A Tale of Two Orphans — IC

[BartNL]

"I am afraid not father. I suspect Imardanian subterfuge is the reason we are only hearing of this now." Hellenbert responds, his face earnest.

[FinalTemplar]

Caedus

Caedus listens to the story intently, his heart dropping at the news that Esmé's target is lost to faraway lands. As the story finishes, he turns toward her.
"I will be in Menora for a time, at least as long as the tournament continues," He says, looking into her eyes, "I know what it is like, to want revenge. No matter where you find me - Whether here, or out on the road, if you need me... I will be there." He says, holding out his hand to shake. "You can consider me an ally and a friend, whenever you need me."

[Fialova]

Caedus

The woman offers a weak smile, though you can see the anger and frustration still in her eyes despite the gesture. She nods and shakes your hand, before turning back to Tawil to continue her conversation, leaving you free to pursue other ventures.

OOC

The elven woman still watches you, and you would imagine that, by now, Johanna should be already returning to, or back in, the tourney grounds. What will you do next?

Everyone Else

As Drake speaks, the man walks to one of the lounges and takes a seat, leaning his head in his arm propped up on an arm rest. He listens to you each in turn, concern clear in his face as the realization sinks in that you are not merely jesting. "Truly?" he asks, after a silent moment of contemplation. "An invasion from Imardin? What in the hells are they thinking? Do they not pray to a goddess of peace?" he puts his arm back down, shaking his head in a mixture of disappointment and disbelief.

"An alliance is smart. Imardin may be small in size, but they've innumerable citizens; Madam Barschal has kept us apprised of their numbers and general status for years now. I'd never have thought them keen to invade anyone, let alone all of the south. What could have gotten into their priests to allow such a thing?" he asks, glancing around at each of you in a vain attempt at finding answers.

[Namelessjake]

"It wouldn't be the first holy war nor the last," Drake suggests as their host's questions turn to that of the invaders' motives. "We're lucky most of Tulrisse follow the same pantheon, more or less," he adds. "It's not like we need any more excuses to make war among ourselves."

"Regardless, we can only speculate on the Imardanians' motives. What really matters is that they are here - we can ask them why they came once we drive them back into the Sundered Sea," he says, glad to hear the elder Brandt is also in favour of an alliance.

[FinalTemplar]

Caedus

Caedus watches for a moment before he glances at the elven woman, openly now. Don't worry, I see you too. He thinks, nodding to the elf. Back to the tournament grounds I go. I've been gone too long. He thinks and returns to the grounds.

[ratwizard]

Valcus catches the glance of the elder Brandt and frowns thoughtfully. "Madame Barschal, you say. Do you happen to know how and from where she sources her intelligence? Your surprise about the war has hardly been the first among those elite few in Menora. It strikes me odd that one so connected enough to know census figures for a foreign land could yet be caught by surprise."

I have my suspicions about Cumberland, though perhaps our attention should be on Barschal as well.

[Scratcherclaw]

Caelen along with Valcus, sharing the same suspicions as the young lord. "That's a good point. You'd think she wouldn't be in the dark about this like everyone else is." But wasn't she a friend of the Queen? Would she truly betray that? He frowns, thinking back to their group's own false friendships.

OOC

My last post's insight check was never resolved :')

 

[BartNL]

Info

How well does Hellenbert know madame Barschal?

[Fialova]

Hellenbert

You would not personally know Madam Barschal, as she is a high ranking member of the queen's court who mostly sticks to the tower. You do know things that most people know, specifically that she is a native of Imardin, she is very likely Queen Millicent's closest friend, and that she has a tendency to flirt with men in their 20s both at the tower and in the guard. It's possible you've had such a run-in with her before, I'll leave that up to you, including what your response to her might have been if so. Apart from that, virtually everyone of noble stature would know that she is the organizer of the tourney happening tomorrow, so your most recent encounter with her would likely have been when you put your name in as a competitor.

