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The Gate Pass Irregulars: A War of the Burning Sky Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="Cafu" data-source="post: 6074060" data-attributes="member: 6692807"><p>As we went through our spoils, we discovered several items which would be of great use to us in the future. My magical research discovered the following: for Drudge, a pair of thin, worked leather gloves with runes and sigils etched into them. I had heard of such gloves; they made the wearer faster, handier and in the case of Drudge, helped with his archery. Kelkin Thravanvost’s strange skull cap was something that aided magic; or I should qualify that it aided in the learning of magic; it made thought and memory clearer and it was something that would be of great help to my discipline; there were two rings which provided some magical protection and one of them was even combined with another very useful magical characteristic: the wearer did not need to eat and could exist on far less sleep than normal. This ring was given to John while Victor received the other ring of protection.</p><p> </p><p>There was also a magical chain shirt of that most precious of metals: mithril. Victor took that; there was also a strange twine which when wound around the hilt of a sword or a bow, added cold to the wounds caused by it; nasty thing; this was also given to Drudge. Finally, Longhelim was given a cloak which aided him immeasurably in all of his abilities, including his resistance to magic and poisons, his strange powers of summoning one great, powerful blow against evil and all the other skills in which he was so expert, especially his ability to convince and persuade; oh, and it made him look more stately and manly, but he didn’t need that really.</p><p> </p><p>Determining all of the powers of these items took a great deal of the day. John helped me for part of it; he also had access to this research magic although he was not as expert in it as I was, due to his limited arcane spell casting. As John and I were engrossed in our research, Longhelim, Drudge and Felix went out to find out what was going on; Victor stayed inside and rested.</p><p> </p><p>As he put it:</p><p> </p><p>“Magical healing is a wonderful thing but I am still bruised and battered. That troll nearly killed me and I need to recover. Especially as I don’t believe that this is over. We defeated the King’s army, but we didn’t destroy it. So, something else is coming; especially as Nina is on the loose; there’s something very strange about that woman; or gnome; or whatever she is. Has anyone seen anything like what she did before?”</p><p> </p><p>I shook my head; in truth, I hadn’t really thought about the gnome. Mentally, I chastised myself; I had meant to try to find out anything about creatures manifesting her powers but I hadn’t had the time as yet.</p><p> </p><p>Seeing my denial, Victor went to bed.</p><p> </p><p>Drudge, Felix and Longhelim returned in the late afternoon. The paladin sat down with his pipe as usual and everyone else sat around a table:</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Gallo has won a great victory. The Battle of Gallo’s Fend is already passing into legend, especially the Duke’s masterful deployment of the Line at Otheril Vale. We are being recognized as one of the key bulwarks of this Line. “</p><p> </p><p>I grimaced at this; being recognized was not always a good thing, as I have mentioned previously.</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim continued: “One piece of bad news is that Commander Hertiage was slain in the battle with the trolls. His body has been recovered and I am not sure what the procedure will be after this.”</p><p> </p><p>We contemplated this news for some time. The Commander had been a stalwart ally and it was saddening to hear of his demise. Just then, there was a thumping on our door.</p><p> </p><p>As John called out for the person responsible to identify himself, a voice called out:</p><p> </p><p>“Messenger from His Grace. You are summoned to his presence!”</p><p> </p><p>“I knew it,” muttered Victor.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly we gathered our equipment and hurried to the castle. There, we were ushered into a luxurious office, richly furnished and with a roaring fire. It looked very different from the utilitarian war room. Gallo was waiting for us, warming his hands. He looked much better. He had shaved, changed his clothes and looked as if he had caught some sleep at last.