>A Landed Knight. The lands you possess are small but they are yours. With your lords death, you may achieve great things.

>>3749361
>>A Foreign Invader. With their weakling king dead, you have chosen to take your warband and seize your glory.

>>3749361
>A Minor Noble. You have lands and knights beholden to you but you may be seen as a rival by others.

Got a three way split so far. May as well explain some of these a little.

>>3749364
Landed Knight, you have a small tower or keep along with 1-2 villages/settlements in your domain. You may be able to seize territory from your former Lord.

>>3749374
Foreign invader. You have no lands to your name, only your own power and the men you brought with you. Everything else will have to be claimed.

>>3749381
Minor Noble. You have a small town and several villages under your control, with up to 3 landed knights. Establishing alliances/trade and expanding your territory is the surest route to success.

>>3749361
>>A Minor Noble. You have lands and knights beholden to you but you may be seen as a rival by others.
This seems similar to a previous quest. Have you ever tried this before op?

>>3749407
I have not. I did read the Broken Empires Quest which seems to be ded so i figured I’d scratch my Quest itch myself. Sorry if it seems too derivative, I really liked the concept

>>3749361
>A Foreign Invader. With their weakling king dead, you have chosen to take your warband and seize your glory.

>>3749361
>Other/Write in
A Merchant Guildmaster. Though you have no lands of our own, your contacts and trade lines are vast. You dictate the prices the lords and lordlings pay to supply their armies; perhaps this war may be an opportunity to expand your empire and personal wealth yet further, if you can remain in the good graces of the eventual victor.

>>3749410
Ah that must be it. But thankfully the quest isn't dead. QM just got cursed real hard.

>>3749418
Ah that’s good then. I was afraid it had been kill.

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>>3749361
>Other write-in

Court official driven from home and family

>>3749361
>A Minor Noble. You have lands and knights beholden to you but you may be seen as a rival by others.

>>3749381
>>3749407
2 so far for minor noble. Same for
>>3749413
>>3749374
Foreign invader. I’ll give it a few minutes before I roll for it if there’s no tiebreaker. Seems to be EZ mode and Hardmode all tied up

>>3749424
Well. That makes 3 for minor noble. Called!

>>3749425
Invader
>>3749426
Fuck...

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>3749426
Rolling to see how many knights you get in your service

The blood of your family is noble, by the standards of common folk. They pay you tithe and tax, the sweat of their brow bringing you coin and prestige, their safety entrusted to you, your knights and men at arms. From the lowest stableboy and milkmaid to the captain of the guard, all know that you are their lord and it is your task to maintain order in your domain.

While you don’t control vast swathes of territory or bustling portside cities, great stretches of farmland or hordes of soldiers like some ancient and great houses, you count yourself lucky to be in the position you are in. You have a secure keep, a loyal township, four villages that supply steady supplies of foodstuffs and two trusted knights in your retinue. Two good men that have always stood by your side.

As you sit at your desk, penning replies to missives calling you to the Capitol to sweat fealty to some upjumped git or another, you look think back, on your family and house, how it’s all seemingly led to this.

>Noble House creation time. Feel free to get creative as you want with this.

>Your domain is located-
-In the Foothills of the Ironback mountains.
-At the edge of the great Kythran Desert.
-Amidst the rolling fields and rivers of the Hearthlands.
-Among the ancient forests and swamps of the Deepwood.
-Against the salt sea on the Stone Shore.
-Other (feel free to write in)

>>3749443
>-Among the ancient forests and swamps of the Deepwood.

>>3749443
>Among the ancient forests and swamps of the Deepwood.
Our ancestors married and bred with feys before their extinction. The current lady of the house has red hair unique to the feys and our house.

>>3749447
>>3749444
+1

>>3749443
>-Amidst the rolling fields and rivers of the Hearthlands.

Fields mean food, food means safety, safety means money and productive peasants

>>3749447
Support

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>>3749447
>>3749450
Yeah boy.

>>3749443
-In the Foothills of the Ironback mountains

Kinda sad we aren't a knight, but this is the next best thing.

>>3749444
>>3749447
>>3749450
The Deepwood it is. A place of ancient ruins and dark forests, treacherous swamps and hardy folk. Because I like the idea of
>>3749447
I’ll add the “Unnatural Appearance” for free to the MC.

Writing.

A breeze courses through the open window to your chambers, fluttering the flame on the candle and bringing with it the scent of the forest. Rotting leaves, damp earth, cool water, a comforting aroma that has always served to calm you, a true child of the Deepwood. Your family has long made their home here, in the cool shadows beneath the trees, among the shadowed waterways of the Serpents Marsh, among the ancient ruins of the kingdoms of the Fey. It is said that your ancestors intermarried with those fair and ancient people, imbuing their descendants with the beauty and grace of their forebears. That legend still holds true in the features and hair of your sister, her silken locks the color of roaring flame, her eyes flashing like a cats in dim light. The gifts of your ancestors haven’t touched you in quite the same way as hers but common folk still stare when you ride by, your features as strange to them as those of the ancient Fey Lords would be.

While your bloodline is long and storied, your noble house is....

>Ancient- Your family was here long before the Altean kingdom was founded. Many houses know of your and several may still hold grudges.

>Old- Your family was given lands in the founding of the Altean kingdom centuries ago. The great houses may sneer but you are to be respected among your peers.

>New- Your father was given these lands and status for his service to the old king, lifted from a Landed Knight. You may be disregarded by the older houses but you have your honor.

>>3749478
Ancient

What do we look like? A big brute or maybe a spear user?

Please no bows

>>3749478
>Ancient- Your family was here long before the Altean kingdom was founded. Many houses know of your and several may still hold grudges.

>>3749478
>Ancient- Your family was here long before the Altean kingdom was founded. Many houses know of your and several may still hold grudges.

>>3749493
That’s upcoming. Right now we’re getting the house set up and then we create the character and get started. Sorry if it’s dragging, I took a bit of inspiration from the house creation system of the GoT quests

>>3749478
>Old

>>3749493
Now that you mention it, I actually kind of like the idea of using bows. It would fit with our Swamp Nobles background from an ancient house to make us basically House Reed from ASOIAF

You look across the tapestry depicting your family line as the cool night breeze flutters the lovingly kept fabric like autumn leaves. The fabric is so old and worn at its upper reaches, it has had to have been repaired and maintained by exceptionally skilled hands. The story of your house stretches back centuries before the founding of the Altean kingdoms, the founding of your house quite literally lost to time.

But one thing that hasn’t been lost is the name. The name of a noble house is the key between a Lord and a peasant, a figure of history and a man lost to the ages. As you stand, lifting the candle high to illuminate the faded letters across the top of the ancient tapestry.

>What is the name of your House? Be as creative as you please

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>>3749505
No bows.

>>3749499
Thats fine just testing the waters for what people want

>>3749505
Well thats what I dont want to happen there are two GoT Quest going with the main character is a bow users
>>3749514
See Key gets it

>>3749513
Auberon, after our ancestor. Wild rumors allege that he was the king of the fairies, and took a fancy to a noblewoman whose name is long-lost.

>>3749513
>>3749519
Auberon

>>3749513
Artherus named for the ancient progenitor

>>3749519
+1

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Gimme like 10 minutes, gonna go boil myself alive. Poison ivy is eating me alive

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>>3749519
There are even a few bardic poems on his exploits, even if they are somewhat farcical in nature. I think the bard's name was something with "spear" in it....

>>3749516
I haven't actually checked out any of the ASOIAF fanfic threads. You'd think most people would go for sword users and try to make their own versions of people like Duncan the Tall or Arthur Dayne

>>3749534
Its fairly xp intensive to do that, most of the time people are trying something ''unique''

>>3749537
Unfortunately unique kind of turns into all the same

>>3749540
Pretty much

House Auberon, Lords of the Forest is scrawled across the top of the ancient tapestry, the golden threads woven by one of your ancestors Fey wife still glittering in the candlelight as you run a hand gently across the cloth. Your ancestors weathered storms, civil war, invasions, famines and plagues and continued on for tens of generations. The bones of your house are strong and proud, your roots sunk deep in the soft earth of the Deepwood.

