"You know Cilla, it is not a wonder why your hair always looks as if it has been attacked by a wild animal, you're personality has about as much flexibility as Sur Bram's sword." Laila jested her twin sister as they rode down the dirt trail atop their fine steeds.
But was it merely a jest or another one of her sister's attempts to get a rise out of her Cilla, the younger of the two twins thought to herself as she ignored her sister's latest insult. While Cilla and Laila Avondale may look alike they were night and day when it came to their personality. While Cilla was quiet, reserved and dutiful to her father Lord Marquis Avondale's wishes, Laila had always been the unpredictable, wild, and untameable daughter that did as she wished throughout her life. For that reason their personalities clash often and in catastrophic ways, to the dismay of their lord parents. Even on their current trip to Bisonmane they exhibited these battles of personality in front of other noblemen, an embarrassing sight indeed. It was however not a secret in the high family circles that they were the fire to each others kindle so their more recent arguments did not come with surprise. But never the less their lord father had sent them home to the Avonhold early as punishment for their rude behavior.
Cilla Avondale took this as a slight from her sister who didnt wish to be in the strange city anyways, despite her eyes for the heir to Bisonmane, Sur Jurgen a married man who paid not a minute of attention to her. But Laila had eyes for every highborn man carrying a sword, her sister thought, her constant flings with Lordlings around the Kingdom annoyed her to no end.
The majority of the trip from Bisonmane had been silent- aside from Laila's jests-, with their single Knight escort and a few soldiers they trotted along without a word or momentous event. It would be a full day before they arrived back at Castle Markpath the ancient seat of their Family and the girls would soon be able to be on their separate ways, avoiding each other at all possible as they always did.
The morning sun was rising to their right as their red hair began to catch the light beautifully. Some of the men even stole a glance at the young highborn ladies, but Cilla just ignored it and Laila reveled in it, sometimes giving them a glance right back, or a wink. She was by far the guard's most popular of the Avondale girls, its a wonder Cilla thought.
Her mind turned elsewhere however as they began to follow along the edge of the dark forest, a wood as old as time where not many dared to travel due to its darker inhabitants, the Dark Elves, a race of tree living, low born creatures that loved the dark shade of the tree and the treachery they would sometimes cause. It gave Cilla the chills to be so close to it as she could feel the cold air coming from inside the dark shade of the forest. She wish this wasn't the only trail that lead to Bisonmane. The Dark Elves however rarely ventured from their forest to disturb the realm of men, which gave some peace to Cilla's heart, until today. Several arrows shot from the darkness and landed around the Lady's horse and one even found its mark in one of their guards. An alarm was called out and the guards formed a rank while Sur Bram yelled for the girls to grab the reigns and follow him with haste. They galloped across the field with all haste, tears of fright in Cilla's eyes as they made their escape. A few arrows just missed Laila's horse as she was panting and wiping the reigns of the horse to go faster.
"With me ladies come." The Knight yelled as they continued at full speed across the field, leaving the screams and sounds of battle behind them, the Dark Elves were for the first time making themselves known to the Realm of men.
Cilla Avondale
Laila Avondale
The Eastern Steppes
The screams and shouts could be heard all through out the hills and plains as the Soldiers of house Koud tore through an unsuspecting village in the Eastern Steppes. The Men-at-arms tore through the hovels of the wild men villagers dragging them out into the dusty streets, killing and raping as they moved along. As several men torched a home another drug a man into the streets and opened his throat with a single swipe of his blade, his blood curdling scream filling the air until his blood choked the scream.
Jacqueline Koud winced as she watched the man die. She turned her head from the gruesome scene to look towards her father and brother who both sat atop their decorated steeds in their armor watching the battle, no rape of the village. They seemed to be enjoying the spectacle a bit more than she did. As a breeze came up from the valley the stench of death filled the young girls nose and hair. Their father brought them along for some of these battles, he said it made the strong to be apart of war, gave them fortitude. But this was no place for a highborn lady, Jacqueline thought to herself as she witnessed a young girl near her age being raped in the city streets by several of he father's men. This was the dominion of men, and her place was back at court in Judgestone.
"A most glorious battle father." She did not forget her courtesies, specially if she wanted something. "May I ask leave to return to camp?" She looked at her father with a daughters begging eyes. Sometimes it worked on the Grand Duke of Judgestone.