</p><p> </p><p>“Gentlemen: first, let me give you some news; the fighting stopped when you removed Konigsmarshall Malkan. The enemy army withdrew and a little time ago, I received one of their heralds. He had some welcome news. Their army is withdrawing even further, back to Bresk in fact. Steppengaard is unwilling to shed more Dassenian blood. However, he has summoned all the nobles of the realm to a peace conference. He states that he has new evidence; evidence of Ragesian expansion plans. I have to go there, not only for myself but to represent my land. This conference will not be attended by proxies. All the nobles will be there in person, with their advisors.</p><p> </p><p>Gentlemen, in light of your courage, your strength, your abilities, I would ask you to accompany me to the capital as part of my entourage…….</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim almost interrupted the Duke before he could go on:”We’ll do it.”</p><p> </p><p>Gallo stopped as if almost taken aback by our willingness. Then he said:</p><p> </p><p>“I was going to offer this to you as an incentive but there is no need now; after your actions in the Battle and on the Line, it gives me great pleasure to formally offer you knighthoods in the land of Gallo. These will also help you in the capital as part of my entourage. They will add greatly to your prestige and open doors that would normally be closed to you.”</p><p> </p><p>He sat down behind his desk and brought out a group of six rolled scrolls out of a drawer:</p><p> </p><p>“These are the patents of nobility. The more elaborate ones will be handed over to you at your investiture. Welcome to the ranks of the aristocracy. There will be a full ceremony tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>He cleared his throat and for a moment looked very tired again:</p><p> </p><p>“This peace conference will be held in conjunction with a mid-winter festival. There will be a jousting tourney, various contests of might, displays of all types and much feasting.”</p><p> </p><p>He looked at us: “No, I don’t like it either but I cannot afford not to be there; especially after the orders you found on the Ragesian officer. That is why I want you with me. I do not know what Steppengaard plans but he has just received a bloody nose here; but it is only a bloody nose. I would urge you to try to investigate anything you can during this festival; especially if you feel that it is suspicious. Everything you discover will put us in a much stronger position. I have not been in the capital for a long time and we are all out of touch.</p><p> </p><p>Now, please go back and I will see you tomorrow morning for the investiture.”</p><p> </p><p>As we were walking back, I said to Longhelim:</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure this is a good idea?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course it is. We have to accompany Gallo. He is Seaquen’s best friend in this benighted place right now. Keeping him alive has to be our priority and we certainly can’t do that if we aren’t with him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, well, that particular plan didn’t go particularly well last time we tried it. We ended up in Steppengaard’s dungeons and had to drink half his sewers to escape.”</p><p> </p><p>“Faden, stop exaggerating; his sewers were frozen; we had to walk over them, not drink them. Anyway, it’ll be different this time; trust me!”</p><p> </p><p>With those words still ringing in my ears, we returned to the mansion and went to bed.</p><p> </p><p>The next morning, we readied ourselves for the ceremony. As we left the house, I was surprised. Somehow, people must have learned about our exploits in the battle and our elevation as there were groups lining the streets and cheering us. I cringed a little; so much for being inconspicuous. These groups became crowds as we approached the castle. It seemed as if the investiture was going to have a large audience.</p><p> </p><p>I wasn’t sure just how people had known what we had done but I suppose that other soldiers must have seen us holding the line; then there were the servants in the castle who had witnessed us bringing in the various bodies. If your city is dependent on its survival by the removal of these enemy individuals then news like that is bound to get out.</p><p> </p><p>We finally arrived at the castle to see a wooden stage had been erected just in front of the gates. Gallo and several advisors were already sitting there. As we arrived, he stood up and motioned us to stop next to the steps. Then he raised his hands and slowly the noise stopped.</p><p> </p><p>He began to speak, in a loud, sonorous voice:</p><p> </p><p>“We are gathered here to honour deeds of bravery; deeds above and beyond the call of duty; deeds that should and will be remembered; deeds by individuals who risked their lives so that hundreds, nay thousands would live. These individuals were first sent on a special mission which was successful beyond our wildest expectations; then they were part of the Line of Otheril Vale; and when all others lost their heads and were forced to run by fell magic – THEY HELD THE LINE – against trolls of all foul monsters; their example and fortitude saved a breach that would have been disastrous; finally, and most tellingly, they infiltrated the enemy camp and met, engaged and defeated Konigsmarshall Malkan and his guard. Thus, heretofore, in the lands of Gallo, Longhelim of the Farm, Felix Terpin, Salubrious Drudge, Slippery John, Faden Tarabond and Victor Trask are to be known as and granted the privileges of - Knights.