Let the men of Altea squabble amongst themselves in the fields and cruel mountainsides. Let the desert dwellers scorch and die of thirst in the sands. Let the mountain men retreat to their stone halls and caves, freezing in the night. The Deepwood is all that you need. While the old Altean Kings has carved pieces off as gifts to petty lords and brown nosing sycophants, it had always belonged to your family. It is home and hearth, larder and guardian all in one and by all of your ancestors it will belong to your family once again.

You set the candle back on your desk, the carved oak stained black by generations of hands and ink spills. You drag a fingertip along the wood, your gaze catching on the reflected light in a silver backed mirror hung on the door to a elegantly carved wardrobe. You stand for a moment, your features half fast in shadow as you look deeply inward.

Are you strong enough for this?

>Name: ______ Auberon.
>Gender: Male
>Age: ___
>Physical Features: please describe and pick features. (select up to 3, any past 3 you will have to take a flaw) you already have Unnatural Appearance for free.
-Large Stature (bonus to personal strength/constitution checks)
-Brawny (Large bonus to Strength checks, Penalty to Agility checks))
-Lithe build (bonus to personal agility/dexterity checks)
-Forestborn- (Large bonus to dexterity checks)
-Night Eyes (Bonus to tracking/intimidation checks)
-Unnatural Appearance (you have this. Bonus to Persuasion/Intimidate checks)
-Terrifying Visage (Large Bonus to intimidate checks, penalty to diplomacy and seduction)
-Fair Visage (bonus to diplomacy, penalty to intimidate checks)
-(Feel free to add a custom. If it’s broken, I’ll tell you)

>>3749565
>>Name: ______ Auberon.
>>Gender: feMale
>>Age: 21
>>Physical Features:
-Large Stature (bonus to personal strength/constitution checks)
-Forestborn- (Large bonus to dexterity checks)
-Unnatural Appearance (you have this. Bonus to Persuasion/Intimidate checks)
-Fair Visage (bonus to diplomacy, penalty to intimidate checks)

>>3749575
You can put your idea for a name in the blank _____ anon

>>3749565
>Name:Ailill Auberon.
>Gender: Male
>Age:27
>Physical Features Unnatural Appearance for free.
-Large Stature (bonus to personal strength/constitution checks)
-Lithe build (bonus to personal agility/dexterity checks)
-Forestborn- (Large bonus to dexterity checks)
-Tall as the Trees

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>>3749565
>Name: Mentioc Auberon.
>Gender: Male
>Age: 23
>Physical Features: please describe and pick features. (select up to 3, any past 3 you will have to take a flaw) you already have Unnatural Appearance for free.
-Large Stature (bonus to personal strength/constitution checks)
-Forestborn- (Large bonus to dexterity checks)
-Night Eyes (Bonus to tracking/intimidation checks)
-Unnatural Appearance (you have this. Bonus to Persuasion/Intimidate checks)

>>3749565
>Name: Alfrich Auberon.
"Alfrich" comes from "Alfrikr", another name for Alberich.
>Age: 25
>Lithe Build
>Unnatural Visage
>Fair Visage

>>3749565
>Lysander Auberon
>Age: 24
>-Fair Visage (bonus to diplomacy, penalty to intimidate checks)
>-Forestborn (Large bonus to dexterity checks)
>-Large Stature (bonus to personal strength/constitution checks)
>-Iron Endurance (large bonus to constitution checks)
>-Unnatural Appearance (you have this. Bonus to Persuasion/Intimidate checks)

The last one was custom. Also, I understand that taking 5 features will mean having to take a penalty (I think that can be fun).

>>3749579
ah crap, scrap Large stature for tall as the tree's

>>3749577
I'm bad at names so I leave that for other anons

>>3749575
>>3749579
>>3749580
>>3749582
>>3749583
Excellent suggestions all. I’ll give it a short bit and if we have no winner selected I’ll let the dice gods decide

>>3749592
So Compromise time

Name:_____ Auberon.
>Gender: Male
>Age: 24 (Median age)
>Physical Features:you already have Unnatural Appearance for free.
-Large Stature (bonus to personal strength/constitution checks)
-Forestborn- (Large bonus to dexterity checks)
-Unnatural Appearance (you have this. Bonus to Persuasion/Intimidate checks)

I'd advocate celtic names due to Fey shit but if another name is more appropriate whatever

>>3749580
I'll back this. We be one spooky motherfucker who takes an awful lot after our Fey ancestors though.

>>3749596
I really want.
-Night Eyes (Bonus to tracking/intimidation checks)
Have predatory, glow in the dark eyes would be badass and give a nice intimidation bonus with Intimidate.
I'll leave the name for others.

>>3749583
+1

>>3749580
>>3749597
Ding ding ding we have a winner

>>3749583
>>3749599
>>3749603
Fuck nvm.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

1
>>3749580
2
>>3749583

>>3749606
Well it’s decided. Write up inbound

>>3749606
well shit I was hoping for a compromise but whatever

Could we get bear/bird eyes?

>>3749606
Yay

Your name is Mentioc Auberon, oldest child of Lord Tycholl Auberon. At your fathers death near two years ago, you had stepped forward to take the mantle of Lord. Your mother had died of the Green Pox when you were a child, your younger sister Aliella having been your support during the trying time as your father was dispatched on one military campaign or another. On his return, his grief had shaken the castle, howls of anguish echoing into the unforgiving forest.

In the shadows of the Deepwood you had grown wild and strong. With spear and bow you ventured out, hunting boar and stag. Swimming like a eel, fishing the deep pools beneath ancient ruins. Grinding bark beneath your grip, climbing the trees that loom like monoliths above the greenery. Against your fathers soldiers you had trained, with bow and spear and sword and lance. To ride like the wind and strike like a thunderbolt. As you became a man, you had grown strong and tall, towering over lesser men by nearly a full head, your limbs thick and broad as a ancient oak. Unlike other men your size however, you never lost your agility, clambering up trees like a squirrel, leaping onto your horse from a standstill and evading blows like a reed bending in the wind. Your hair grew long and wild, your fingers long and strong, a true child of the Deepwood.

The blood of your ancestors flows strong in your veins, marking you out as something more than a man. Your hair is the color of red gold, falling across your shoulders. Your features are strange to common folk and noble alike, exotic and otherworldly. Eyes a bit too large and angled. Ears just a tad pointed. Teeth that, I’m the right light, resemble those of some forest predator. But it is your eyes that truly mark you. Your irises are a deep golden color, your pupils just slightly slitted like that of a swamp cat. A greenish yellow shine shows behind your eyes in the darkness, the barest shred of moonlight as bright to you as noonday sun. Commoners stare as you pass, the vision of one of the Fey Lords of Old truly a sight to behold for those backwards folk. Elegant but Wild, powerful as a bear yet light as a feather, a man and yet something else.

>Continued

>>3749632
As wild as your appearance is, your father never neglected your training or education. He devoted a great deal of time and effort into tutors and arms masters, crafting you into more than a man, into a Lord.

>Specialties- skills/trades/schools you have proficiency in. Pick 3 please.
-Persuasion
-Intimidation
-Leadership
-Engineering
-Stealth
-Subterfuge
-Animal Handling
-Seduction
-First Aid
-Scouting
-Trade
-Other (Feel free to custom)

>Martial Skills- Weapon skills. Please select up to 3 proficiencies or 1 mastery. Please specify which
-Sword Proficiency/Mastery
-Axe Proficiency/Mastery
-Spear Proficiency/Mastery
-Bow Proficiency/Mastery
-Shield Proficiency/Mastery
-Great-sword Proficiency/Mastery
-BattleAxe Proficiency/Mastery
-Other (Feel free to custom)

>Armor Skills. Please select one. Each tier of armor imposes a growing dexterity penalty.
-Light Armor- Leather/Chainmail/Splint. No Dex penalty.
-Medium Armor- Half-Plate, reinforced leather, Scale Mail . Small Dex penalty
-Heavy Armor- Full Plate/Half plate. Moderate agility penalty.

>>3749633
>Persuasion
>Intimidation
>Leadership

>Spear Mastery
>Medium Armor

>>3749633
>-Animal Handling
>Intimidation
>Leadership

-Spear Mastery
-Light Armor

>>3749633
-Persuasion
-Leadership
-Seduction

-Spear Proficiency/Mastery
-Light Armor- Leather/Chainmail/Splint. No Dex penalty.