[BartNL]

Barschal, the old flirt. At least I know for sure she likes me.
"Madame Barschal is involved in the organisation of the tournament. I don't think the tournament is helpful for the Imardanian cause. Unless it's meant to cover up something else. There are more figures standing out as odd on the lists, not part of your group. I was going to see if I can find out more about them anyway, keeping a possible connection to the madame in mind, could be wise." Hellenbert adds.

[ratwizard]

"Certainly she is organizing the tournament, but what have been her responsibilities to the Queen before this event?" Valcus asks, looking between the younger and older Brandts. "You've said she has been keeping tallies on the Imardanian ranks for years. If not on the Queen's orders, then for what reason? This tournament seems a convenient opportunity to keep Menora looking within, and not without, while the fields burn and the rivers run red to the west."

[Fialova]

Caedus

The elf continues to watch you as you leave the encampment, but she does not follow, instead returning to whatever it was she had been doing before. It takes a bit of time, but you make your way back to the tourney grounds without any difficulty or interruptions, arriving back to much the same scene you'd found before. Once there, you are once more alone to explore and speak with people, your mission to learn more about the competitors and to suss out any potential threats still in place. You do not initially see Johanna in the crowd, but there are enough people that you'd be surprised if you could.

OOC

At this time, the main things to do in the tourney grounds are either to try to locate Johanna, or to continue seeking out potentially suspicious entrants in the tourney. Both will require a check. If you want to seek out Johanna, make a perception check to try to locate her in the crowd. Otherwise, make a streetwise check to try to learn about anyone who might seem worth talking to. Or, if you have something else in mind to do, let me know.

Everyone Else

"It's not really 'keeping tallies,' per se," the elder Brandt responds. "But she receives the occasional letter from her family back in Ellisport, and they often mention the state of the city, just as I assume the madam does of our own. Never really thought much of it, I've shared similar correspondence with cousins in far flung towns as well. Never have we gotten any sort of whiff of invasion from her 'intel,' though," the man says, his brow furrowed as he speaks. 

"It was a secret from the lords of the west, so perhaps the rulers of Imardin kept the invasion from their own people as well," Ser Daria responds, seeming enthralled with the conversation thus far. "I am not sure it would have been as effective if it was known to be coming, and my grandma always said that the best way to keep a secret is to not share it."

"Your grandmother is a wise woman," Adelhart continues, looking to the young knight with a weak smile, before turning his attention to his son. "You've been investigation tourney goers?" he asks, seeming to have just registered the guardsman's words. "What for? Did another of the captains put you up to it? You think these entrants might have something to do with this invasion?"

Caelen

You do not get the sense that Adelhart is faking his surprise.

[Namelessjake]

"It would seem a little obvious compared to the subterfuge we've seen the Imardanians engage in so far, but could Madam Barshal have been deliberately feeding the court false information?" Drake asks, wondering if an Imardanian agent has been hiding in plain view.

[ratwizard]

"Family in Ellisport? Imardanian agent or not, her life's become a tad more complicated. Even if she's innocent as a babe, her allegiance should be under scrutiny. We should speak with her about the tournament, see if we can't press her on these details."

Valcus nods at Ser Daria's words, contented by the fact that she is paying attention. "Yes. The Imardanian commoners, as different as they may be to Tulfolk or Rissans, likely have little to gain from this war, nor should they bear its burden. Our fight is with their ruling class."

He turns to listen to Adelhart question his son. Who else, I wonder, has Ser Hellenbert questioned? So far we know only of the Talon of Tanon, and ourselves of course.

[FinalTemplar]

Caedus

He gives a soft sigh as he returns to the tournament grounds. What a long day... He thinks to himself, as he begins walking around the grounds, looking for someone new to talk to.

Mechanics

Streetwise: [1d20+2]=19+2=21

[BartNL]

"It was just a hunch that there was something odd going on father. And it turned out to be correct. This was before I heard anything about the invasion. There's a man who calls himself Talon of Tanon. He is somehow involved with or under employ of the lady Johanna Galben. There's also a dwarf from Bal, and a noble outcast on the lists. But I haven't found anything on them yet." Hellenbert replies.