</p><p> </p><p>This I declare as the ruling Duke of Gallo.”</p><p> </p><p>There was a huge cheer.</p><p> </p><p>Gallo motioned us forward at this point and as we knelt in front of him, he tapped us with a rapier on each shoulder and put a chain with a medal around our necks. Then we also received a small pin to wear on informal occasions. As I went to him, he whispered to me:</p><p> </p><p>“Turn around and wave. Let them enjoy you. Gods know, they lost enough fathers, sons, brothers and others yesterday. They deserve to know they won.”</p><p> </p><p>I grasped immediately what he was trying to say and joined everyone else in turning around and waving at the crowd who cheered even louder.</p><p> </p><p>Once the celebrations were over, we prepared to ride out. Gallo was taking forty other picked riders and advisors to Bresk; thankfully, he did not believe in a great deal of formality and most of the preparation had already been done so it did not take us long to get on the road.</p><p> </p><p>The journey to Bresk took three days. The days were beautiful, with bright sunshine reflecting off the snow and ice. The pace was leisurely and we did not see anyone else. Wisely, everyone had made themselves scarce in front of large groups of armed men, despite the bright pennants and banners that announced us as the Ducal party.</p><p> </p><p>We travelled over the frozen River Nesham as previously and although the journey was uneventful that did not mean that we relaxed. Gallo’s scouts reported that the King’s army was only about half a day ahead of us. This made me a little nervous, despite Gallo’s assurances. I was sure that they were aware of us and we should never forget that Steppengaard was mad, so despite normal assumptions and expectations, a chunk of that army could turn around and squish us, conventions be dammed; it would all have been a terribly unfortunate misunderstanding, of course.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, despite my concerns, we approached the city gates without any incidents.</p><p> </p><p>The gates were open and as we approached, we could hear cheering. I was curious about the excitement and shocked when I realised that they were cheering our entry. People lined the streets and shouted gleefully at Duke Gallo and his escort. Riding close to John, I heard him muttering under his breath:</p><p> </p><p>“……messed up country…….”</p><p> </p><p>I was very confused as well: the citizens of a city belonging to a King whose army had just suffered a major defeat were cheering the commander of the army that had won that victory. I looked at Longhelim and he just shook his head. He obviously didn’t understand either. Ah well, we would have plenty of time to talk later.</p><p> </p><p>Several people ran ahead of us and began to sprinkle soil on the road ahead of us; I whispered a question to a soldier next to me and he explained that it was tradition and a sign of honour; making sure that someone is stepping on the sacred earth of the motherland is a token of great esteem and signifies that you have the highest respect for that person or group.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly I remembered that odd piece of lore that Dassenian cavalry sprinkled the insides of their boots to make sure that they always kept in contact with the motherland.</p><p> </p><p>Gallo of course, took it as if it was perfectly normal for this to be happening; he waved regally, and proceeded slowly, in stately composure. We just followed his pace. It seemed to work; if anything, the crowds seemed to grow in size and volume as we approached the castle gates. There was even the sound of drumming and horns. At the gates, in front of us, we could see a group of figures, the most discernible being King Steppengaard.</p><p> </p><p>When we finally arrived, the cheering and music died and Steppengaard looked at Gallo. It must be said that the King was looking much better than I saw last time; he was clean, had shaved and someone had cut his hair. He actually looked like a monarch although he was still gaunt and appeared as if he hadn’t slept for a few days.</p><p> </p><p>He stepped forward and faced the crowds with Gallo. People drew back, visibly nervous about what he was going to say:</p><p> </p><p>“My people, it has been a dark time for our country. From the tragedy that befell our house with the assassination of my family to rumours of sedition, it has been difficult. From today, this will stop! I have summoned all the eight Lords of the land to put a halt on all this petty squabbling.”