I'm drunk my apologies for possibly being all over the place

>>3749637
>>3749638
Ding ding we have a winrar

>>3749633
-Persuasion
-Leadership
-Animal Handling

-Spear Proficiency/Mastery
-Bow Proficiency/Mastery
-Sword Proficiency/Mastery


-Light Armor- Leather/Chainmail/Splint. No Dex penalty.


Like what Ibsee so far, time to find a lost fey and bring the blood backnto the family

>>3749633
>Persuasion
>Subterfuge
>Trade

>Great-sword mastery
>Medium Armor

>>3749633
>-Animal Handling
-Leadership
-First Aid

>-Spear Proficiency/Mastery
>-Bow Proficiency/Mastery

-Light Armor- Leather/Chainmail/Splint. No Dex penalty.

>Lord Mentioc Auberon
>Lord of the Forest
>Gender:Male
>Age:23
>Family: Aliella Auberon (Younger Sister, 17)
>Features:
-Large Stature (+5 to strength and constitution checks)
-Forestborn (+10 to Agility Checks)
-NightEyes (+5 to Tracking/Intimidation checks)
-Unnatural Appearance (+5 to Persuasion/Intimidation checks)
>Skills:
-Animal Handling (+5 to Taming/Calming/Training animals)
-Intimidation (+5 to Intimidation checks)
-Leadership (+10 to any unit that Lord Mentioc Auberon is attached to in combat for the duration of battle)
-Spear Mastery (+10 to combat rolls when wielding a spear)
-Light Armor Specialization (no agility penalty)

>Holy fuck that is a plus 15 to Intimidation rolls Mentioc is a scary dude

Writing.

>>3749655
the spear, can be made of something like ironbark, an unassuming piece of wood, sturdier than metal, that only gets sturdier with age, passed down in the family since before the records show it for the first time

>>3749655

>Holy fuck that is a plus 15 to Intimidation rolls Mentioc is a scary dude

Now we only need his stature to give an intimidation bonus on some situations to get even scarier

Of the tutors your father assigned to you, many became unnerved by your appearance and demeanor, the way your eyes gleamed in the shadows and left, never to return. Of those that remained, particularly a blind old man by the name of Toren, they had taught you to seize upon your natural gifts. If folk were unnerved by you, then you must compound upon that nervousness.

“Make them truly believe they are in the presence of a monster and they’ll be putty in your hands!”
Toren had laughed, explaining to you how to watch someone’s body to see the twitches and tics that would give away their fear. Many a errant servant had been made a teaching aide and many of them had devolved into sweating messes at just a few minutes in your presence. The art of frightening folk came easily to you.

Animals, on the other hand, adored you for some reason. Perhaps they could scent the Fey blood in your veins or they sensed that you were their friend. Whatever it was, everything from the hounds your father kept for boar to the dapple coated fawns that nuzzled your palms in the spring, you spoke to them as a friend. You still remember the incredulous looks of your friends as you had leapt upon the back of a calmly rooting boar, gripping handfuls of its bristly black hair as it contentedly snorted in the muck. Birds still occasionally rested on your shoulders, snakes coiling around your ankles.

Your martial training consisted of more than beating your fathers soldiers black and blue with padded weapons however, an old arms-man named Ereth had taken you under his wing. With a delicately painted wooden board and dozens of small stones, he had taught you strategy. How to maneuver and position, when to attack and when to withdraw, when victory was certain and when it could be plucked from the jaws of defeat. He had given you books written by great generals and leaders of ages past, having you memorize their actions and lives, their words of victory to their men and their grace upon defeat. You were a natural fighter, but Ereth has made you a leader.

Now, as you rest your elbows on the balcony of your chambers, looking out over forest, you smile softly to yourself as you watch owls hunt and bats flitter through the cool air. This is your home, it always has been and always will be...

>Giving you guys some latitude here for the final creation steps before we really really get started.
>Town Name/Town location (Against a lake/ Built amongst the trees/ a rebuilt ruin/ etc)
>Town Specialty (An export or something that makes it unique. Be as creative as you please.) Mines with precious metals, exotic woods, furs, weapons, mounts, foodstuffs, specially trained soldiers, etc.)
>Names of the 2 Knights in your service (you don’t have to go in depth with them. I’ll generate stuff.)
>anything else you want to add, if I can’t make it work I’ll tell you)

>>3749655
wE LU BU NOW

>>3749664
>Town Name/Town location (Against a lake/ Built amongst the trees/ a rebuilt ruin/ etc)
Cambrey, built in the midst of forest thicket that by all right should not be there but is because of standing stones that have stood here before human memoru

>Town Specialty

Ironbark timber said to be as strong as steel and Poacher/trackers

>Names of the 2 Knights in your service (you don’t have to go in depth with them. I’ll generate stuff.)

Cu Callian
Allister Connach

>anything else you want to add, if I can’t make it work I’ll tell you)

The standing stones stand 12ft tall and have runes on them said to be magic, the festival of lights are held every year to denote the runes lighting up for unknown reasons

>>3749667
Support

>>3749664
Aurenthiethall, the ancient fey name of the ruin, kown as Auren today
It's an ancient fey castle/ruin, the hold of the founder of the house and the town grew around it, there is a waterfall nearby that creates a lake.

We have extensive orchards that were cultivated by generations" they integrate well with the deepwoods and we provide many exotics fruits, spices and food as an export.
We have the best hunting hounds on the realm, trained and bred for war and hunting.

>>3749667
I like this one a LOT. If it wins, I’ll likely combine with parts of
>>3749671
Because I like it quite a lot as well

>>3749675
A curiosity of our real maybe.

At the top of the highest hill inside the forest is the Sun Gate, at first glance it is a simple sun calendar made with stone and built to be above the canopy of the trees, legend says that it is the reason why the fey vanished so long ago, and the reason why they appeared in the first place on these lands.
Many scholars visit the place and camp around it trying to uncover it's secrets, but little progress has been made.

>>3749675
are we in a fantasy Europe

>>3749667
>>3749671
>>3749680
Kingdom:The Deepwood
>Town Name: Cambrey
>Treasury (used to purchase goods/upgrades/Improvements): 3 (+2 per month until trade routes are reestablished)
>Military Might (used to upgrade/purchase troops/defensive upgrades): 3 (+2 per month)
>Renown (Used to improve relationships/Ease diplomacy): 4 (rewarded based on progress)
>Defense (Overall rating of how difficult your holdings are to assault): 5 (improved by purchasing defensive structures/assigning units to defense)

>Town info: Built over the ancient Fey ruins of Aurienthietall. The town is built in a particularly dense and mysterious part of the forest upon a ancient reclaimed iron nestled against a tall hill. From this hill runs a waterfall, dredged from some ancient spring that feeds a small lake, brimming with fish and turtles. At the peak of this hill is a ancient stone monument, the Sun Gate. Scholars from across the kingdoms have long ventured here in an attempt to glean the secretive history of the Fey, only to leave disappointed. Those that stay for the annual Festival of the lights are not disappointed as the towering monoliths of stone spread around the town in a great circle come alive with threads and orbs of light that dance through the air like fireflies.

>Structures and improvements:
-Keep (Restored Ruin) +2 defense
-Crumbling Stone Walls. +1 Defense
-Harsh Terrain (Natural) +2 Defense
-Small Town (+1 Wealth per month in taxes)
-Kennels (Allows training of a Deepwood Hounds)
-Small Pier (Allows access to Lake FeyTear for fishing)
-Extensive Orchards (Allows exports of fruits and other edibles)
>Produce items: (must first reestablish trade routes)
-Exotic fruits and spices (+2 wealth per month)
-IronBark Wood- Exotic Lumber/weapons. (+1 Might per month)
-Deepwood Hounds: Unique. Superior War/Hunting Dog. (+1 Might, Unique Unit Unlocked)

>Holdings
-Murkhollow (Landed to Sir Cu Callian)
-Ironwood Spring (Unassigned +.5 wealth per month)
-Darkpool Landing (Unassigned +.5 wealth per month)
-Hart’s Ford (Landed to Sir Allister Connach)

Seem good?

>>3749735
Yep

>>3749735
Cool

>>3749735
Nice

"Sturdy and resilient, the people of the Deepwood are a proud lot, even the simple farmer, instead of bowing and looking down at the earth, he looks up and reaches for the high fruits"
Old deepwood proverb

>I’ll be saving all the character and town info in a google doc that will be posted with all new threads and also so you guys can check it if you feel I’m wrong on something.

