Post by Kenneth New on Jun 12, 2011 14:32:19 GMT -5
The Honey Offensive
The old saying goes, "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." And this is the tact Duke Stephanos Thalmyrian-Orontid has determined to take in dealing with the Norther Marches (the name he insists on using instead of Petty Baronies). To this end, he has commissioned a diplomatic legation to travel through the area spreading good will and gifts. He has asked the Heroes of Elocia to be part of this legation. They will serve as protectors for the diplomats as well as good will ambassadors for the Duchy.
Lord Rodek Quanto will be the Diplomat in charge of the legation. Once the legation has reached Maddercast, he will remain behind, but will send representatives with the party to provide gifts and goodwill to other communities, including Ulma and Fort Bleak.
Baron Marek Gerovis has been in Elocia working on trade deals. He and his new wife, Eugenia-Briseid, will travel with the legation as far as the Barony of Gerovsky where they will host a celebration to inaugurate the northern journey.
This story line will continue for some time. The diplomatic legation will act as a backdrop and framing mechanism for several heroic scenarios that will occur in these locations. The listed stops are Gerovsky, Maddercast, Ulma and Fort Bleak.
Kenneth New
Lord Quanto is a stuffy and officious human aristocrat who's been in the Elocian bureaucracy for decades. While no one doubts his competence in administrative affairs, he seems a strangely weak personality to head a new legation in a fractious region, serving opposite to such a forceful personality as the self-styled Count Madderval.
Baron Gerovis is a young (22 year old) human lord from the southernmost of the "Petty Baronies." His family seat of Gerovsky is also the seat of the Royal Reeve for the Baronies. His family (like those of most of the barons in the southernmost parts of the Northern Marches) traces their descent from humans who moved north from Elocia during the Livonian Protectorate. He's an avid hunter and has a superlative singing voice. (He was once a winner in the dithyrambic choral competition held during the Festival of Flowers that held in Elocia every spring).
Eugenia Briseid is a young theran woman from an old but minor aristocrastic family. She trained at Thalusa Tower and was reputedly in line to become one of the under-keepers at the tower until she met the young baron at Midsummer Festival at Kaldrimmon Palace. The two of them fell madly in love and have been seen in each other's company often since then. She may be the reason he has been Elocia so often over the last few months. Their marriage was at the beginning of Thirdmonth (just over 15 days before the start of the story).
Other members of the expedition include:
Erasmus Mnestheid - a young theran man who serves as the secretary for Lord Quanto. He's a lesser son of a minor aristocratic family and this is his first diplomatic mission.
Alethea Maeonid - a middle aged theran woman of non-descript appearance. Her place in the legation is unclear. Some have speculated that she must be powerful clairvoyant of some sort, since she seems almost dreamily unaware of her surroundings at times.
Silas Quinnel - a youngish (35 or so) human man who acts as bodyguard to Lord Quanto. He has steely, watchful eyes and wears a ring that indicates his membership in the Spatharian Order, a very professional group of swords for hire.
Gheshruva - a dragonfolk swordsman from the Issarian Guard. He also protects Lord Quanto, but his position in the Issarian Guard makes him very clearly and agent of the Duke, while Quinnel has been hired by Quanto himself. There is no animosity between the two swordsmen, but there is a small professional rivalry.
The old saying goes, "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." And this is the tact Duke Stephanos Thalmyrian-Orontid has determined to take in dealing with the Norther Marches (the name he insists on using instead of Petty Baronies). To this end, he has commissioned a diplomatic legation to travel through the area spreading good will and gifts. He has asked the Heroes of Elocia to be part of this legation. They will serve as protectors for the diplomats as well as good will ambassadors for the Duchy.
Lord Rodek Quanto will be the Diplomat in charge of the legation. Once the legation has reached Maddercast, he will remain behind, but will send representatives with the party to provide gifts and goodwill to other communities, including Ulma and Fort Bleak.
Baron Marek Gerovis has been in Elocia working on trade deals. He and his new wife, Eugenia-Briseid, will travel with the legation as far as the Barony of Gerovsky where they will host a celebration to inaugurate the northern journey.
This story line will continue for some time. The diplomatic legation will act as a backdrop and framing mechanism for several heroic scenarios that will occur in these locations. The listed stops are Gerovsky, Maddercast, Ulma and Fort Bleak.
Kenneth New
Lord Quanto is a stuffy and officious human aristocrat who's been in the Elocian bureaucracy for decades. While no one doubts his competence in administrative affairs, he seems a strangely weak personality to head a new legation in a fractious region, serving opposite to such a forceful personality as the self-styled Count Madderval.
Baron Gerovis is a young (22 year old) human lord from the southernmost of the "Petty Baronies." His family seat of Gerovsky is also the seat of the Royal Reeve for the Baronies. His family (like those of most of the barons in the southernmost parts of the Northern Marches) traces their descent from humans who moved north from Elocia during the Livonian Protectorate. He's an avid hunter and has a superlative singing voice. (He was once a winner in the dithyrambic choral competition held during the Festival of Flowers that held in Elocia every spring).
Eugenia Briseid is a young theran woman from an old but minor aristocrastic family. She trained at Thalusa Tower and was reputedly in line to become one of the under-keepers at the tower until she met the young baron at Midsummer Festival at Kaldrimmon Palace. The two of them fell madly in love and have been seen in each other's company often since then. She may be the reason he has been Elocia so often over the last few months. Their marriage was at the beginning of Thirdmonth (just over 15 days before the start of the story).
Other members of the expedition include:
Erasmus Mnestheid - a young theran man who serves as the secretary for Lord Quanto. He's a lesser son of a minor aristocratic family and this is his first diplomatic mission.
Alethea Maeonid - a middle aged theran woman of non-descript appearance. Her place in the legation is unclear. Some have speculated that she must be powerful clairvoyant of some sort, since she seems almost dreamily unaware of her surroundings at times.
Silas Quinnel - a youngish (35 or so) human man who acts as bodyguard to Lord Quanto. He has steely, watchful eyes and wears a ring that indicates his membership in the Spatharian Order, a very professional group of swords for hire.
Gheshruva - a dragonfolk swordsman from the Issarian Guard. He also protects Lord Quanto, but his position in the Issarian Guard makes him very clearly and agent of the Duke, while Quinnel has been hired by Quanto himself. There is no animosity between the two swordsmen, but there is a small professional rivalry.