Birthright Chapter Eight

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

WATCH HQ

Rennault takes in all this information with a frown. To the pragmatic Watch Captain, this plan was turning out to be even worse than the one to save Torthur. Now, instead of freeing a capable soldier, they would have to play nursemaids toa brothel full of women--and that was assuming they were successful. It all seems like a bad idea.

But then there was Bee, and her request that Renn help those women if he could. He might have tried talking the group out of this fool mission otherwise, but he couldn't let Beatrix down like that.

"It's a strange place, the Shadow Realm" he tells Torthur. "Whatever forces live in that place, they know your innermost thoughts, your worst memories. Or maybe there's something there that lets you project the strangest bits of yourself onto the place. I've no clue, but it's un-damned-comfortable. Still, if we're doing this we need to move quickly. The Shadow Realm might be our best bet."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Watch HQ

"There is a political angle to this mission." Roald says, sensing Renn's misgivings. "If we can save those women, and get some kind of proof of Riegon's transgressions, then we can use this inspire other realms to turn against Alamie. Perhaps even get the Arcprelate to condemn Carlion Alam."

[steveflam]

"Tis true. I even gots one wimmin, a Lora, workin at tha Gorgons Crown. I finded her on tha barge in a barrel of all places. Hidin from Reigon. She kin tells us some things too. I finded her a place ter live in the Crown too."

[JMaytr]

Watch HQ-

Devlin arrives with his personal guard.

"Hello all, Lord Filbert, Sir Roald," Devlin nods to the others. " I am pleased we are all assembled and that the dwarf seems safe. Torthur I believe they called you? I am Devlin Flaertes, Duke of Tuornen. I had heard you were captured. I hope you gave them hell escaping."

[steveflam]

.

[steveflam]

Watch HQ-

Devlin arrives with his personal guard.

"Hello all, Lord Filbert, Sir Roald," Devlin nods to the others. " I am pleased we are all assembled and that the dwarf seems safe. Torthur I believe they called you? I am Devlin Flaertes, Duke of Tuornen. I had heard you were captured. I hope you gave them hell escaping."

He clears his throat, His tone is one of telling a story, not bragging at all. "I goed there. Finded a baby makin farm. Got finded out. Tried ter save a baby but it gots taken from me. Acuz of that bastard orc shit Reigon. It took more'n fifty men ter git me. Oh, yeah. Reigon yelled to everyone in tha street gold fer me hide dead or alive afore that. Awreadyhe wanted me dead.

So, in prison I freed prisoners an caused a riot there,puttin tha militia there in deep shit. I escaped, after bein tortured a course. I made it into the sewers an found me way to a place where mens come down ter work them sewers. I blew up that place good acuz a some black powder, an real good. Cracked the stone floor, I tell ye. Cracked it good and bad. Amidst tha smoke an confusion I escaped that place an made it to the arena where Clyde was. I freed them dogs who chase bears for the rich's sports I guess. I freed me friend Clyde tha bear an then from there we maked it to the waterfront an a boat. It were a race across that river, Sir. I didn say nuthin bout the rest of tha guards I put down, not killin mind you. Prolly took o'er a hunnerd mans after me n it did nuthin, sir."

Torthur takes a deep breath. "So, CLyde n I raised a whole lots of hell, there sir. That's also not fergittin I getted shit on besides walking through the sewrs and shit itself, sir. So, that be me tale o givin that Duke an his asslikkin chump of a brother. I thinks both Reigon an tha Duke will not soon fergot me, sir. All they gettted fer their trouble were me two axes given ter me by me granda an an armor, a family heirloom, sir."

[JMaytr]

Watch HQ-

Devlin listens intently.

"Family Heirlooms should be passed to kin and not the enemy," Devlin says after a moment. "This black powder you speak of sounds like smoke powder, used in ship canons*. I do hope you destroyed all of it. Region sounds a monster. Goodly men cannot allow women to suffer such brutality. Were you chased across the river? Did Alam soldiers follow you into Haes?"

Devlin leans in, a sarcastic smile across his face.

"What's an orc**? I've never heard this term orcshit. Is it a dwarven beast?"


* as described in naval combat, Cities of the Sea box set.
** Orcs don't exist in Birthright, replaced by Orog's http://users.lmi.net/~fizz/orog.jpg

[steveflam]

Watch HQ-

Devlin listens intently.