Sleep will refuse to come to you tonight you realize as you watch a great grey owl pursue a unlucky bat through the night sky. The glass of BloodPlum wine in your hand does nothing to even take the edge off of your mood as you contemplate the events of late. You take another mouthful of the heady, sweet liquid and sigh to yourself as you think over the enormity of the calamity that has befallen damn near the entire known world.

With old King Wyron dead, along with every legitimate heir he had, you haven’t the foggiest idea of who should be King (or queen if you listen to Aliella) of Altea. Lord Dastiche would say he had claim, being the Kings uncles friends nephews hunting fellow or some such but so would a dozen other Hearthlands nobles. The Kings old master of War, Oslin Ironhand said he had claim to it, being the leader of the Kings Armies. By the trail he was burning across the northern reaches of the Hearthlands, he was right about one thing at least. A thousand men and women all vie for some polished chunk of marble in a city you’ve only seen once and never honestly cared about. They can throw masses of farmhands with pikes at each other all day long, it won’t bother you one bit.

What bothers you are the letters calling for your loyalty, your fealty, your allegiance for one suicidal cause or another. Oaths sworn by men long dead to other men dead just as long mean nothing to you. And if they did, then your family’s oaths were to King Wyron Altea. Not to a single one of these ambitious snakes. Striding back into your chambers, you seize the offending mass of parchment and hold it to the candles flame before tossing it onto the stone floor, watching it burn with more than a little relish.

If those bastards want your allegiance, they can very well march through the Deepwoods thickest terrain and demand it in person.

But while you’re up....

>Inspect your personal arms and armor.

>Review your monthly reports and notes. See how your domain is faring

>Ring the bell by your bed, summon a meal while you’re up.

>Take a walk up to the Sun Gate, you’ve always had a clear head up there.

>Grab some Milkroot and make yourself get some sleep.

>Other

>>3749775

>Take a walk up to the Sun Gate, you’ve always had a clear head up there.

>>3749775
>Inspect your personal arms and armor.

>>3749775
>Inspect your personal arms and armor.
Diligence, remember what our mentor taught us.

>>3749775
>>Other

We train, other equastrian or Spear

>>3749795
It is quite literally the middle of the night for you so it would be difficult to get some training in at this hour

>>3749822
fine

>Review your monthly reports and notes. See how your domain is faring

>Inspect your personal arms and armor

The stand holding your weapons and armor is a familiar one, a masterwork of carvings and clever notches that allow the pegs and slats to move and set in different arrays and angles to support any sort of armor. Your fathers full plate sat here, it’s bronze inlay gleaming in the light as he read by candlelight. Your grandfathers silver chased scale sat here, his greataxe leaning against it like a titans maul. Now your armor sits upon it, not as imposing as theirs but yours nonetheless.

IronBark is one of the greatest blessings of the Deepwood, it’s ruddy red bark the color of old rusted iron and the light brown wood inside possessing a most unique property. IronBark could only be worked while it was fresh, the moisture still in the wood keeping it supple and more or less soft. As the wood ages, it grows harder and stronger, eventually becoming as hard as well forged steel. IronBark Spears, arrows and shields were in great demand during times of war as the astounding wood offered all the advantages of steel weapons and armor with a third of the weight.

Your armor is overlapping plates of leather, boiled in vinegar to strengthen it before being reinforced with scales of IronBark in a pattern reminiscent of a serpents scales. Carved vambraces and greaves protect your arms and shins while a rounded Ironbark helm protects your head and face, its cheek and nose guard engraved skillfully with images of vines and twirling runes by the armorsmiths. It doesn’t offer the protection of a full suit of plate but by all the old gods a man can move while wearing this. You wipe every inch of the armor with a soft cloth soaked in oil, making sure every strap and fastening is soft and supple.

Your shield is simple, a triangular section of IronBark with a set of iron spikes driven through the metal at various intervals. The leather and padded cloth on its interior are worn and soft, the grip to the shield stained black with sweat over the years. The dark stains around the rim of the shield are from those unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of it.

>Continued

>>3749855
Your arms are next as you sit cross legged in front of your armor rack, your wine set by your knee as you set each item aside after its inspection. First comes your dagger, a foot long piece of gently curving steel. The downswept cross guard is silver, etched with minuscule runes while the hilt is leather wrapped wood. You happily note that the edge is honed to a mirrorlike sheen. Experimentally you scrape the blade across your forearm, chuckling to yourself as a clump of shaven hair falls off the blade, tumbling like dust to the floor. Your spear is next and oh what a beauty it is. Nearly six feet of solid IronBark, polished and sanded to a glossy finish before the lower two thirds were wrapped tightly in a raw leather wrap. The long blade of the spear is a teardrop shaped head carved from that same material, the elegant point and edge as sharp as any steel blade and completely capable of punching through full plate. In any hands, this would be a vicious instrument of death, as light as a feather but capable of reaping lives like a farmers scythe. In your hands, it is the fury of the Deepwood, blood arcing like gouts of liquid rubies at every swing and thrust of your spear.

The elegant weapon is carefully wiped down with a soft cloth, polishing and saturating the wood with oil to prevent any possible wear. The leather wrapping is tended to as well, each riveting peg given a gentle tap with the butt of your dagger, making sure they are fiercely seated. You finally unfold your legs, standing up with a satisfied sigh as you begin rearranging your equipment on the rack, one piece at a time.

By the time you are finished, the moon has more than begun its slow descent to the horizon, the innumerable stars twinkling their farewells to the night as the sun ever so slowly tints the sky with its approach. You toss back the remainder of your wine and set the goblet aside, stretching your limbs with grunts and groans. You still have a few hours left till dawn...

>Get some training/Exercise in. It would be good to get a sweat up.

>Take a walk up to the Sun Gate. Clear your head in the presence of the ancestors.

>Venture down into the old Keep, where the servants rarely tread. Be truly alone.

>Look over your reports/noticies, possibly pen some letters yourself.

>Summon a Servant and begin making plans for the day.

>Try and snag a few hours of sleep at least.

>Other

What kind of units will we be getting? Really want a unit that basically is a Predator group that we control.

>>3749856

>Take a walk up to the Sun Gate. Clear your head in the presence of the ancestors.

Ancestors guide me!

Lets get some mistic going

>>3749856
>Make plans for the day
>Sun Gate
If we have time
>letters

>>3749867
And by Predator I mean hidden in trees always watching spooky type shit

>>3749856
>Get some training/Exercise in. It would be good to get a sweat up.

>>3749867
That is something that is coming up whenever you guys want to review your domain. There are Militia, Guerrillas, Archers, Raiders, Watchmen, Cavalry, Scouts, Infantry, Pikemen, really anything you guys can suggest within reason as I’m 100% fine with customs as long as they’re not broken

You shake your head in exasperation at the lateness of the hour and your body’s unwillingness to sleep. Throwing open your door, you stride out into the darkened halls of Cambrey Keep, your eyes gleaming in the darkness as you pick your way carefully over the cool stone. With a careful adjustment, your catlike padding makes not even a whisper. You smile to yourself as you take the steps upwards to the rear of the Keep, the hall leading up to the summit of the hill Cambrey is built against, leading upwards to the ancient Sun Gate.

Worn stone fades away beneath your feet as you climb upwards, the sounds of snoring and late night servants replaced by crickets and the birds of the night. Stone is replaced by soft earth and grass, the greenery as gentle beneath your feet as a pile of wool as you walk. Flowers and natural herbs fill the air with a soothing scent, the stars gleaming overheard with their last brilliance as dawn approaches. The rising light illuminates the twelve foot monoliths that sit in a perfect circle atop the hills nearly flat summit. Although the stones are rounded at their tops, worn by centuries of rain and wind, the runes carved into the pillars of marble and granite are still sharp and crisp, the air humming like just before a lightning strike as your feet carry you within the circle of stones.

Your breathing slows as you close your eyes, a faint smile on your lips as you face the slowly coming dawn. You sink downwards, crossing your legs and placing your hands on your knees. Your back is straight and your breath even as fill your lungs with the scents of the wildflowers, filling your mind with the peace emanating from the Sun Gate. All of the stress, the worry, the damnable letters, it all melts away here as you sit amongst the history of your ancestors, where those great keepers of the forest stepped into the light and vanished from this world. You wonder what they would say to you if they were here now. Would they approve of your care for the Deepwood? Would they stand with you against all who would harm your people and family?

