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Post by Kortelan on Nov 4, 2007 11:30:54 GMT -5
Kortelan nods and gets ready. He goes to Ersolan and asks him to make sure that the papers and treasury is sorted and anything of note should be brought to him after he comes back. Then when it is time he goes to the meeting.
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Post by Gamemaster on Nov 7, 2007 0:12:50 GMT -5
This time, the Grand Lodge in Verronia has guards at the doors and a large crowd inside. Kortelan is invited inside. The Grand Lodge is a large hall with at least fifty people inside and room for three times that many.
There is no real furniture inside, only logs used as benches. A large fire is burning in a fireplace at each end of the hall. There are no windows and the walls are decorated with bearskins and four bear standards, old weapons and other things. There are religious murals painted on one wall. The whole place has the feel of some remnant of an earlier time. All the people in the room are wearing strange clothes that all seem to include some kind of fur.
Sitting on a large log at one end of the hall are five old men. Someone gestures to them and says to Kortelan, "the masters of the Grand Lodge await you."
As Kortelan approaches the masters of the Grand Lodge, the one sitting in the center says, "Greetings Ulor Kortelan. We have heard of your recent appointments as Ulor of Kajakan Tros and Kajakan Folon. We have also heard that today you have taken control of the provincial government here. We have also heard that you wished to meet with us. We are here. Do you have something to say to us?"
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Post by Kortelan on Nov 7, 2007 13:11:27 GMT -5
Kortelan nods. "Thank you masters. As you know I am the Ulor of all three of our former homeland provinces. And as you know in Yishil Rubanya collects an army as Krumluk masses another in the capital of the empire. I am no friend of the empire, for every good they say they have done they have committed a dozen more evils. I grew up listening to the stories of our people, how we almost took the empire 700 years ago, how if it weren't for our skills as fighters, traders, bankers, the empire would not be what it is today. And how do they thank the Verronese for what we do? They have sucked us dry. We currently have less then 1,000 men to guard the entire homeland, none of them trained. I have 250 untrained volunteers, 150 of the bear guards, and Lorgan's Verron Rond men. That is not enough, I have talked with other people and everyone has said that you are the bravest, strongest, and most loyal to our people. They have told me that this group here is what is left of our army. I beg of you to help us. I would like the Verron Rond to shed this guise you hold and become the Verronese army once again. Defend our lands in the coming war and watch as I free our people. You would retain control of the Rond but I would have you as my military council. You would remain completely independent of the empire and with your help the empire would wain."
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Post by Gamemaster on Nov 8, 2007 4:56:02 GMT -5
The masters seem quite shocked by this speech. One of them says, "We are not enemies of the empire."
Another one says, "Whom do you propose that we fight?"
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Post by Kortelan on Nov 8, 2007 9:58:08 GMT -5
"Whom do we fight? We fight anyone who threatens us. At the moment Krumluk has promised to kill all leadership in each of my provinces and then pillage them. We should fight him if he comes. We should fight bandits, smugglers, marauders, criminals. This is our, your shot at glory. And if the Verron Rond is not the organization I was told it was, if it does not want to see the Verronese people as great as we once were I am sorry for wasting your time."
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Post by Gamemaster on Nov 8, 2007 18:27:19 GMT -5
The masters talk quietly among themselves for a moment. Then, the one sitting in the middle says, "We are what we have always been. We are the warrior society of the bear. It has not been our task to fight against criminals or rebels. But if we are asked to assist the proper authorities in such tasks, we will of course do what we can. It has not been our task to defend against invading armies for a very long time, but we would not shirk any duty that properly belongs to a warrior of the bear."
The lodge master sitting on the far left says, "It is also our duty to uphold the honor of the warrior society of the bear, the Verron Rond. We are the masters of the grand lodge, the leaders of the entire society. With us rests an ancient and mystical duty to keep the ancient traditions. We cannot lightly call out the society to war or to chase criminals. At a time like this, the Imperial Army fights itself. Ulors fight each other. Regents decree laws against each other. It is not yet clear who has the right and who has transgressed." He turns to the other masters as he says, "We must understand these things clearly before we do anything that might bring dishonor upon the rond. To take any step towards one side or the other would brand us traitors in the eyes of one who calls himself regent. We must ensure that it is not the true regent we offend."
Two of the masters have expressions that suggest they may disagree with this. Then, the one in the middle says, "We are greatly concerned that you have already attempted to involve the Verron Rond in armed conflict without asking us and despite our decision to forbid this for the time being. We have discussed the matter with Lorgan, one of the lodge masters of the lodge in Bakoya Kajak. He insists that he never received word of the message we sent to Rondalan there, instructing rond members to refrain from joining the fighting. We have instructed Lorgan to cease all such efforts and to remain here with his horsemen until the situation becomes clearer. The day may soon come when our duty requires us to act, but today is not that day. If you wish to honor the traditions we uphold, do not attempt to prevent Lorgan and his men from doing as we have instructed."
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Post by Kortelan on Nov 8, 2007 20:51:33 GMT -5
Kortelan bows to the masters. "As you say, so is the law among the rond. Your points are all valid and your care and concern are quite clear. Your first duty is to protect the rond and make sure it survives. I do wonder what our ancestors would think, though. You have the opportunity to make our country great and yet you sit here. Your people need you, I need you. Look at the family lines, Rubanya is the true leader of the Empire and he has the entire navy at his back as well as more of the Imperial Army then Krumluk. Rubanya wishes to bring reform while Krumluk spouts support of corruption and will gladly burn and destroy anyone who says otherwise, which includes this city. Do you think he cares if you stayed on the fence? No he will see that as a lack of commitment to his side and kill you anyways. The former head of the garrison in Kajakan Tros told me, as his last words, that the Bear people are more like the viper then the Viper people. I sometimes wonder if he was right." he pauses to let his statement sink in before continuing "I am a simple man, a farmer not a great politician so maybe I am wrong. Maybe this is all for the good of our people, but maybe it takes a simple man who is unwilling to give in to see the truth. I will leave you great masters to ponder what I have brought before you. I have important matters of state to attend to." With that he walked out.
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Post by Gamemaster on Nov 8, 2007 23:12:52 GMT -5
(OOC: Now what? Back to the palace and let time go by?)
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Post by Kortelan on Nov 8, 2007 23:59:14 GMT -5
(OOC: Yeah. See if Ersolan has found anything important. Maybe have someone in the rond talk to him if that is what would happen.)
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Post by Gamemaster on Nov 9, 2007 0:20:14 GMT -5
Ersolan says that his men have secured the treasury. It is full of money, so much that they aren't going to be able to finish counting it tonight.
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Post by Kortelan on Nov 9, 2007 21:03:47 GMT -5
"Ok that sounds good. Now lets see what papers are laying around." Kortelan goes to the office and then the personal chambers of the former Ulor and glances over each piece of paper.
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Post by Gamemaster on Nov 10, 2007 5:08:36 GMT -5
There is nothing unusual apparent in the papers that you look at. Of course, there are many more documents than you can look at in one evening, but the ones you look at seem to be routine.
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Post by Kortelan on Nov 10, 2007 12:44:10 GMT -5
(OOC: I would say now is a good time to do a time skip)
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Post by Gamemaster on Nov 12, 2007 21:09:13 GMT -5
(OOC: Sorry for the delay in posting, but the next thing that happens to you should not be revealed until one of the other players is farther up in time.)
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Post by Kortelan on Nov 12, 2007 21:11:06 GMT -5
(OOC: Ok. Is there anything else we can put in before then and now or does it have to happen next? I hope they catch up soon.)
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