As the party enters the waiting room, a majority of eyes turn to meet them, conversations temporarily dying down as the newcomers are studied, assessed, and summarily dismissed by the others gathered. Shillaadrani, Emudre, and Sarvek meet the eyes of those across the room and garner no tells on what their motivations might be at this time, nor how trustworthy they might be. However, it is obvious to everyone that there appears to be some bad blood between a couple of members of some of the groups, which the ones glaring daggers at each other do little to actually hide.
The largest of the groups is hushed and quickly brought back to order by a cleared throat from an individual with a scar that goes from his forehead, through his right eye, and ends halfway down his cheek. The eye is undamaged, but the scar is deep and old. This group consists of fifteen members.
A group of six stand stoically in silent order in their own corner. They wear matching cloaks and similarly styled armor. Each is well armed, no two of them carry the same primary weapon, but they each have a plethora of optional weapons near at hand.
The third group consists of five people armed with Aldori duelling swords and five others armed with various weaponry.
[sblock=~Hidden Note, Shillaadrani & Sarvek~]
Despite their conversations being hushed, Sarvek and Shillaadrani overhear a couple people from the large group mutter “bastards,” “half breeds,” and similar insults under their breath. One particularly self-important looking fellow from another group sighs, “when will they be done in there? I have better things to do than stand around here like some workhorse waiting for its master in the field.”[/sblock]
[sblock=~Hidden Note, Shillaadrani~]
Shillaadrani immediately notices that Sissen Set, the commander of a band of adventurers known as the Iron Wraiths stands in one of the corners with his party. You know them to be well outfitted and relatively experienced. Also of note is a low-ranking, but eager to impress, Swordlord named Maegar Varn standing in another corner with the third group.[/sblock]
[sblock=~Hidden Note, Kuvarious & Emudre~]
Kuvarious & Emudre each quickly spot that the rather large group in one corner seems to be led by Baron Hannis Drelev! (The man with the scar)[/sblock]
[sblock=~Hidden Note, Emudre~]
You identify the ornamental armor and weaponry as belonging to the first Aldori Swordlord, the famed swordsman, Baron Sirian Aldori.[/sblock]
[sblock=~Hidden Note, Sarvek~]
Sarvek detects what might be a secret door behind an ornamental suit of armor and weaponry on display.[/sblock]
Each of the groups enter one group at a time and spend various amounts of time within the audience chamber. After roughly an hour, it is finally your group's turn to enter. You walk in to a decadent room, the Lord Mayor sitting at the front and looking quite tired, perhaps even strained from the previous meetings.
“I apologize for you all having to wait. Some people are overly fond of questioning every choice and bickering among themselves and about things that need not concern them.” Waving it away, he takes a deep breath and nods. His steward walks forward and hands each of you a piece of rolled parchment. The steward then returns to Sellemius's side and unrolls another parchment. Clearing his throat, Sellemius takes the profferred document and reads, “Be it so known that the bearer of this charter has been charged by the Swordlords of Restov, acting upon the greater good and authority vested within them by the office of the Regent of the Dragonscale Throne, has granted the right of exploration and travel within the wilderness region known as the Greenbelt. Exploration should be limited to an area no further than thirty-six miles east and west and sixty miles south of Oleg's Trading Post. The carrier of this charter should also strive against banditry and other unlawful behavior to be encountered. The punishment for unrepentant banditry remains, as always, execution by sword or rope. So witnessed on this 24th day of Calistril, under watchful eye of the Lordship of Restov and authority granted by Lord Noleski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne.”
Handing the charter back to the steward, Sellemius takes a drink of water before continuing. “I am not sure if you all are aware or not, but the River Kingdoms consist of a variety of petty nations and city-states. With no small amount of diplomacy, I have managed to convince Regent Surtova that taming the northernmost reaches of the River Kingdoms, often referred to as the Stolen Lands, is necessary to maintain our nation's security. As the charter states, you are to explore and travel the area known as the Greenbelt. The area of exploration is given. If you find any threats – especially bandits – you have the full authority of Restov behind you. We would also appreciate it if you map the area. I have had an autonomous cartographer specially crafted to assist in the task. Are there any questions?”
The steward pulls out a map case and hands it to Emudre. “All you have to do is put a map or parchment in the case and it will modify the map as you explore. I have provided you an old map of the portion of the Greenbelt you all are allowed to explore as per the charter.”