Would they call you Brother? Or Half Breed?

But as you sit amongst the circle of stones, peace fills your heart. The sensation of a strong yet gentle hand on your shoulder is unmistakeable as the Sun Gate seems to thrum with energy. You bow your head and allow the peace to fill your core, steeling your resolve and calming your nerves. Your eyes open into the rising sun a short while later, the hold of the dawn matching the gold of your inhuman eyes as you unfurl from your meditative pose, feeling refreshed by the visit to the ancient site.

Now you’re ready for anything.

>Inspect those reports and letters over breakfast

>Go down to the training yard, get some work in.

>Open your doors, allow the smallfolk to voice their grievances to you.

>Just sit here for a while. Its peaceful.

>Other

>>3749920

>Inspect those reports and letters over breakfast

I like the Predator unit anon talked about earlier

Specialists in camouflage, guerrila tactics and harrassment, the nightmare of any regular force.
Spooky motherfuckers like us.

Then we could have the Deepwood Fangs, a mixed unit with our warhounds and their handlers

File: Godbrand.jpg (300 KB, 1223x1223)

300 KB JPG

>>3749920
>Inspect those reports and letters over breakfast
Also from that character description earlier I think we unintentionally made a Godbrand looking dude.

>>3749920
>Inspect those reports and letters over breakfast

>>3749920

>Inspect those reports and letters over breakfast

>Sorry about that Anons, have to sleep sometimes and sometimes it sneaks up on you.

It is with a refreshed mind and a calmer soul that you make your way back down into Cambrey Keep. Already, servants are up and about, dipping their heads respectfully as you stride by, hurrying back to their tasks as soon as you are past. The scents of cooking meat and baking bread wafting up from the kitchens like a perfume as the cooks begin preparing for the day. The stone floor is pleasantly cool beneath your feet as you pad along barefoot, the upper floors of Cambrey Keep so familiar you barely pay attention to the direction you’re going.

Almost before you realize it, you’re back in your chambers, the door closed behind you and the comfortable chair beneath you. You shake your hair out of your face and look down on the small stack of reports and letters from people you actually want to hear from and take a deep breath.

No better time to get started than now.

>Review scouting reports. Its best to know what has been seen.

>Read the letter from Sir Cu

>pen some work orders, there’s always improvements to be done. (Infrastructure)

>Inspect the reports from your Master at Arms. (Recruitment and training)

>review the treasury incomes and exports (Trade/Incomes)

>Other

>>3750517
>Read the letter from Sir Cu

>>3750517

>Review scouting reports. Its best to know what has been seen.

>>3750517
>Sir Cu
>Scouting reports
>Master at Arms

>>3750517
>>Review scouting reports. Its best to know what has been seen.
>Inspect the reports from your Master at Arms. (Recruitment and training)

>>3750517
>Review scouting reports. Its best to know what has been seen.
Best to know which direction we are going to be invaded from.

You lift the roll of parchment sealed by the leader of your scouts, a furtive halfhanded man by the name of Balyn. It is sealed with a daub of dark wax, pressed in by a clearly calloused thumb. You break the seal on the scroll and unfurl it on the table before you, weighting its corners down with four smooth stones. You drag your finger down the parchment as you read, your jaw working silently.

>”My Lord Auberon, I have done as you asked and led my men around our lands, making sure the roads remain free of brigands and raiders. We met upon the road several refugees from the Hearthlands and directed them to Hart’s Crossing, it being the closest settlement capable of taking them in. Several times we came upon those who had fallen victim to the Deepwood, we buried them as best as we could. By chance we met upon a small band of brigands, some twelve strong. Five of them died outright, four died of their wounds and there are three new bodies swinging above the eastern road.
>Tarth died of wounds he took in the scuffle, a gash from a rusted dagger festered despite our best efforts. He was buried beneath a old oak with his arms.
>On the eighteenth day, we spied smoke on the horizon, across our borders. Making our way there, we found the village of Tyr’s Grove burned to ashes. Amidst the burned bodies we found the standard of Lord Blackpine, driven through the back of the village elder. I know not whether Lord Ashburn will respond in kind, but the chaos of the Hearthlands seems to have found its way to the Deepwood.
>Ever your sworn sword,
Balyn Corsson”

You pinch your brow as you lean back from the report, the scoutmasters handwriting a neat and orderly scrawl despite his maiming. Some of the issues are simple fixes. Brigands and bandits moving about your territory, preying on the innocent. They must be dealt with and swiftly. Refugees moving through the harsh terrain and succumbing to the perils of the forest? roads and paths can be made clearer so they may find their way safely, albeit slowly.

It is the sudden hostility of Lord Blackpine that concerns you. His family had been awarded a large swath of land to the northeast, the forests in that area rich with lumber and game, the small mountains jutting from the forest around the Greensnake river filled with ores. He has long been envious of the lands and holds of Lord Ashburn, a kindly older lord who had the good fortune to be blessed with one of the only ports of the Deepwood, the town of Mistgleam hosting a bustling stream of ships small and large to ferry out the riches of the forest. If the king is dead, there is nothing stopping Blackpine from marshaling his forces and smashing through, seizing territory and the valuable port.

>Read the letter from Sir Cu

>pen some work orders, there’s always improvements to be done. (Infrastructure)

>Inspect the reports from your Master at Arms. (Recruitment and training)

>review the treasury incomes and exports (Trade/Incomes)

>Other

>>3751159

>Inspect the reports from your Master at Arms. (Recruitment and training)

We should deal with Blackpine along with Ashburn, the warmonger will probably not stop after our neighbor falls so we need to ally before he is gone

>>3751159
>Read the letter from Sir Cu
He is our knight he must have something important to state concerning own realm.

>>3751174
>>3751196
Doing both of these.

Setting aside Balyn’s report, you next take up a tightly rolled letter marked with the seal of Sir Cu Callian, a Swamp Rose atop a skull with crossed arrows behind. Popping the wax free, you unroll the small letter, holding its edges with your fingers as you look it over.

>My Lord Auberon and Dear Friend, I write to you wishing you good health for you and yours. It has been a hard time for all with the chaos of the Hearthlands, a black time indeed that has sent so many to war and early graves. From my tower of Greenserpent Bridge, we have spied many travelers along the road, refugees begging asylum with me and mine. I have taken in as many as my villages could feed and house but many more have been sent on. I have allowed them to hunt and fish as much as they please as they pass through, the forest is thick with game this time of year and I am loathe to force good folk to go hungry.
>Troubling news has reached my ears of the predations of Lord Blackpine and his ilk. One of my watchtowers was beset upon by a gaggle of brigands under the Blackpine banner. They may have been conscripts or bandits hired as fodder but after being denied passage into my lands, they loosed several shafts at my men, wounding one yet scattering when my archers returned fire. I fear for the security of our north-eastern border as the roads and paths there are ill guarded and maintained. If a sizeable host were to make its way through, we would be hard pressed to stop it.
>It shames me to request aid for this but with times as they are, a man must swallow his pride from time to time. Any assistance you could spare as I set my men to reinforcing the old watchtowers and crossings would be well appreciated. If you cannot provide aid on this, i fully understand and will endeavor to complete it to the best of my ability.
>If it is also no great imposition, I may have a favor to ask of you at this coming Festival of the Lights.
>Your Sworn Shield and Vassal,
>Sir Cu Callian.

You sigh, shaking your head at the thought of Blackpine and a mob of hired thugs rampaging across your northern territories. Callian is right, the old defenses there have long been neglected, years of peace fostering a dangerous complacency. You know more than anyone that the Deepwood will kill you if you give it half the chance and it never pays to get comfortable. Putting a strong front on your border may very dissuade any would be Raiders from crossing into your land and molesting your smallfolk. You have no idea what Sir Callians favor could be, he has only the two children. The girl is not yet of age yet the boy is almost old enough to squire. He may want assistance in arranging a squiring with a good house or l, ancestors forbid, want you to train the lad.

>Continued

>>3751382
Setting it aside, you pick up a folded sheaf of papers, the clumsy scrawl of your Master At Arms Pythe scribbled across the front. You sigh and straighten the papers, forgetting how many times you’ve asked the man to present his reports neatly or at least dictate them to a scribe.