</p><p> </p><p>Then he turned to Gallo and said:</p><p> </p><p>“Lord Gallo, I commend you for your bravery and your steadfast heart. Although we may have disagreed and crossed swords over our differences, I know that you have only the best interests of the land in our heart. I have brought you and the other Lords together to impart news; some frightening, some heartening. Despite this, I have no doubt that our land will survive; thanks to great Lords such as you and your warriors.</p><p> </p><p>However, this news can wait until tomorrow evening; tomorrow, you will attend and some of your warriors may compete in the Tournament of Unity. It will bring us all together to face a group of thieves and tricksters lurking near our borders!”</p><p> </p><p>That seemed to be the extent of Steppengaard’s speech and the crowd began cheering as he waved; there was an element of relief in the cheering. Just before it began, I saw Gallo leaning to speak in the King’s ear and I just barely heard him say:</p><p> </p><p>“You <em>are</em> talking about the Ragesians, aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>But I couldn’t see the King reply and he just kept waving at the crowd.</p><p> </p><p>My own attention was distracted by the figure of Nina Glibglamer. She was part of Steppengaard’s entourage and I could have sworn that she gave me a cheeky little grin and then looked in a particular direction. Following her gaze, in a dark corner of the castle courtyard, I caught sight of the Ragesian ambassador Serimus and his Inquisitor lackey; or vice versa. Either way, it looked as if the Ragesians were not out of favour. I nudged Longhelim, pointed him that way and saw him stiffen as well.</p><p> </p><p>After that, we joined Gallo’s entourage as we were led to the house of a dwarven aristocrat who had generously allowed Gallo to inhabit it while in Bresk.</p><p> </p><p>Inside the house, or large manor to be exact, we were summoned to Gallo’s quarters:</p><p> </p><p>“Well, that went about how I expected. Steppengaard is keeping us in the dark about his news. I don’t know what he is up to but we need to find out as much as possible. As I mentioned previously, the more we discover, the stronger our position will be.</p><p> </p><p>There will be a banquet tomorrow evening, after the first day of the tournament. That will be the occasion when Steppengaard will tell us his news. I suggest you participate in various events. This will give you exposure to anyone who may want to impart information to you. I don’t expect you to try to actively find out anything initially; you don’t know anyone here, nor do you know the city; but……people know you for my allies and agents and that is what I am counting on; oh, and of course, should you do well in the tournaments, the prestige associated will do Gallo no harm either.”</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim puffed on is pipe: “Yes, Your Grace.”</p><p> </p><p>At this point, a liveried messenger appeared, walked over and whispered something to the Duke. He smiled and said:</p><p> </p><p>“Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor are here. They are calling on me to celebrate our victory and discuss our strategy tomorrow. You are welcome to stay.”</p><p> </p><p>After her comments about Gate Pass, I had no desire to spend any time in the presence of Lady Timor.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly I said: “Please excuse me, my Lord but I have much to think about tonight. If it does not displease you, I will be going to my room and resting. Please pass my regards on to the Lord and Lady when you see them.”</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim looked at me approvingly. Obviously I hadn’t made a diplomatic mess of this. Then he added:</p><p> </p><p>“As my friend said, we must finalise our own plans for tomorrow Your Grace. Please add our own regards to the Lady and Lord as well.”</p><p> </p><p>Gallo looked a little surprised but didn’t object to our departure.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as we entered into our chamber we immediately set out our watches. Longhelim said:</p><p> </p><p>“So far as I am concerned, we are in enemy territory. The Ragesians are still here. Nina Glibglamer is still here. Nothing has actually changed.”