"Jacqueline, my sweet daughter, grace us with your company for awhile, this is a family affair after all. Soon these lands will be ours and we shall raise a new lord to rule over it and they shall pay homage to us." Her father ignored, or even didnt catch the eyes his daughter was making at him as he bantered on. "Didn't you say your little friend, what was her name Marlene Rowan? Yes thats it, didnt you say she should have been born lords daughter with how noble she always acts. Well her father is a good Knight maybe someday she will be. But it is up to our family to make it so. What are our words?"
"Fate and Family." The two Koud children chanted.
"Exactly, and it is our fate to rule over these barbarians. Right now we are showing them in more ways that one that we are their superiors. This village we burn and rape but the next we may feed and build a new temple to the Summer God. It is all within our power."
Yes it was in the Koud families power to do many things. They were one of the most powerful in the Kingdom. Jacqueline only wished she did not have to be forced to watch the spectacle of rape and killing bellow. She'd rather be back in Judgestone where all the lesser noble ladies would be kissing her feet and where she walked every day. Such a hard life being a Lord's daughter.
Jacqueline Koud
Judgestone, Royal Palace
"His Grace the King will now conduct the realm's business of the day." Count Raphael Monroe the Steward of the King announced as the King sat down on his large stone throne that sat 6 feet above the rest of the hall. Two Knights of Summer, his royal body guard took up position leaning on their drawn great swords bellow him on either side, a fearsome and challenging sight.
"What do we have today Count?" The King inquired as he took a chalice of wine from a servant.
"Your grace, the order of business today.." He scrolled down the parchment he had written on the list of events. "Farmers are complaining of the taxes that Marquis Fedya Aleksandr Grayhand has placed on their crops, and wish a Royal judgement, the Elven traders in our western ports are complaining of high tariffs on elven goods. Grand Duke Otto Koud has called his banners and made an incursion onto the Eastern Steppes. Our reports have indicated he wishes to annex them into the Duchy."
"Ah, thankfully there is no real enemy bordering the Grand Duke's land for him to warmonger with. No matter, what ever land he takes still must pay homage to his King. Next." He looked spitefully over at his son Prince Manuel who is married to one of the Grand Duke's daughters, the beautiful Johanna.
"Marquis Avondale has gathered his men as well and has staged his troops on the boarder of the Dark Lands. Apparently he claims the Dark Elves had attacked two of his Lady daughters on their way back to the Hold. A most disturbing report. He requests Royal assistance in routing out these elves." The entire court busted into a rumble of whispers of dismay at this announcement. As bigoted as the royal court was against elf kind, an attack on two highborn girls by elves was a serious matter than would have the whole realm astir.
"Your grace, give me leave to lead a contingent of your men against these savage beasts. They shall not dare to defile the honor of a lady of the Realm." his son Prince Koert Daevus jumped to his feet as he made the request.
The King batted a hand at his son signalling him to sit down and be quiet while he thought. The elves making such a bold move after all this time was surprising move. Action must be taken, and Marquis Avondale had always been a close friend of the court.
"So bet it. Koert, you shall take the second multitude into the dark lands with Marquis Avondale, I shall send word to our cousins in Bisonmane to send men as well. May the Dread Lord be with you my son." He gave his blessings to his third oldest child as the boy of twenty rose and knelt before the throne.
"What of the Dragons?" His son smirked as he waited for a response from his father.
"Ah yes, Thanatos has been restless as of late, he needs to get out. Take him as well." His father instructed him to take one of the families dragons, a fearsome beast that could be seen on the Royal banner and sigil. Thanatos was the black dragon of Achesia, large and fiery his screech could be heard all the way to Bivar.
"Yes your grace." Koert drew his mithirl blade and held it tip to the floor as he bowed before his king, and as he was dismissed he replaced it back in his scabbard and marched from the hall, some of the older noblemen and younger ladies of the court shouted prayers and wishes of luck to the Prince, a few of the later even blew a kiss at the unwed prince.
King Daeuvus
Prince Koert
Summery of Actions:
(Achesian Host of Avonhold, Bisonmane and Royal Army march into the Dark Lands to root out the Dark Elves)
(Host of Koud sacks an unsuspecting village on the edges of the eastern steppe along their boarder as they move to annex it. Needs to role to see what loot I got and what type of response I will get from the wild men in the area. )
ORBAT:
Dark Lands Annexation:
Eastern Steppes Annexation
150,000 Credit deployment cost.