Amidst the misspellings and shorthand, you finally puzzle out the meaning of the report, squinting your eyes at the confusing scribbles.

>Lord Auberon.
>Had new shipment of ironwood come in. With it not going nowhere, having it made into spears and shields. If you don’t want me to, let me know and I’ll stop. (+1 Might/Wealth)
>Jor over at the Kennels says the new litters of pups are growing fast. Mean buggers. Should be ready for training soon. Already has them ratting from what he says. (+1 Might/Wealth)
>with all the talk of civil wars and whatnot from up north, I’ve got a mind to get our boys ready if you don’t mind. Double shifts, practice fights, patrol, that sort of thing. If you don’t want me to, tell me. Got a bunch of fresh lads in from the little villages and the road folk. They’re green as goose shit but I can fix that. (+1 Might)
>Let me know if there’s anything you want done.
>Pythe.
>Gained 1 Might and 2 Might/Wealth which can be attributed to either category.

You can’t help but smile as you decipher the mans nigh unintelligible scrawls and look over the manpower reports. You’re not nearly at the level you feel you should be but you’re far from helpless according to these reports.....

>Assign the 2 Might/Wealth to Might or Wealth? (Will affect how much you have to spend on the unit purchases.)

>>3751386
Assign the ironwood to might.
To build up our army equipment.

Assign the kennels to wealth.
We won't go out and conquer without having our lands secured.

>>3751386
Put it in might for now

Set the border patrol and then tell the master to keep the training, we have a Pine to fell, that man's land can give us the welth then

What is our current and wealth and might?

>>3751441
3 wealth (currently at +2 per Month) and 3 Might (Also at +2 per month) as per
>>3749735

>>3751474
Ok I change to 1 and 1 then

>>3751428
+1

>Wealth Increased to 4
>Might increased to 4.
>Awesome. Ok as you are a small town, you have access to roughly triple the population of a village/Landed Knight. This means you have access to 4 Units right off the bat. You’ll be rolling on this list below.

1-GreenGuard (Light Infantry)
2-Black-Thorn Bowmen (Archers)
3-Deepwood Fangs (Unique Warhounds)
4-Hunters of the Deepwood (Unique Scout/Shock Archers)
5-IronBark Spearmen (Heavy Infantry)
6-Swamp Shadows (Scouts)
7-Fleetfoot Riders (Light Cavalry)
8-Sons of Old Auren (Personal Guard.)
9-Cambrey Guardsmen (Pikemen)
10-Forest Levies (Militia)

>if I could get some rolls please that would be wonderful. I need four rolls of 1D10 for your unit types and one 4d4 for their skill (Green/trained/Veteran/Elite). First rolls only.

>Test post. Anybody still here or did I lose everyone

Rolled 5, 1, 10, 3 = 19 (4d10)

>>3751594

Rolled 4, 1, 1, 2 = 8 (4d4)

>>3751693

>>3751693
>Thanks for the save anon. I was looking for 4 separate 1d10 but I’m absence of other rolls, I’ll take yours. That makes
>1 unit of Elite IronBark Spearmen (Red Spear Legion)
>1 unit of Green Greenguard infantry
>1 unit of Green Forest Levies
>1 unit of Trained Deepwood Fangs.

You look over the Pythes reports on your available manpower with a appreciative eye. His eloquence May leave a bit to be desired but the man knew soldiers in and out and was one of the best you knew at assessing strengths and weaknesses. You have no doubt that the men you can field will distinguish themselves with courage and glory.

The IronBark Spearmen are the armored center of your forces, their armor a heavier version of your own, thick overlapping plates of leather braced with carved sections of IronBark, the material dyed mottled green and brown as the forest. The spears they wield are heavy blades and stout, serving to slash and thrust through armor and flesh alike as they advance behind a wall of broad shields. While many of your forces favor maneuverability over heavier armor, your grandfather Karrik saw the value of a armored wall for the enemy to smash themselves against and a mail clad fist to stave in their teeth. The men currently of the IronBark Spears are a tried and true lot, grizzled veterans all, some of the finest spearman in the kingdom. When all else has failed, The Red Spear Legion has taken the day.

The Greenguard are a old fixture to the forces of your house. Men garbed in light armor, dashing through the forest and dropping from trees to flank and harass the enemy before driving deep into their weak points. With spear and sword, axe and dagger they fought like wolves before falling back for the next attack. The men you currently have in the Greenguard are fresh and unblooded, having had no real taste of combat to test their arm.

The next group of “fighters” noted in Pythes report is more akin to a mob than a actual fighting unit. Peasants who wish to fight but without the actual skill to do so. Armed with woodaxes, pitchforks, scythes and mallets, armored in barely more than their shirts, they could serve to distract a enemy or shore up a weak point in a line. For a moment at least. Pythe notes the report with “Greener than Gooseshit. Needs work”

The last group of fighting men brings a smile to your face as you read the report. The Deepwood Hound is truly a marvel of the canine breed. Highly intelligent, fiercely loyal, horrifically strong and vicious when angered. The waist high hounds can weigh half as much as a large man, outpace horses for a brief time, guard a area better than any man could, track a man or beast through miles of swamp and still curl up before the fire and wag their stubby tails happily. They are one of the prides of your house, any man who loves hunting or wishes to improve his own stock having only one way to get one of the illustrious breed.

>Continued

>>3751784
Your forces are not impressive compared to the legions of soldiers fielded by some of the more well off houses but you are not to be trifled with. With the terrain on your side, knowledge of the Deepwood and your own cunning, you and your men could hold off a force of northern or easterners ten times your size. But holding your territory is only part of the goal of a United Deepwood. The Auberons have long been the rightful masters of the ancient forest and they will be again. And to achieve that lofty goal, you will have to increase your forces. Men can be recruited, convinced to join you, pressed into service or even just hired. “Warm bodies beats cold ones” old Ereth had told you, reminding you that any living soldiers were better than having none at all.

>4 Might at your Disposal. You can spend a extra point of Might upon recruitment to give a unit a rank higher in experience.

1-GreenGuard (Light Infantry) -2 Might
2-Black-Thorn Bowmen (Archers) -3 Might
3-Deepwood Fangs (Unique Warhounds) -3 Might.
4-Hunters of the Deepwood (Unique Scout/Shock Archers) -4 Might
5-IronBark Spearmen (Heavy Infantry) -3 Might
6-Swamp Shadows (Scouts) -2 Might
7-Fleetfoot Riders (Light Cavalry) -4 Might
8-Sons of Old Auren (Personal Guard.) -8 Might
9-Cambrey Guardsmen (Pikemen) -3 Might
10-Forest Levies (Militia) -1 Might
11- Custom (Feel free to write in. I’ll stat it and assign a cost for it)

>>3751785
Can we spend Might to improve units we have already? If so, I want to spend 1 Might to improve the Greenguard and recruit one unit of Black-Thorn Bowmen.

>>3751785
4-Hunters of the Deepwood (Unique Scout/Shock Archers) -4 Might

We need some range, and this neatly takes up all of our might.

>>3751799
Yes you can. The cost per experience level is Green(Default Recruit level)>Trained 1 Might. Trained >Veteran 3 Might. Veteran > Elite is 5 Might. So as an example to recruit a unit of Elite Greenguard off the bat would be 7 Might.

>>3751785
Sorry Keeper just got back
What unit would be the equivalent of what I described here >>3749867

>>3751816
The Hunters of the Deepwood are literally that.

>>3751801
+1

>1 Green Hunters of the Deepwood Recruited.
>-4 Might
>0 Might Available.

As you look over the reports of your available arms and armor, the training the men are expected to be doing and the supplies and expenses related therein, your mind drifts into a fog of thought as your eyes rove the paper. You’ve long been a true son of the Deepwood, your very soul tied to that great emerald expanse. You are at home among the trees, in the water, sap on your hands and soft earth beneath your feet. A man who was at home in the Deepwood could disappear like a ghost. On one of your first forays into combat, eliminating a band of roadside bandits, you had hung by your feet from a branch, swinging down to bury your knife in the throat of a pox-faced brigand. He died without a sound and most of his companions never awoke that night. The fear in the hearts of the survivors had left a strong imprint as even know there are tales of ghosts that prey on the flesh of men.

