May 5, 1252 – Quests for Glory, Part I
Busy seems to be the theme of my life these days as I’ve been traveling again. Right now I’m sitting on the balcony of my new and bigger room at The Keg, overlooking the bay and enjoying the sunset. The last few weeks have been full of adventure and profitable business, but let me start where I left off.
I've become acquainted with more of the Counts of Swadia, and also some of the Nord Jarls we met on our latest trip. Women in battle gear are not common sights around here and most of the nobles seem to fear for my life, claiming that beauty such as mine should never see battle. I would have preferred it otherwise myself as well, but now that I'm here I might as well take advantage of it. I'm not proud of it, but if batting my eyelashes gains me the protection of the nobles and gains me entrance to their halls, batted they will be. My mother raised me a Lady, my father raised me a fighter and Daimyo. The time has come to be both, it seems.
I've only seen a few of these proud warriors, but I’m really impressed with the Knights of Swadia. They are gentlemen and skilled warriors in one, almost like Samurai. I have in my party several aspiring Knights, Men at Arms they call themselves. Firentis tells me that with time and proper training I will be able to grant them the title of Knight as it can only be obtained by being granted to them by their master. Firentis says he'll take care of the training and monitor their behavior and advise me when he thinks them ready to be Knighted. I have a feeling Alayen will be the first to help him. He has become quite the Knight himself. Him and Rolf both. Alayen is rather dashing in his armor, all straight backed and 'My Lady' this and 'My Lady' that. Firentis seems to think I would do well in bestowing upon them a real title of Knighthood as they are torn between committing to their new life and clinging on to their old titles. I think it would be a good idea, but I also think I would need to be accepted as a noble in this country before I do so. That would make it seem more...official I guess.
After our return to Praven I once again met with King Harlaus, this time at the Arena where he was inspecting the jousting lances. He seemed to be doing something to one of the lanes when I surprised him as I walked in to get a practice sword. He seemed startled, but being the King that he is he quickly regained his composure and changed the subject. He had a profitable proposition for me. He claimed he was a very busy man preparing for some upcoming events, and that he needed someone to collect taxes for him here in Praven. He asked me to take care of this task for him in return for a fifth of the revenue. I once again accepted a quest from this King which he should have been more than capable of doing himself. Or have his chancellor perform for him at least. What kind of kingdom is this man running? Anyway, he advised me that he would have letters of rights sent to my room which would allow me to collect the taxes on his behalf. Marnid was thrilled with this task as it would give us some great starting capital for our next trip I distributed the letters to my companions and sent them out to collect. Meanwhile, the King’s messenger had also brought me an invite from the King to an upcoming jousting tournament and subsequent feast in his name to be held at the Castle. I had seen posters around the city but made no further notice of it. I suppose he was at the arena to inspect the equipment for the tournament. Another feast and it’s been barely two months since the last one?
Well, I decided I would try my luck in the tournament. Apparently there were great prizes to be won. While my companions were collecting the King’s taxes I made my first, and very brief, appearance in the King’s jousting tournament. A lance is an awkward and heavy weapon to handle on a horseback, and it was only my riding skills that got me through to the second round. Here I managed to stay on my horse until only the King and I were left in the arena. We charged towards one another and I swear I struck the King square in the chest with the tip of my lance, but as I did, he also struck me. I was very unfortunate that in the instant my lance struck, it broke right at the middle and the King stayed in the saddle while I went flying like rock off a cliff. As I was lying in the dust listening to the roar of the crowd as King Harlaus made his victory round, and I noticed my lance lying next to me with a deep cut in the wood exactly where it broke. It seems I had been given a poor lance or someone had played me for a fool…The King went on to claim the tournament title. That same night I went to my first great feast.
At the feast I met several Counts and their wives and daughters. There was a lot of drinking going on, and King Harlaus approached me later in the evening with a smell of ale on his breath. He commended me for my efforts in the tournament, but advised me that it would take a lot more than that to defeat him in jousting. However, he did have another quest for me now that I had successfully collected over 7,000 denars worth of taxes for him. He asked me to follow him to his private study for more information. The study turned out to be the royal bed chambers where he seemed to have forgotten about the quest once we got there. I politely reminded him that he had guests waiting for him, and that the bed chamber door was still open and people were staring at us. Once again his Royal Highness quickly regained his composure and told me that he needed to bolster his ranks of Swadian Knights as the realm was preparing for a war against the Vaegir. He felt like I was the right person to perform this task. In doing so I needed to swear allegiance to Swadia as a mercenary for a period of three months, and then he would bestow upon me the right to bestow Knighthood upon my men as I saw fit. This was exactly what Firentis and Alayen had told me about, and I accepted this honor immediately. The King told me in a slurred voice that I had exactly 117 days to perform this task. Apparently not much of a pressing matter with the war being as close as it was, but I kept quiet.
Also while at the feast Count Montewar approached me with another proposition. The much anticipated war against the Vaegirs required information from behind enemy lines. The Count had a spy in Rivacheg from whom he needed the latest news. I was to sneak into the city and meet with the spy. This particular quest made me very nervous. I am no spy or thief and do not know my way around Rivacheg as I have never been there. I was, however, not in any position yet to reject the propositions of a Count so I accepted. He gave me a letter with further instructions to be opened only once I had left Praven. After that I had had enough and excused myself and made my way back to The Keg through the moonlit alleys of Praven. When I entered the common room I bumped into a local farmer with a worried look on his face. I don’t know why, but that night I apparently had the look of someone whose purpose was only to help with other people’s problems. The farmer’s village, Veidar, had been under attack of local bandits lately and he had come to town to beg his Count Rochabart for protection, but had been rejected as the Count was busy at the tournament. I grudgingly offered my help although I had more pressing matters on my mind. With that done I hurried to my room before my journal would be filled with notes on everything I had to do rather than my own thoughts.