</p><p> </p><p>I had been thinking: “Except that tomorrow there is a banquet; and let’s remember that last time there was a banquet in Steppegaard’s castle, most of the diners were poisoned. We will have to learn spells tomorrow to cater for this. Felix, you can do that spell that can actually magically show if something has been contaminated by poison; and you can also do the spell that can render you immune to its effects for several hours can’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>The priest replied: “I can do better than that. Now, I have access to magic that can negate the effect poison completely; it is a complicated spell though and I can only do to one person at a time. Still, it will come in very useful.”</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim said: “Right, all three of those spells should be taken. Then, we need to prepare ourselves for whatever deviltry is being planned at this banquet tomorrow; and yes, Faden, we all know; something is being planned.”</p><p> </p><p>We discussed various ideas and thoughts late into the night and then went to bed; we all slept in the same room and kept watches as if in a hostile environment but fortunately, nothing happened.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cafu, post: 6074060, member: 6692807"] As we went through our spoils, we discovered several items which would be of great use to us in the future. My magical research discovered the following: for Drudge, a pair of thin, worked leather gloves with runes and sigils etched into them. I had heard of such gloves; they made the wearer faster, handier and in the case of Drudge, helped with his archery. Kelkin Thravanvost’s strange skull cap was something that aided magic; or I should qualify that it aided in the learning of magic; it made thought and memory clearer and it was something that would be of great help to my discipline; there were two rings which provided some magical protection and one of them was even combined with another very useful magical characteristic: the wearer did not need to eat and could exist on far less sleep than normal. This ring was given to John while Victor received the other ring of protection. There was also a magical chain shirt of that most precious of metals: mithril. Victor took that; there was also a strange twine which when wound around the hilt of a sword or a bow, added cold to the wounds caused by it; nasty thing; this was also given to Drudge. Finally, Longhelim was given a cloak which aided him immeasurably in all of his abilities, including his resistance to magic and poisons, his strange powers of summoning one great, powerful blow against evil and all the other skills in which he was so expert, especially his ability to convince and persuade; oh, and it made him look more stately and manly, but he didn’t need that really. Determining all of the powers of these items took a great deal of the day. John helped me for part of it; he also had access to this research magic although he was not as expert in it as I was, due to his limited arcane spell casting. As John and I were engrossed in our research, Longhelim, Drudge and Felix went out to find out what was going on; Victor stayed inside and rested. As he put it: “Magical healing is a wonderful thing but I am still bruised and battered. That troll nearly killed me and I need to recover. Especially as I don’t believe that this is over. We defeated the King’s army, but we didn’t destroy it. So, something else is coming; especially as Nina is on the loose; there’s something very strange about that woman; or gnome; or whatever she is. Has anyone seen anything like what she did before?” I shook my head; in truth, I hadn’t really thought about the gnome. Mentally, I chastised myself; I had meant to try to find out anything about creatures manifesting her powers but I hadn’t had the time as yet. Seeing my denial, Victor went to bed. Drudge, Felix and Longhelim returned in the late afternoon. The paladin sat down with his pipe as usual and everyone else sat around a table: “Well, Gallo has won a great victory. The Battle of Gallo’s Fend is already passing into legend, especially the Duke’s masterful deployment of the Line at Otheril Vale. We are being recognized as one of the key bulwarks of this Line. “ I grimaced at this; being recognized was not always a good thing, as I have mentioned previously. Longhelim continued: “One piece of bad news is that Commander Hertiage was slain in the battle with the trolls. His body has been recovered and I am not sure what the procedure will be after this.” We contemplated this news for some time. The Commander had been a stalwart ally and it was saddening to hear of his demise. Just then, there was a thumping on our door. As John called out for the person responsible to identify himself, a voice called out: “Messenger from His Grace. You are summoned to his presence!” “I knew it,” muttered Victor. Quickly we gathered our equipment and hurried to the castle. There, we were ushered into a luxurious office, richly furnished and with a roaring fire. It looked very different from the utilitarian war room. Gallo was waiting for us, warming his hands. He