlight remarked that their task, essentially, was to discover which of these competing interests was the least :):):):):):):)-ish and try to attempt their task. They decided tentatively to sail soon for Cryx, and from there to Iclezza. Teren'Kol was the only one reticent, as the plight of the ambassador of Punuwan had moved him; his own city-state had been conquered by Leng itself some ten years earlier. [/QUOTE]
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