BattleMaster > Roleplaying

The House of Gardarr

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Jored:
“Milord, the men have been informed, we march for Aestus in the morning”

Rand did not immediately reply, instead he was staring out of the window from the second story of the Inn he appropriated for his officers and himself.
He was in Domus the Capitol of Highmarch, the tip of the spear in the fight against the north. And here in the streets among the bustle of the people rushing around and carts hauling goods, a scene had captured his eye.

A man was standing on the back end of a wagon, yelling out to the crowds, beckoning them to listen and to his side on the ground was a large piece of wood with hundreds of nails sticking out of it. Rand unconsciously rubbed the embroided stitching of a Red flame on the breast of his tunic.

Rand turned his head and addressed the man in the room with him “Ruan, have a look at this and tell me what you see”

Ruan started towards the window, on his way placing the dispatches on the desk.

He was of average build, lean and dark hair and been a friend to Rand since childhood, they had grown up together and as such things happen their interest and careers followed each other to an extent, so it was no surprise that he wore a blue embroidered mark on his chest, in the shape of a drop of water.

Ruan stared at the scene down below, and frowned. It seemed things had escalated and the man down below was now in a frenzy and the crowd that gathered numbered in the fifty’s. The man was waving his hand and shouting and in a flash he was down from the cart and walking over the bed of nails, still shouting and waving on about something.

Ruan snarled, “I need not tell you Milord, we both have seen this before. That man is a fool, a Shadow Cultist; his trickery will fool some but the faithful not so easily."

Rand moved from the window and took a seat behind his desk. “It seems they have become bold in the wake of the Exodus of the unfaithful, to preach in Domus and so in the open. You say we will be ready to march at sunup, good I leave that in your care”

Ruan understood the tone and started to withdraw from the room, just before reaching the door Rand Spoke. “Oh and Ruan, make sure our new friend joins us on our trip.”

Smiling Ruan nods and says “I would have it no other way Milord, I was planning to extend and “invitation” either way”

Rand reached for the dispatches and nodded. “Very well, walk in the light Inquisitor.”

With that Ruan left and Rand took out his flask and poured a gold liquid with red whirling splotches mixed together into a glass and started reading the countless letters, reports, missives, and complaints.

He could feel a headache coming on.

Jored:
The sun was barely up as the group of soldiers and wagons started out from Domus. In the stillness before dawn very few people stirred, oh there were some, but most people took every bit of time they could before starting the day.

The guards manning the gates just stared at the soldiers and carts moving out from Domus, they were just glad it was almost breakfast time.

And as the wind started to blow and skies lighten we find the procession of soldiers under the Gardarr banner on the road towards Aestus.

Rand was riding up front with his officers setting a blistering pace, but he knew his men would handle the march; they have done it on numerous times.

Rand took out his flask and took a swig. “Headache my lord?”

Rand shook his head and replied “Same as always Ruan, could be worse, could be better”

Ruan riding at Rand’s side nodded in the affirmative. Looking back towards the marching men he said “At this pace we will reach Aestus before sundown.”

Rand glanced at Ruan, “We will, you will not.” Sighing Rand looked at his friend and said “You will split from the column with your seekers and move towards that copse of trees about an hour’s ride from Aestus”

“Oh” exclaimed Ruan “I had almost forgotten about our friend” he said with a smile on his face

“Always so full of mirth Inquisitor, you jest but if I could we would set camp but with things the way they are, best thing to do is get to Aestus with haste. So I leave our friend in your capable hands, and I’m sure with your entertainment he will open up and share with us his thoughts”

Ruan nodded “The Will of the Gods will be done my Lord, I will make the necessary arrangements with my division.” With those words the Inquisitor pulled up his horse and rode back through the marching line towards a covered wagon bearing the Blue Sigel of the God Treoraí.

The rest of the march went by uneventful, and an hour before Dusk Rand noticed his Inquisitor and his Seekers of Light leave the road and split from the rest of the Gardarr Phalanx moving at a slow pace towards their destination.

Rand settled back as the Gardarr Phalanx marched into Aestus, the new Lord has come and with him the cleansing Light of the Gods.

Jored:
As families wash up and get ready to sup, the streets of Aestus Town is slowly clearing out, the sun is set and a hard day’s work has been done by the Miners and Hunters alike. To most it would seem another day has come and gone in Heart of the Badlands.

But the day is not yet done, as the wind carries the sound of men and horse on march and the creak of wagons in their wake.

The first of the shouts start low and few in between, then louder and louder until most of Aestus Town’s people gather in the streets watching the procession.

Some shout in alarm, other in wonder and even some in ecstasy, but as the banners become visible and the troops and wagons roll into Aestus Town proper, the air becomes Jubilant. 

For the Gods it seems has answered their prayers and a new Lord has come, a Lord marked by the Sigel of the God Ánradh, and in his wake marches men in White cloaks with the Sigel’s of their Chosen Gods, covered wagons marked by the Gods Ánradh, Caissa and Treoraí slowly rumbling along behind them.

Rand slowly rode at the front of the column taking in the people lining the streets, his eyes roving over them, here and there his eye catches a person or other and he slowly smiles, yes even here their influence is spreading.

Rand pulls his horse from the rest of the procession to the Town square and shouts out

“PEOPLE OF AESTUS, HEAR ME!!!”

A hush flows over the crowd that has gathered. Rand slowly whirls his horse around and as silence descends he speaks.