looked much better. He had shaved, changed his clothes and looked as if he had caught some sleep at last. “Gentlemen: first, let me give you some news; the fighting stopped when you removed Konigsmarshall Malkan. The enemy army withdrew and a little time ago, I received one of their heralds. He had some welcome news. Their army is withdrawing even further, back to Bresk in fact. Steppengaard is unwilling to shed more Dassenian blood. However, he has summoned all the nobles of the realm to a peace conference. He states that he has new evidence; evidence of Ragesian expansion plans. I have to go there, not only for myself but to represent my land. This conference will not be attended by proxies. All the nobles will be there in person, with their advisors. Gentlemen, in light of your courage, your strength, your abilities, I would ask you to accompany me to the capital as part of my entourage……. Longhelim almost interrupted the Duke before he could go on:”We’ll do it.” Gallo stopped as if almost taken aback by our willingness. Then he said: “I was going to offer this to you as an incentive but there is no need now; after your actions in the Battle and on the Line, it gives me great pleasure to formally offer you knighthoods in the land of Gallo. These will also help you in the capital as part of my entourage. They will add greatly to your prestige and open doors that would normally be closed to you.” He sat down behind his desk and brought out a group of six rolled scrolls out of a drawer: “These are the patents of nobility. The more elaborate ones will be handed over to you at your investiture. Welcome to the ranks of the aristocracy. There will be a full ceremony tomorrow.” He cleared his throat and for a moment looked very tired again: “This peace conference will be held in conjunction with a mid-winter festival. There will be a jousting tourney, various contests of might, displays of all types and much feasting.” He looked at us: “No, I don’t like it either but I cannot afford not to be there; especially after the orders you found on the Ragesian officer. That is why I want you with me. I do not know what Steppengaard plans but he has just received a bloody nose here; but it is only a bloody nose. I would urge you to try to investigate anything you can during this festival; especially if you feel that it is suspicious. Everything you discover will put us in a much stronger position. I have not been in the capital for a long time and we are all out of touch. Now, please go back and I will see you tomorrow morning for the investiture.” As we were walking back, I said to Longhelim: “Are you sure this is a good idea?” “Of course it is. We have to accompany Gallo. He is Seaquen’s best friend in this benighted place right now. Keeping him alive has to be our priority and we certainly can’t do that if we aren’t with him.” “Yes, well, that particular plan didn’t go particularly well last time we tried it. We ended up in Steppengaard’s dungeons and had to drink half his sewers to escape.” “Faden, stop exaggerating; his sewers were frozen; we had to walk over them, not drink them. Anyway, it’ll be different this time; trust me!” With those words still ringing in my ears, we returned to the mansion and went to bed. The next morning, we readied ourselves for the ceremony. As we left the house, I was surprised. Somehow, people must have learned about our exploits in the battle and our elevation as there were groups lining the streets and cheering us. I cringed a little; so much for being inconspicuous. These groups became crowds as we approached the castle. It seemed as if the investiture was going to have a large audience. I wasn’t sure just how people had known what we had done but I suppose that other soldiers must have seen us holding the line; then there were the servants in the castle who had witnessed us bringing in the various bodies. If your city is dependent on its survival by the removal of these enemy individuals then news like that is bound to get out. We finally arrived at the castle to see a wooden stage had been erected just in front of the gates. Gallo and several advisors were already sitting there. As we arrived, he stood up and motioned us to stop next to the steps. Then he raised his hands and slowly the noise stopped. He began to speak, in a loud, sonorous voice: “We are gathered here to honour deeds of bravery; deeds above and beyond the call of duty; deeds that should and will be remembered; deeds by individuals who risked their lives so that hundreds, nay thousands would live. These individuals were first sent on a special mission which was successful beyond our wildest expectations; then they were part of the Line of Otheril Vale; and when all others lost their heads and were forced to run by fell magic – THEY HELD THE LINE – against trolls of all