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Sir Gerard d'Montfort - In his own words (a tale of Anka Seth)- Updated Nov 11th
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<blockquote data-quote="Haraash Saan" data-source="post: 5160073" data-attributes="member: 46615"><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">After travelling down the river for most of the next day, spending the previous day provisioning for our journey to Guerney City, we arrived at the walled river town of Stowmarket. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">At least twice the size of Montfort the river port was well situated, having been built at the fork of two prominent rivers. On its southern bank the river flowed east to a the smaller town of Tilsborough were the it met the road to Guerney City. On Stowmarket’s western bank flowed the Tarnus that came all the way from the icy caps of the mountains that the barbarians and giants and recently called home. Both rivers carried significant trade traffic and therefore Stowmarket became a merchant’s haven. It was an unusual locale though. In the heart of the forest, and with very little land to grow crops it survived on the very trade that passed through it. There were only two roads leading from the town, a rough track not fit for a wagon that led to Montfort, and a slightly larger one that led to Tilsborough. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The few times I had travelled to Stowmarket in the past it had been a bustling river port with several markets that were brimming with all manner of common and exotic produce and goods. However that seemed a reflection of better times. It was obvious that the threat of barbarians and bandits had severely impacted the majority of the trade that passed through.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Lady Gyda, upon hearing of my arrival, met me formally and offered my companions and I lodging for the evening at the small keep in the centre of town.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">She was a handsome woman, although she did not have the soft look of a lady of the courts, there was a hard edge to her. Perhaps it was her proud bearing or her aloof demeanour, or maybe it was that her skin had not been protected by all manner herbal treatments like so many ladies that I had known in Thessingcourt.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Her raven black hair was worn in a single plait that ran almost to her waist. Crowning her head was a thin circlet of silver with a single small ruby in its centre.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">I must admit that I felt an unusual attraction to her. She was a woman different to most of those I had met. In fact she reminded me a great deal of Timandra, Baron Yorath’s aide. They were both desirable, perhaps it was because they seemed unattainable. Timandra, because she, like Lady Gyda, mourned her husband, and Gyda because she also had a reputation of turning away all suitors.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">That evening I managed a brief audience with Lady Gyda, as she too was preparing to travel to Guerney City after receiving a summons from the King. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">I told her of the fate of the bandits and Saeff’s involvement with them and his most unfortunate demise. She took the news well, in fact there was barely a flicker of acknowledgement in her eyes. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">“That boy was always going to cause trouble. It seems he finally got what he deserved.” She said coldly.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The information of the barbarians was of much more interest to her than the death of her late husbands bastard. She was keen to hear the details of the battle and nodded her approval for the most part, but now and again she would mutter and shake her head, disagreeing with the approach I had taken. Nevertheless she was most pleased that the barbarian menace was no longer an immediate threat, “Who knows how long it will be before more succumb and move south?”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The rest of our conversation was made quite brief when she excused herself so as to be prepared for her journey. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">“Of course My Lady you are most welcome to travel with myself and the Hydra, as we are also going to Guerney City.” I offered.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">It was an invitation I was most pleased that she accepted, although her teenage son Havold was none to pleased at the prospect of his mother travelling with someone he saw as a potential suitor. Apparently he was very much against his mother remarrying, and worse still, handing over control of the lands of Stowmarket.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">There was no doubting that Lady Gyda was capable. The morning saw her dressed prepared for any encounter. She wore a chain mail shirt atop a sturdy leather jerkin, under which was a quality silk shirt. This warrior woman also chose not to wear the more conventional dress and instead wore leather riding pants and boots. Strapped to her side was a broad sword and on her back was an unstrung longbow and quiver.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">She really was a woman different to any I had known! </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">With her was a male squire, a strong and likely sort, that carried her round shield and other belongings and six mounted guardsman in the livery of Stowmarket.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">After two days of river travel we arrived and Tilsborough on the eaves of the forest and there mounted horses and rode east for almost three weeks before arriving at the capital of Guerney, Guerney City.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Larger than both Halfast and Thessingcourt, Guerney City, that I had only visited once before, was a hive of chaos. The noise, after spending so long in the wilderness or in Montfort, was extraordinary, and the smell, well it required me to keep my kerchief close at hand.