"Family Heirlooms should be passed to kin and not the enemy," Devlin says after a moment. "This black powder you speak of sounds like smoke powder, used in ship canons*. I do hope you destroyed all of it. Region sounds a monster. Goodly men cannot allow women to suffer such brutality. Were you chased across the river? Did Alam soldiers follow you into Haes?"

Devlin leans in, a sarcastic smile across his face.

"What's an orc**? I've never heard this term orcshit. Is it a dwarven beast?"

"I meaned ORog, sir. Just call em Orcs is all. Ain't matter whut yer callin em, they all the same. An I hope ye aint wantin me ter explain yer ya what Orogshit is sir, acuz it sounds xactly like it be, sir. As fer tha smoke powder, whatever there was, it be gone now. Noone came after me once I comed ashore, sir. They ain't stoopid. Pardon my explanation of Orogs sir, but I calls em Orcs, but they still be stinkin Orogs, sir."

[JMaytr]

Watch HQ

"Call me Your Grace," Devlin replies. "And you are correct master dwarf, I have no real interest in the real smell of Orog shit. I imagine it to be as sweet as an Alamien."

Devlin sits at the head of the table.

"I'm a little late to the planning here. Lord Filbert, please report anything you where able to find during your trip to southwest."

[steveflam]

Torthur shrugs, adding "Er yeah, yer Grace. I was wonderin what ye thinked of Roald an meself gettin that salary wagon from Alamie. Or the Duke's own pleasure barge if I remember correctly. Me, bein just me an all were wonderin, yanno, I wonders if that Duke, your grace,
appreciates whut we done fer ya. Asides from ole Roald tellin me we done good, I ain' heard nuthin from none. So maybe only ole Roald is tha only one who appreciates Torthur an Clyde helpin out Tuor. Could be I be wrong too, yer grace?"

He stands now. "Tell ye what." he looks at Roald "Roald, jest let me know whuts yer plan is, I is in. I'll be at the crown."

The dwarf exits the room.

[JMaytr]

Watch HQ-

"Master Dwarf! Please, don't go, I'm sure there is much you can assist us with. I have indeed heard that you helped Sir Roald, who I have knighted and titled based on his blood tie to me. That was why I was preparing a team for your rescue, it seems you are quite adept at handling yourself, and I can use men...er...warriors such as you. From your tale it would seem that this Region is a monster and needs to be shown justice, and his crimes need to be exposed. As for your help with the barge, do you seek a reward of some kind? I have heard that dwarves love their gems and ore."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Watch HQ

"I suspect the only gems that Torthur wants are Riegon's teeth, Your Grace. But it's good of you to come." Roald makes his usual mirthless smile. "I suspect I know where Riegon kidnaps his women. At least some of them. Endier, Your Grace. I learned that women were being kidnapped for a wealthy buyer in Alamie when I was there during the Siege of Haes."

"I also learned that of all Duke Carlion's creditors, Endier is not one of them. Apparently the Alams and Guilder Kailien have a strained relationship." He leans forward onto the table. "If we can rescue those women and prove that it was Alamie that was kidnapping them for...whatever debaucheries they've inflicted on them, then perhaps, just perhaps, we could secure the support of Endier in our war against the Alam."

He leans back. "And who know how the other realms would react to this news."

[JMaytr]

Devlin-

"I agree Sir Roald, these women must be returned home to Endier. Do you have a plan?"

[Varrus the Ethical]

Watch HQ

Roald gestures to the former fool-turned-lord. "Lord Filbert has suggested using his...shadow walk to infiltrate Lofton, Your Grace. Personally, I would prefer to use more conventional methods, but after the ruckus Torthur caused in Lofton, I imagine their gates are going to be more heavily guarded.

[JMaytr]

Devlin-

"The Shadow world is a dangerous place. You all run the risk of becoming lost there, or worse. If you were to go to such a place I'd recommend taking the very best, and above all else, escaping the realm over fighting its denizens is paramount.

So the mission goals as i understand them are as follows;
One: enter Alamie via the shadow world. Secure entry into Region's pregnancy prison.
Two: rescue all of the women.
Three:Capture Region Alam.

Am I correct so far?"