foul monsters; their example and fortitude saved a breach that would have been disastrous; finally, and most tellingly, they infiltrated the enemy camp and met, engaged and defeated Konigsmarshall Malkan and his guard. Thus, heretofore, in the lands of Gallo, Longhelim of the Farm, Felix Terpin, Salubrious Drudge, Slippery John, Faden Tarabond and Victor Trask are to be known as and granted the privileges of - Knights. This I declare as the ruling Duke of Gallo.” There was a huge cheer. Gallo motioned us forward at this point and as we knelt in front of him, he tapped us with a rapier on each shoulder and put a chain with a medal around our necks. Then we also received a small pin to wear on informal occasions. As I went to him, he whispered to me: “Turn around and wave. Let them enjoy you. Gods know, they lost enough fathers, sons, brothers and others yesterday. They deserve to know they won.” I grasped immediately what he was trying to say and joined everyone else in turning around and waving at the crowd who cheered even louder. Once the celebrations were over, we prepared to ride out. Gallo was taking forty other picked riders and advisors to Bresk; thankfully, he did not believe in a great deal of formality and most of the preparation had already been done so it did not take us long to get on the road. The journey to Bresk took three days. The days were beautiful, with bright sunshine reflecting off the snow and ice. The pace was leisurely and we did not see anyone else. Wisely, everyone had made themselves scarce in front of large groups of armed men, despite the bright pennants and banners that announced us as the Ducal party. We travelled over the frozen River Nesham as previously and although the journey was uneventful that did not mean that we relaxed. Gallo’s scouts reported that the King’s army was only about half a day ahead of us. This made me a little nervous, despite Gallo’s assurances. I was sure that they were aware of us and we should never forget that Steppengaard was mad, so despite normal assumptions and expectations, a chunk of that army could turn around and squish us, conventions be dammed; it would all have been a terribly unfortunate misunderstanding, of course. Thankfully, despite my concerns, we approached the city gates without any incidents. The gates were open and as we approached, we could hear cheering. I was curious about the excitement and shocked when I realised that they were cheering our entry. People lined the streets and shouted gleefully at Duke Gallo and his escort. Riding close to John, I heard him muttering under his breath: “……messed up country…….” I was very confused as well: the citizens of a city belonging to a King whose army had just suffered a major defeat were cheering the commander of the army that had won that victory. I looked at Longhelim and he just shook his head. He obviously didn’t understand either. Ah well, we would have plenty of time to talk later. Several people ran ahead of us and began to sprinkle soil on the road ahead of us; I whispered a question to a soldier next to me and he explained that it was tradition and a sign of honour; making sure that someone is stepping on the sacred earth of the motherland is a token of great esteem and signifies that you have the highest respect for that person or group. Suddenly I remembered that odd piece of lore that Dassenian cavalry sprinkled the insides of their boots to make sure that they always kept in contact with the motherland. Gallo of course, took it as if it was perfectly normal for this to be happening; he waved regally, and proceeded slowly, in stately composure. We just followed his pace. It seemed to work; if anything, the crowds seemed to grow in size and volume as we approached the castle gates. There was even the sound of drumming and horns. At the gates, in front of us, we could see a group of figures, the most discernible being King Steppengaard. When we finally arrived, the cheering and music died and Steppengaard looked at Gallo. It must be said that the King was looking much better than I saw last time; he was clean, had shaved and someone had cut his hair. He actually looked like a monarch although he was still gaunt and appeared as if he hadn’t slept for a few days. He stepped forward and faced the crowds with Gallo. People drew back, visibly nervous about what he was going to say: “My people, it has been a dark time for our country. From the tragedy that befell our house with the assassination of my family to rumours of sedition, it has been difficult. From today, this will stop! I have summoned all the eight Lords of the land to put a halt on all this petty squabbling.” Then he turned to Gallo and said: “Lord Gallo, I commend you for your bravery and your steadfast heart. Although we may have disagreed and crossed swords over our