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Thankfully it was not one of the winter months and at least it was dry so the streets were not churned with mud. Only when we arrived in the inner part of the city did the horse hooves finally strike cobbles.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The castle sat upon a small hill, the hub of a city that continued to expand well beyond its defences. It was there that he made for and soon we were being shown to our lodgings. I was shown to a spacious and quite luxurious room and my companions, much to their annoyance, and my pleasure (it really was about time that they stopping believing they were above their station), through to some much smaller rooms in the bowels of the great fortress. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">A tall but plump man with a shock of silver hair called Hrast introduced himself as my butler for the duration of my stay. There was no doubt that Hrast knew his position well, the man was a true gem! I had never been so efficiently served in all of my life. Upon complimenting the man he only bowed low and said somewhat cockily, “The King only hires the best milord.”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">I had two days to recover from the long journey before once again facing the King. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Other than the time I spent with Gyda I tried to discover who it was that had come to the King’s summons. All manner of nobility had come, including Sir Aeron de Ellesmere, also of the Order of the Wyrm and his wife Lady Kiera de Ellesmere and most significantly was young Prince Brand and his advisors. Upon learning this news I left no stone unturned in attempting to discover his advisors identities.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Eventually I learned that his party comprised of; Hugh Phargus, a warrior of some repute, Pomerial of the Birch, an elf with mystical powers, Larran Susspuruss and Trovi Negatus. There were also three strange folk that were rumoured to have the blood of demons running through their veins; Voltaire, another mage and Tobey and Tallbott both accomplished scouts and warriors. Finally was Daregushi, the very same man that had been implicated in the poisoning attempt on the King in Halfast, and the man that Moxadder was mortally afraid of.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">If Brand and his cronies were in the city then we had little doubt that there was some sort of plot afoot. From the moment I met him all those months ago in Halfast I did not like him. We would have to be watchful.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">More distressing than Brand being in Guerney City was the news that some two months ago, when we had been travelling to Montfort from Halfast, Prince Jeremy, the King’s firstborn, had fallen in a riding accident and been killed. This was terrible news! Although Jeremy had shown no inclination to pay heed to the threat from the Dominion, he had been a wise and intelligent man who one day would have become a good King, now Brand was one step closer to the crown. Only the King’s poor health and his elder sister Princess Isabella stood in his way.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Haraash Saan, post: 5160073, member: 46615"] [FONT=Arial]After travelling down the river for most of the next day, spending the previous day provisioning for our journey to Guerney City, we arrived at the walled river town of Stowmarket. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]At least twice the size of Montfort the river port was well situated, having been built at the fork of two prominent rivers. On its southern bank the river flowed east to a the smaller town of Tilsborough were the it met the road to Guerney City. On Stowmarket’s western bank flowed the Tarnus that came all the way from the icy caps of the mountains that the barbarians and giants and recently called home. Both rivers carried significant trade traffic and therefore Stowmarket became a merchant’s haven. It was an unusual locale though. In the heart of the forest, and with very little land to grow crops it survived on the very trade that passed through it. There were only two roads leading from the town, a rough track not fit for a wagon that led to Montfort, and a slightly larger one that led to Tilsborough. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The few times I had travelled to Stowmarket in the past it had been a bustling river port with several markets that were brimming with all manner of common and exotic produce and goods. However that seemed a reflection of better times. It was obvious that the threat of barbarians and bandits had severely impacted the majority of the trade that passed through.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Lady Gyda, upon hearing of my arrival, met me formally and offered my companions and I lodging for the evening at the small keep in the centre of town.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]She was a handsome woman, although she did not have the soft look of a lady of the courts, there was a hard edge to her. Perhaps it was her proud bearing or her aloof demeanour, or maybe it was that her skin had not been protected by all manner herbal treatments like so many ladies that I had known in Thessingcourt.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Her raven black hair was worn in a single plait that ran almost to her waist. Crowning her head was a thin circlet of silver with a single small ruby in its centre.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]I must admit that I felt an unusual attraction to her. She was a woman different to most of those I had met. In fact she reminded me a great deal of Timandra, Baron Yorath’s aide. They were both desirable, perhaps it was because they seemed unattainable. Timandra, because she, like Lady Gyda, mourned her husband, and Gyda because she also had a reputation of turning away all suitors.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]That evening I managed a brief audience with Lady Gyda, as she too was preparing to travel to Guerney City after receiving a summons from the King. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]I told her of the fate of the bandits and Saeff’s involvement with them and his most unfortunate demise. She took the news well, in fact there was barely a flicker of acknowledgement in her eyes. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]“That boy was always going to cause trouble. It seems he finally got what he deserved.” She said coldly.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The information of the barbarians was of much more interest to her than the death of her late husbands bastard. She was keen to hear the details of the battle and nodded her approval for the most part, but now and again she would mutter and shake her head, disagreeing with the approach I had taken. Nevertheless she was most pleased that the barbarian menace was no longer an immediate threat, “Who knows how long it will be before more succumb and move south?”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The rest of our conversation was made quite brief when she excused herself so as to be prepared for her journey. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]“Of course My Lady you are most welcome to travel with myself and the Hydra, as we are also going to Guerney City.” I offered.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]It was an invitation I was most pleased that she accepted, although her teenage son Havold was none to pleased at the prospect of his mother travelling with someone he saw as a potential suitor. Apparently he was very much against his mother remarrying, and worse still, handing over control of the lands of Stowmarket.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]There was no doubting that Lady Gyda was capable. The morning saw her dressed prepared for any encounter. She wore a chain mail shirt atop a sturdy leather jerkin, under which was a quality silk shirt. This warrior woman also chose not to wear the more conventional dress and instead wore leather riding pants and boots. Strapped to her side was a broad sword and on her back was an unstrung longbow and quiver.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]She really was a woman different to any I had known! [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]With her was a male squire, a strong and likely sort, that carried her round shield and other belongings and six mounted guardsman in the livery of Stowmarket.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]After two days of river travel we arrived and Tilsborough on the eaves of the forest and there mounted horses and rode east for almost three weeks before arriving at the capital of Guerney, Guerney City.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Larger than both Halfast and Thessingcourt, Guerney City, that I had only visited once before, was a hive of chaos. The noise, after spending so long in the wilderness or in Montfort, was extraordinary, and the smell, well it required me to keep my kerchief close at hand.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Thankfully it was not one of the winter months and at least it was dry so the streets were not churned with mud. Only when we arrived in the inner part of the city did the horse hooves finally strike cobbles.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The castle sat upon a small hill, the hub of a city that continued to expand well beyond its defences. It was there that he made for and soon we were being shown to our lodgings. I was shown to a spacious and quite luxurious room and my companions, much to their annoyance, and my pleasure (it really was about time that they stopping believing they were above their station), through to some much smaller rooms in the bowels of the great fortress. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]A tall but plump man with a shock of silver hair called Hrast introduced himself as my butler for the duration of my stay. There was no doubt that Hrast knew his position well, the man was a true gem! I had never been so efficiently served in all of my life. Upon complimenting the man he only bowed low and said somewhat cockily, “The King only hires the best milord.”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]I had two days to recover from the long journey before once again facing the King. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Other than the time I spent with Gyda I tried to discover who it was that had come to the King’s summons. All manner of nobility had come, including Sir Aeron de Ellesmere, also of the Order of the Wyrm and his wife Lady Kiera de Ellesmere and most significantly was young Prince Brand and his advisors. Upon learning this news I left no stone unturned in attempting to discover his advisors identities.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Eventually I learned that his party comprised of; Hugh Phargus, a warrior of some repute, Pomerial of the Birch, an elf with mystical powers, Larran Susspuruss and Trovi Negatus. There were also three strange folk that were rumoured to have the blood of demons running through their veins; Voltaire, another mage and Tobey and Tallbott both accomplished scouts and warriors. Finally was Daregushi, the very same man that had been implicated in the poisoning attempt on the King in Halfast, and the man that Moxadder was mortally afraid of.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]If Brand and his cronies were in the city then we had little doubt that there was some sort of plot afoot. From the moment I met him all those months ago in Halfast I did not like him. We would have to be watchful.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]More distressing than Brand being in Guerney City was the news that some two months ago, when we had been travelling to Montfort from Halfast, Prince Jeremy, the King’s firstborn, had fallen in a riding accident and been killed. This was terrible news! Although Jeremy had shown no inclination to pay heed to the threat from the Dominion, he had been a wise and intelligent man who one day would have become a good King, now Brand was one step closer to the crown. Only the King’s poor health and his elder sister Princess Isabella stood in his way.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [/QUOTE]
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Sir Gerard d'Montfort - In his own words (a tale of Anka Seth)- Updated Nov 11th
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