The next morning I gathered the men and told them we would be going on a trip which would present many battles and probably not much income other than their weekly wage. I told them that anyone who was not interested in staying with me on this trip was free to leave, but had to do so at that instant. They all stood their ground with their eyes intently fixed upon my face. Not one made a sound or gesture to leave. Was I really becoming the leader my father had foreseen I would be? It felt good to have the backing of so many, now well trained soldiers.
On our way out of the city I rode past Count Delinard of Uxkhal, who looked like he had been waiting for me in plain clothes as to not reveal his nobility. He also looked like he had stayed at the Castle a lot later than I had last night. The Count pulled me aside and told me that he had spoken to Count Ryis about the spy quest he had given me. As it turned out Count Delinard had an almost opposite matter he needed taken care of. Here in Praven he suspected a man for being a Vaegir spy, and his informers had told him that the spy was about to leave Praven with delicate information about the city’s defenses for his Vaegir contact. The Count wanted them both caught alive so he could get information from them before they were executed. Once again I accepted a quest that was way out of my capabilities to gain influence with the Count. I had to count on my companions and their skills in the coming weeks. Delinard gave me a description of the spy and told me when he was expected to leave the city.
This put my promise to the farmer in jeopardy, so I put Alayen in charge of the soldiers and ordered Firentis, Rolf and Baheshtur to go with him to save the village from the bandits. We would meet up outside the city of Suno as soon as they were done. Nizar insisted on staying by my side and wait for the spy, as did Borcha. Borcha said he needed to see the man’s mount in order to properly track him once we left the cobble stoned roads outside Praven and ventured into the hills.
We camped outside the city in a small clearing with a perfect view of the city gates. While we were sitting by the campfire talking, Nizar told me that after a battle with some bandits a few weeks ago, he heard one of them screaming something about 'the Devil Faced' coming for him, as he fled for his life. Borcha said he had heard similar outcries during another battle in Ibiren when we defended it against a bandit attack, apparently referring to my strange looking helmet. The local bandits think I'm the Devil?! I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but I must say that I never thought an old Samurai armor would cause this much fear. I do kind of like the respect there appears to be around it. Putting a little bit of fear into the hearts of the wicked might just be what saves my soul in the end. The Devil Faced. Ha ha, I shall remember that.
All next day went by waiting for the spy, and not until after dark did we see a dark clad figure on a black horse leave the city in great haste. We packed our things quickly and commenced the pursuit. Just as Borcha said, he easily tracked the man once we left the road and he felt sure enough in himself that we could make the planned stop in Suno and still find his track again. When we got to Suno I once again became the victim of my desire to please the Swadian Counts. Count Klargus of Suno remembered me from the King’s feast as he spotted me at the city gates where he was inspecting some caravans. We chatted for a while and he told me that he had personally had to attend to a matter regarding his caravans, which were being systematically plundered by bandits. He suspected they had a lair nearby, but he could not spare any Knights as they had enough to do protecting the caravans and preparing for the Vaegir war. I knew what he was going to ask, so I jumped to it to make myself look better and told him I would take care of hunting down the bandits. That put a crooked smile on his lips, and he patted me on my shoulder calling me a ‘fine lass.’
We stayed the night at a tavern, and the very next morning I was woken up by the trumpets and cries from the streets. The announcement was here, it was now official: King Yaroglek of the Vaegirs had declared war upon Swadia! I knew it was coming but it made my travels so much more difficult. We packed and ate in a hurry and to my great joy we rode straight out to the already prepared army led by Alayen! They had battled the bandits, and Alayen being Alayen, had refused any rewards from the city elder. He said it was matter of honor and it was his duty to protect the peasants. Alayen is definitely growing on me. I’m glad I gave him some responsibilities. When the time is right he shall be my first Knight.
We wasted no time, and with Borcha in the lead we quickly picked up the spy’s trail, which headed northeast. With Nizar by my side, Borcha up ahead, Alayen and Rolf scouting on both sides and my small army behind me ready to obey my orders I felt the center of the World. I felt alive for the first time since that horrible day.
It wouldn’t be long, though, until trouble stirred again. Alayen had spotted some bandit activity in the village of Ryibelet up ahead. I ordered the men to mount and draw arms as we charged upon the village. The villagers quickly realized we were the King’s men, and bravely joined in the battle that pursued. Several of my Men at Arms and companions alike made a good showing of themselves and I shall have to consider their suitability for Knighthood. After the battle Nizar managed to squeeze some information out of one of the surviving bandits: They had a lair nearby in the Ryibelet Forest. I wasted no time and told my men to follow Borcha and the spy’s trail, leaving one man in the rear for us to catch up with. Alayen, Nizar, Marnid and Rolf rode with me to investigate. The bandit hideout turned out to be in a small clearing in the woods. Very possibly the same one Count Klargus had quested me to find and eliminate. In the setting sun we struck, the five of us, and took the battle to the bandits. It didn’t take us long to subdue the criminals and deal them swift justice. I had no time for prisoners with spies to catch. We found some of the loot they had most likely plundered from the caravans, and claimed it for ourselves. Afterwards we quickly caught up with the others and continued on the trail, a journey which would present itself to be our greatest challenge yet…
The result of my first tournament
King Harlaus' 'study chamber'
As we prepared to fight some bandits
Marnid had to write down all the stuff we had to get done
What's made this particular game really great for me so far is developing the personalities of the companions. Definitely makes for more interesting writing. I can tell that the journal entries are starting to become a little too long, though.