differences, I know that you have only the best interests of the land in our heart. I have brought you and the other Lords together to impart news; some frightening, some heartening. Despite this, I have no doubt that our land will survive; thanks to great Lords such as you and your warriors. However, this news can wait until tomorrow evening; tomorrow, you will attend and some of your warriors may compete in the Tournament of Unity. It will bring us all together to face a group of thieves and tricksters lurking near our borders!” That seemed to be the extent of Steppengaard’s speech and the crowd began cheering as he waved; there was an element of relief in the cheering. Just before it began, I saw Gallo leaning to speak in the King’s ear and I just barely heard him say: “You [I]are[/I] talking about the Ragesians, aren’t you?” But I couldn’t see the King reply and he just kept waving at the crowd. My own attention was distracted by the figure of Nina Glibglamer. She was part of Steppengaard’s entourage and I could have sworn that she gave me a cheeky little grin and then looked in a particular direction. Following her gaze, in a dark corner of the castle courtyard, I caught sight of the Ragesian ambassador Serimus and his Inquisitor lackey; or vice versa. Either way, it looked as if the Ragesians were not out of favour. I nudged Longhelim, pointed him that way and saw him stiffen as well. After that, we joined Gallo’s entourage as we were led to the house of a dwarven aristocrat who had generously allowed Gallo to inhabit it while in Bresk. Inside the house, or large manor to be exact, we were summoned to Gallo’s quarters: “Well, that went about how I expected. Steppengaard is keeping us in the dark about his news. I don’t know what he is up to but we need to find out as much as possible. As I mentioned previously, the more we discover, the stronger our position will be. There will be a banquet tomorrow evening, after the first day of the tournament. That will be the occasion when Steppengaard will tell us his news. I suggest you participate in various events. This will give you exposure to anyone who may want to impart information to you. I don’t expect you to try to actively find out anything initially; you don’t know anyone here, nor do you know the city; but……people know you for my allies and agents and that is what I am counting on; oh, and of course, should you do well in the tournaments, the prestige associated will do Gallo no harm either.” Longhelim puffed on is pipe: “Yes, Your Grace.” At this point, a liveried messenger appeared, walked over and whispered something to the Duke. He smiled and said: “Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor are here. They are calling on me to celebrate our victory and discuss our strategy tomorrow. You are welcome to stay.” After her comments about Gate Pass, I had no desire to spend any time in the presence of Lady Timor. Quickly I said: “Please excuse me, my Lord but I have much to think about tonight. If it does not displease you, I will be going to my room and resting. Please pass my regards on to the Lord and Lady when you see them.” Longhelim looked at me approvingly. Obviously I hadn’t made a diplomatic mess of this. Then he added: “As my friend said, we must finalise our own plans for tomorrow Your Grace. Please add our own regards to the Lady and Lord as well.” Gallo looked a little surprised but didn’t object to our departure. As soon as we entered into our chamber we immediately set out our watches. Longhelim said: “So far as I am concerned, we are in enemy territory. The Ragesians are still here. Nina Glibglamer is still here. Nothing has actually changed.” I had been thinking: “Except that tomorrow there is a banquet; and let’s remember that last time there was a banquet in Steppegaard’s castle, most of the diners were poisoned. We will have to learn spells tomorrow to cater for this. Felix, you can do that spell that can actually magically show if something has been contaminated by poison; and you can also do the spell that can render you immune to its effects for several hours can’t you?” The priest replied: “I can do better than that. Now, I have access to magic that can negate the effect poison completely; it is a complicated spell though and I can only do to one person at a time. Still, it will come in very useful.” Longhelim said: “Right, all three of those spells should be taken. Then, we need to prepare ourselves for whatever deviltry is being planned at this banquet tomorrow; and yes, Faden, we all know; something is being planned.” We discussed various ideas and thoughts late into the night and then went to bed; we all slept in the same room and kept watches as if in a hostile environment but fortunately, nothing happened. [/QUOTE]
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