Your quill hits paper almost with a will of its own as you begin putting your thoughts into words. You can’t help but smile at your own idea as you think back to Grandfather Karriks stories of the Hunters of the Greenwood. Men who faded into the shadows like the swamp panthers, leaving only dead men and fear behind. Men who fired from the concealing canopy, their foes never even seeing the men who killed them. It was those stories that helped resonated with your wild spirit, serving to inspire your own fighting style. With bow and blade they would strike from the shadows unseen, serving as your eyes in the dark and your talons in the night. Your foes would learn that as harsh as it could be in the day, The Deepwood would only grow more dangerous by night.

Your missives and orders for Pythe complete, you clean a small fleck of ink from your palm and straighten your desk, pressing your seal into wax to mark your approval on Pythes requisition of Ironwood and the sale of several litters of Pups. Adjusting yourself, you unstopper a flask of water, swishing it around your mouth as you stand and stretch for a moment. A light pair of taps come from the door and you half turn, wiping your lips as it freaks open a crack.

“Excuse me m’lord. Will you be eating breakfast in the hall with your sister or here in your room?”
Neera’s thin and soft voice comes from the doorway, the old maid likely believing you indecent. You look over your shoulder and notice that the sun is indeed well over the horizon, several small boats already out on the lake and carts moving along the roadway towards the forest. Turning back towards the door...

>”I’ll take my meal in here” (continue working)

>”I’ll be down shortly. (Head down and commence big brothering)

>Other

Also, something I noticed that I missed was that we never created a House Sigil/Coat of Arms. If anybody has anything they feel would fit the thematic of our house or if any artanons want to make one, that would be really cool

>>3751891
>”I’ll be down shortly. (Head down and commence big brothering)

>>3751891

>”I’ll be down shortly. (Head down and commence big brothering)


Hey lore, you missed a point of might, when we read the report aside from the 2 points we had to chose between might and wealth there was 1 point forced to might due to training, witch would bring us to 5 might, giving us another unit on the dice roll and an additional point to spend on our troops

>>3751891
>>”I’ll be down shortly. (Head down and commence big brothering)

You nod agreeably and wave your hand in the direction of the door as you step over to your wardrobe.
“I’ll be down in a moment.”
You call out as you pull on a simple shirt, the cloth soft and crossed with green and light brown threads. A pair of soft buckskin shoes go on your feet, the worn leather fitting to you perfectly as you strap on a slender golden brown belt, your dagger sheathed at your hip.

Casually dressed, you make your way down through the keep, passing hustling servants through the halls. Bows and murmurs of “m’lord” greet your ears as you nod amiably, making your way down the curving stairways carved from the living rock of the hillside. Cambrey Keep is ancient beyond words, the ruins the Keep is built upon hewn from the stone by the ancient Fey lords themselves. It is said in the deep caves beneath the Keep, where pools of luminescent water lap against the stone that the tap of hammer on chisel can still be heard. But that is a part of Cambrey that very few are allowed to enter, custodianship of the ancient depths the sole privilege of a select few.

The rest of Cambrey Keep is a impressive affair for a “Minor Lord” such as yourself. The Keep itself boasts three levels of various utility, a long hall for feasts and gatherings, a armory for the town guard, a courtyard with a portocullis and thick IronBark Gates. The wall that encircles your Keep is nearly twenty feet high, the gaps left by the ravages of time filled in with stout boards and packed rubble.There are rooms for nearly two dozen guests to sleep in comfort with balconies overlooking the forest and FeyTear Lake. The lower levels hold quarters for servants and any garrisoned soldiers, stockrooms and larders, a smithy and tucked down a darkened stairway sits a small Dungeon where prisoners and criminals can be held securely.

But none of that concerns you as you step into the main hall through a side entrance. The long wooden benches that line each side of the hall are hundreds of years old, stained black and polished smooth as glass by innumerable guests. Small fires burn in the three hearths spread along the floor in raised hollows, providing warmth against the morning chill and a slight smokiness to the air. At a few of the benches, several servants of various standing and town guards are eating their morning meals and speaking in low voices. You can spot Pythe as he and some of the older men play a game of Knucklebones, laughing coarsely with each other. Jor the Kennelmaster is seated alone, one of the plump, bright eyed pups crouched beneath his feet.

>Continued

>>3752018
At the front of the Hall, farthest from the main entrance is a raised stone platform for the lords table. Your sister Aliella delicately picks at her breakfast, a book spread open on the table before her and her massively fat old cat Quorro in her lap. She doesn’t even look up as you pull out your chair and seat yourself. Quorro flicks his ears and closes his eyes, his rumbling increasing as Aliella rubs between his ears with a free hand. A young serving boy, doing his best not to stare at your eyes places a plate loaded down with small smoked fish from the lake, a pair of eggs, a hunk of warm bread and a small bowl of fruit before you. You take a BloodPlum and toss it to the boy, his fumbling hands almost dropping the plump crimson fruit as he smiles hesitantly before dipping his head and hurrying off to enjoy the treat.

“You have to eat too you know. If you’re going to be up all night you need to eat something Menty”
Aliella states matter of factly, nibbling the head from a smoke silverfish and turning the page of her book. Quorro looks longingly at the piece of fish before she relents and drops it in her lap. You shrug, grabbing a fork and jabbing one of the eggs, releasing a flow of golden yolk across the plate that is sopped up by a ragged piece of bread.
“It’s almost like you’re worried about something”

“Sleep is for the lucky fools who don’t have to deal with the messes I do. Blackpine nonsense, Brigands, Refugees, Trade drying up. No wonder father left most of the actual governing work to Mother and Yarin. This is dreadful”
You roll your eyes, chewing the piece of bread as if it has personally offended you. You don’t mind your sisters seeming disinterest in matters. Aliella’s bookishness and demeanor led many to believe the girl was absentminded and prone to flights of fancy. That couldn’t be further from the truth however. Behind her slitted pupils was a mind as pragmatic and efficient as any battlefield prodigy. Father had often said if she’d been a boy she would have grown to be a great merchant or general. When you needed something done as efficient and effectively as possible, it had always been Aliella you had turned to for assistance.

>Continued

>>3752020
You look over the tiny, cramped script filling the pages of the book she is reading, the monstrous tome likely weighing as much as Quorro did. You can’t decipher a word of the mess and just as you open your mouth to speak, she flicks her hair over her shoulder, the blood red locks tumbling wildly as her predatory gaze levels on you.
“It’s ‘The Life, Accomplishments and Death of Jylayn The Wise”. Some ancient Altean Philosopher who theorized that the Fey ruins held the key to understanding the very essence of the world around us, being created by beings ‘not of this world’”

You look steadily at her for a moment before shrugging and returning to your meal. With all that is on your mind you don’t need to hear her lecture on about the ravings of some long dead madman with far too much time on his hands. You pause, fork halfway to mouth as she tuts dismissively, turning the page with a delicate finger.
“I’m going to prove him right”

>Eat your breakfast in silence

>Speak to your sister (what about)

>Beckon Jor before you. He’s here with that pup for a reason.

>Call old Yarin before you, you might as well get something done.

>Other

>>3751991
Ah shit my bad I did. You guys have 1 point of Might at your disposal. The amount of units you started with is dictated by the population you have (knights get 1, small towns get 4, large towns get 8, etc etc) so you guys have 1 point of Might so spend on anything you want to.

>>3752021
>Eat your breakfast in silence
It's rude to talk while you're eating.
>Speak to your sister (what about)
Her progress in the investigation of Fey ruins, and what practical benefits she expects to come from it.

>>3752021

>Speak to your sister (what about)
Do you think they'll ever be back?


>Beckon Jor before you. He’s here with that pup for a reason.
Puppy get

>>3752035
+1

And ask her how her research is

>>3752021
Support >>3752035
Spend the 1 might on the green hunters of deepwood to become trained.

>>3752035
>>3752069

You eat in silence for a brief moment, the conversations of the the servants and guards, the bustle of the cooks in the kitchens, the crackle of flames in the hearths. All provide a relaxing tone for your morning meal as you sit next to Aliella. Quorro reaches hopefully, curved claws extended as smoked silverside travels from plate to mouth. You ignore his hopeful mews and Aliella’s reproachful glances as she rubs the spoiled feline between his ears. You take a bite of a deliciously ripe River Apple, wiping the juice from your lip with a small cloth and gesture towards the book with it.
“Sho... Whatsh thish resher-“

“Chew your food Menty. If father saw that...”
Aliella furrows her brow, tapping a finger in indignation as you smirk and waggle your eyebrows at her, swallowing the mouthful of food and smirking as you resume talking

“Ahem... this research of yours. What do you hope to gain from it? What could be the practical.... uses of it?”
You vaguely twirl your fork in the air, alluding to the abstract nature of any gains gleaned from knowing what came of a people long dead before you grandfathers grandfather was born.

