Session 119 Prep

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Session 119 Prep

Postby Sir Aeomund » Tue Apr 14, 2015 1:51 pm

So I am a glutton for punishment and I thought I would hang another post of me screaming into the soundless void that is our game forum.

The Verdreth family is kaput. Now that we have all of their retainers and loyal vassals in one place we should capitilize on it.

Obvisouly the Baron had some sort of plan or intention if he regained his seat. We need to find out what that was. Was his release from the Castle orchestrated by Balim? How was he able to raise his force? What was his intention after he did so?

Matt, can we get a list of who we have bagged? I would like to see what we know about each of them and get an idea of where they are placed in the kingdom geographically. As well as what kind of political leverage they each may have. Right now it would appear on the surface that we have both the Barony of Turneua and Kolorn under our control at least nominally. I would be curious to see how we can strengthen and leverage that.

I also think we should move the supplies from Varayne and get them stockpiled here. I would leave the the forces that we have on site here and use Turnua as the focus of our military power. It has both strategic and politcal influence.

I also think we should improve the defenses. My initial plan is that we augment the craptastic stonewall with a stockade. A stockade could be made with resources available, would improve security, and would be easily removable if we had to take it down. The advantage of wood is that we could precut and prepare the sections and then throw them up later if we didnt want to show our hand in improving the wall.

We may also want to take hostages from the families of the lords we have at hand now, though with their leige lord and his heir gone its an open question as to who would lead them. Who is next in line for the Verdreth clan?
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Matt » Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:49 pm

I'll pull together the list for you.
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Lord Ewen » Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:56 am

Okay, deal me in...

In addition to answering your excellent questions regarding the nature of Verdreth's release, we also need to ascertain whether the body of men who previously moved through Ternua were a portion of Verdreth's forces. Ditto for the body of troops poaching at Varayne. Also, it would be well to know whether the former Baron called upon any allies prior to his investment of his former keep. A frank interview with Sir Ambric and his fellows at the outset of next session should prove helpful.

How many our assets, including Sir Ewen's pregnant wife, should be moved to Ternua is an open question. I agree that it has now become our greatest asset, along with the increasing host under our banners, but it will also become a lightning rod if, in fact, Balim was behind the release of Verdreth, or the king or his proxy makes a selection for next Baron of Ternua. Our gamble here, of course, is that dysfunction in the castle has reached such a pitch that Ternua is the least of the court's worries for a while.

Improving a fortification requires some kind of royal charter, I believe. But, then again, so does claiming a fortified keep as one's own. Never mind...
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Sir Aeomund » Sun Apr 19, 2015 7:16 pm

As for fortification I spoke to Matthew briefly. Since the wall is already present and the improvement would be made of wood, it might raise some eyebrows, but is not in violation of the law.

Ternua is indeed important, however Thilisia is the most important piece in present and future goals. I don't think she is safe in Tashal.

Perhaps we should see if we can get a warble stone for her as well.
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Matt » Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:01 pm

The knights here present with Verdreth's army are:

Ambric Pulgarty, L. of Galven
Welcris Labiera, heir of Duvonel
Droga Browetern, L. of Galaston
Lors Pulgarty, Bailiff of Fessio and heir of Galven
Baran Meleken, Bailiff of Mossen
Aspin Martaryne, L. of Rudwyn
Olamund Arwat, L. of Xerl
Jell Roykenek, Bailiff of Yal
Tuvalon Darjuin, heir of Yarlan
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Lord Ewen » Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:01 pm

Good to know that, about the fortification. Also, I accept your correction regarding Thilisa, she and the unborn child are indeed a greater asset than Ternua, and a great deal more vulnerable to attack in an important sense. So, you concur that she should be transferred to Ternua? (She won't like the journey, but the accommodations will perhaps suit her refined blood better than the townhouse.)

What do we do with the heads? During less chaotic times, the calculus would be fairly clear, presenting the heads to the king as a fait accompli in hopes of garnering a reward for having unburdened him of traitors attempting to retake their former keep. With the royal family in disarray, to say the least, and Balim likely to be in actual day to day control at court (this is admittedly suppositional), the path to any such quid pro quo is decidedly murky. It may still exist, given the apparent exigency of the king needing someone to capably hold Ternua until he can get around to granting the thing to someone, and there is something to be said for firming up that writ Ewen is massively bluffing with. On the other hand, we have implicitly been acting on the assumption that the situation in Caer Elendsa has crossed some invisible threshold with the murder of the young prince and death of the princess, and that the presumption of effective central authority is shaky at best, thus guiding Sir Ewen's decision that the operation has entered its next phase, and motivating the huge bluff we ended the last session with.

The two severed heads have a sell-by date in two senses. Concretely, they will need to be embalmed if they are not employed immediately. But on a functional level, they have their greatest potential for impact prior to word getting back to the castle that the Verdreths are dead - unveiling the heads as a ticket into the castle, or a dramatic thunderclap ploy for further power, rapidly depreciates in value when the deed becomes common knowledge.
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Sir Aeomund » Sat Apr 25, 2015 7:54 am

I think the best course of action is to bury the heads and the bodies in the crypt of Turnua. The Baron was vocal about it being the vault of his sires. It would show magnimity in victory, and perhaps build a stronger foundation among the nobles sworn to the Barony to follow Ewen as he holds Turnua or afterwards. Win friends now by burying the heads, and pitch them in the river later if spite would serve us better.
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Lord Ewen » Mon May 04, 2015 8:08 pm

I like the notion of improving the stone wall with a palisade the more I think about it. One contingency I think highly likely is that our friend Maldan Harabor, Earl of Osel, will pay us a visit in the very near future, impatient of the King granting him the keep he evidently feels entitled to. Maybe it is the theme of severed heads which bends my mind in that direction, but it seems probable to me that it will occur to Harabor at some point that he should perhaps help himself to the keep while dysfunction reigns in Caer Elendsa. Of course, instigating such a move might have been the intent behind whoever released the Verdreths...

At any rate, I think effecting what fortifications we can, as well as devising some sort of early warning system if troops were to approach from the southeast... Come to think of it, they might have already passed through... would be prudent. Perhaps I should clairvoy the Earl at some point.
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Sir Aeomund » Tue May 05, 2015 4:50 pm

So goals for Saturday:
- cowing the Turnua Lords and pumping them for info
- establishing and improving defenses
- confirm/ deny that the men spotted near Varayne were part of the Verdreth Army
- establish an early warning system. (now that the light horse are here this will be much easier)
- debate relocating operations and Thilisia to Turnua

We may want to have another strategic conversation with Prehil, though I think he will be loathe to come out of his young Henry Vth guise until the coup de grace moment.

For planning assumptions I think we should assume the following:
Balim is running the show in the castle
Curo is moving somewhere off stage
Vemion is holed up and plotting
The drift in plans is moving away from subterfuge and further into conflicts of armed men.

Recomendations:
Secure wealth ( and Thilisia)
Improve current position
Strengthen ties with Allies
Launch a spoiling attack of some kind against Balim to keep him off his toes.
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Re: Session 119 Prep

Postby Matt » Tue May 05, 2015 9:48 pm

Don't forget the tourney ...
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