“Let it be known from here to all corners of Aestus proper, I Lord Rand Gardarr, Blessed by the God Ánradh, has been appointed as Lord and Representative of Aestus in the Duchy of Highmarch in the Realm of Highmarch. Let those who would walk in the light be blessed by our Gods, and those who walk in the Shadow be warned, your end has come.”

Rand looks over the hushed audience and smiles “But for now I give you the Bounty of the Goddess Caissa, let the celebrations begin”

With a Roar the crowd erupts as the Covered wagons marked in the Sigils of  the Goddess Caissa starts unloading food and drink, men and women set up a stage and music start to flow. And so the Night is marked in Jubilation as the new day brings hope to the people of Aestus.

Jored:
Rand was sweating, it was a hot summer’s day, and the cool breeze wafting through the open window into his study was no comfort.

He usually woke up early but he found himself sluggish after the celebrations the previous night and took a few hours extra, and it was no surprise when he woke to find a stack of letters, reports and even new orders in his study.

He found it tiresome to read about all the backstabbing, infighting and common insults being touted in the Alliance. He wondered if there was more to this than met the eye, it was strange that all this infighting was happening and in its wake left the door open for the Shadow to plant its roots in the South, it was a problem, a serious one at that.

Pushing those aside he re-read his orders from the Democratic Defenders, he had received orders to move to the front.

A knock at the door “Come”

The door opened and with a quick step the Inquisitor entered, broad smile on his face, “Ah Lord Commander, it’s a fine day is it not?”

Rand wondered how Ruan did it, the man was always full of mirth, and that on a smouldering hot day to boot. “Ruan, I should have known trying to keep an eye out for you and your men would be a waste of time”

Ruan smiled as he took a seat and poured himself a drink from the decanter on the desk. Rand was amused, he always felt better when his friend was around.

“Don’t drown yourself Ruan” Ruan looked up from pouring his drink and smiled “You know me, never more than I can handle and it was a long night.”

“Ah yes” exclaimed Rand. ”A assume your had a productive time, you should really be more carefully” Rand pointed on the red spots on Ruan’s cloak.
 
Smirking Ruan looked at his cloak and noticing the fine spots he sneers “Damn and I just got this new cloak”

Grumbling he took out a map and unrolled it on the table, all his previous mirth seemed to have left him as he pointed at a location. “Here, our friend has informed us that this small village just over the border in Sordidus currently has a visitor that we would find interesting.”

Leaning closer, Rand took in the map. “Coincidence or Providence?”

“My Lord?” Ruan asked questioningly.

“Oh, we received orders, and it seems by making a small detour we could spend a day visiting this fine village, and still make the rendezvous point." Ruan suddenly perked up again “That is good news” he picked up his glass of whiskey and took a tentative sip.

“So it seems, make arrangements. We move out at dawn“

…

“Something else Ruan?” Rand asked as Ruan, who was staring into his glass, seemed tentative.

“A Small thing my Lord, by any chance have we received any messages from the Church, they must know by now that you have claimed Aestus in the name of Trinitism.”

Rand looked at his friend, “Would it really matter? They grow fat and weak in Vix Tiramora. I doubt they care what we do, so we will do the gods work as best we see fit.”

Rand looked at the pile of messages

“So in short good Ruan, no I have not received any communications from the Church in some time”

Ruan nods solemnly and puts his glass down, stands and starts to leave the room.

“Walk in the Light Inquisitor” Rand called

Ruan turned and with a faint smile he nodded as he left the study.

Leaning back in his chair Rand studied the Map the Inquisitor gave him some more.

Jored:
It was another blistering day as the Gardarr Phalanx marched over the border from Aestus to Sordidus. So far the roads have been empty, that was good.

About an hour into Sodidus, Rand signalled one of his officers, the Phalanx spit from the main road onto a small dirt path that snaked around the base of a hill. By mid afternoon they crested a small ridge and spotted the Village lying in a low valley.

Rand signalled his men and they started down towards the Village. People stared as the armed men marched into the Village, but most just went about their business. Rand frowned.

He drew his horse to a stop at the green but didn’t dismount and just stared at the people with his soldiers behind him forming ranks. It seemed that someone had the good sense to inform the head Elder for he came rushing around the corner huffing and puffing.

Struggling to catch his breath he stammered a welcome of sorts and well wishes, but Rand had already dismissed him and was looking at a man dressed in animal rags, with long black hair and thick beard with what seemed like animal bones woven into it. He was walking towards Rand and the elder.

Rand raised his hand to dismiss the Elder and he fell silent, Rand noticed him sweating and wringing his hands as he looked from Black beard to the Rand nervously. 

The Elder was still trying to catch Rand’s attention when Black beard spoke in a deep loud voice. “You bring soldiers into this Village? You startle the people? And you are not the Lord of this Region? State your business here?”

Rand smiled and leaned over his pommel, he addressed the Elder. “Refreshments, yes? That would be good. And a table and chairs, you can have them brought here to the green” The Elder looked at Rand and rushed away to make the arrangements.

Rand sat back higher on his horse and slowly started taking off his riding gloves all the while smiling at Black Beard who since Rand seemed to blatantly ignore got visibly more irate. It also seemed that this interaction started to draw a crowd. A shame really Rand thought, most common people would know to stay clear in a situation like this. Rand dismounted as some men brought over a table and chairs and placed them on the green and women brought fruit, bread, cheese, sweetmeats and pitchers of water and wine and placed it.

Smiling rand took a seat and pointed to the other and addressing Black Beard, he asked ”Care to join me?”

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