Aliella shrugs, turning the page with the tip of her fork and munching daintily upon a honey crisp.
“Right now? Nothing really. But there’s so many conflicting claims on what exactly happened, what the Fey actually were and where, by all the fiery hells, they went! All the sources, those I could find at least, seem to lead that the few remaining Fey, as one, stepped into great circles of light and magic, returning disappearing from this world.”
Aliella pulls a small and tattered square of parchment from underneath her book, unfolding it to show several locations in the Deepwood marked with circles of crimson ink. You can’t help but note that Cambrey Keep is one of them.
“Every one of those locations is home to a circle of stones just like the Sungate. NONE of them, however, still light up and shine like it does. I’m thinking there’s some correlation between the Sun Gate and the actual disappearance of the Fey.”

You stare at her for several moments before nodding and taking a sip of a thin watered down cider, mulling the drink contemplatively as you ponder how to respond to her words. Finally you cock an eyebrow and break into a wide smile.
“Some author you don’t like called him a madman didn’t they?”

Her icy glare brings more than a bit of satisfaction to your heart as you reach out and tussle her hair, her pointed ears poking through the scarlet tresses for a moment and a catlike growl issuing from her throat as she returns to her book. You laugh to yourself and quaff more of your drink, clearing your throat and lifting your voice.
“Jor! Do you have something to tell me or are you just here for my pleasant company?”

>Continued

>>3752146
The stout kennelmaster chuckles as he places his palms on the table, rising with a grimace and a grunt. A fall from a horse had shattered his shin some years past and the wound had never really healed correctly. Now he trained he Hounds with the help of a few young men and women, gesticulating wildly with the carved wooden cane he leaned on as he limps up with the curious pup tucked against his chest. His bald head and close cropped gray beard are accompanied by a squashed nose, several scars and blemishes across his ruddy cheeks. The hands that tenderly hold the pup are massive and thick knuckles, the older mans arms as thick as tree trunks as he stands before you, rubbing the pups tiny ears between his fingers as it licks his palm.
“Not that I don’t enjoy yer company m’lord but I prefer me dogs more. I reckon Pythe had gone ahead an’ told you about th’ new pups but I wanted to bring one and show ya what all that hard work goes into”

>Inspect the pup (Animal Handling)

>Ask Jor about the Deepwoods Hounds

>Ask Jor a question

>Other (Write in)

>>3752148
>Inspect the pup (Animal Handling)
>Ask Jor about the Deepwoods Hounds

File: B4AD815F-1BE5-4916-B19B-6(...).jpg (63 KB, 800x899)

63 KB JPG

>>3752148
Dropped the pic

>>3752148
Support >>3752149
Damn that pup has been working out.

>>3752156
That’s my vision of the adult Hounds. Very much like the Mabari from Dragon Age.

>>3752148

>Inspect the pup (Animal Handling)

Our pup now!

>Pup inspection! Animal Handling Roll!
>Give me 1D100+5 for your knowledge on the Deepwoods hound and the inspection of this adorable ball of fluff and future murder. DC35. Best of 3

Rolled 65 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>3752211

Rolled 16 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>3752211
Now I will roll a 1 and Mentioc will get a new scar on his left asscheek.

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>3752211
+5

File: 5B2FBDF9-5CB2-41D0-A4ED-5(...).png (233 KB, 391x600)

233 KB PNG

>70 vs DC30! Great success!

You set aside your plate and cup as the pup inquisitively snuffles across the table, it’s small clawed feet tapping against the surface as its tiny pink tongue protrudes between its jaws. You reach out and gently grasp the plump pup around its midsection, lifting it up and turning it this way and that. Jor leans on his cane, a small smile of pride on his weathered face. He gestures at the pup as you hold it in the crook of your arm, running your thumb along the bones of its forelimbs.
“One o’ the finest I’ve ever bred m’lord. Pure Bred Deepwood stock, father from th’ ol’Bear bloodlines. Big an’ strong as I’ve ever seen. Mother’s a bitch from the Greybacks. Smart an’ brave. Buggers’ll fight damn near anything”

You can’t help but agree with the Kennelmasters words as you hold te the pup up before you, looking into its pale eyes as it pants happily. It cocks its head inquisitively, straining forward to give your nose and cheek several excited licks as you brush your thumbs through the short dark fur. You can’t help but think of Old Cracktooth, the Hound your father kept before his passing. Deepwood Hounds by and large are exceptionally large dogs, their bones thick and musculature well developed. Their necks and shoulders were thick, corded with muscle while their jaws and skulls were blunt and squarish, sturdily built from top to bottom. Physically, The beasts were imposing, impressive and to some, terrifying.

The Strength of the Hounds isn’t their only boon. The Hounds were exceptionally intelligent, easily trained and capable of acting on multiple commands. There’s a old saying about the hounds knowing more than they let on, being able to detect threats to their masters before they even appeared. You don’t know whether or not that’s true but you can’t help but admire the Kennelmasters achievements in the bloodlines he has established.

The pup he has handed you is just over six weeks old, it’s belly still rounded and limbs still stubby. But while it is clearly a pup, it is already developing the imposing features of the Deepwood Hound. Its skull is broad and squarish, eyes set forward and pointed ears perked upwards at all times. Its tail is naturally stubby, barely a nub extending from its rear that wriggles madly as the pup kicks in the air. Its fur is a striped combination of dark grey on midnight black, the coat glossy and smooth beneath your hands as the pup wriggles. Aliella looks up from her book, extending a single finger to gently poke the pups damp black nose, it’s surprised and offended jolt prompting a chuckle from you and a rare giggle from your sister.

>Continued

>>3752850
“He likes you m’lord”
Notes Jor, gesturing towards the pups redoubled efforts to bathe your cheek in licks. You set the pup in your lap and scratch its ears for a moment as it nuzzles your side, it’s stubby tail wriggling madly.
“I’d hate to separate a Hound from someone it likes.”
Jor grunts, a bemused twinkle in his eye.

>We wouldn’t want to do that (Keep the pup)

>Ah we must sometimes do things we dislike (return the pup)

>Other

>>3752852
>>We wouldn’t want to do that (Keep the pup)

>>3752852

>We wouldn’t want to do that (Keep the pup)

>>3752852
>We wouldn’t want to do that (Keep the pup)

>>3752852
>We wouldn’t want to do that (Keep the pup)

>Sorry about that guys. Personal life demanded a chunk of my time
>Keep the pup
>Gained Animal Companion!
>DeepWood Pup (Superior Hunting/ War Dog)

You chuckle in amusement as the pup playfully gnaws on your sleeve, it’s large paws pressing against your thigh. Determined growls issue from its throat as it worries the offending cloth, tugging with a surprising amount of force for such a young animal. Quorro shuffles unhappily, tufted tail waving as his eyes fix on the pup. Aliella pokes his ribs with a finger and reaches out to scratch the young hounds back. You fix your gaze on Jor and can’t help but match the mans pleased smile.
“Well we wouldn’t want to do that. Its been years since there was a Hound in the Keep. I’d be honored to take him if it’s alright with you Jor”

Jor laughs, shaking his ponderous head and waves away the statement.
“I’ve got dozens of them, don’t think I’ll miss one! It’d be my honor to gift ‘im to you m’lord. He’ll make a fine companion for ya I’m sure. I’ll have a collar and harness made t’fit him as he gets bigger. Sometimes they can get a bit excitable.”

You know full well the value of the harness and collar that goes for the Deepwood Hounds. Serving as both a means of restraining the beasts when their bloodlust is up and as a form of armor, the thick riveted leather protecting the dogs vitals. The spiked studded collar serves the same purpose, protecting their throats from blades and the fangs of lesser hounds. As you look down at the playfully growling pup, you find it hard to imagine how the plump, bowlegged and curious creature will grow to be a giant among its species, a pillar of gnashing fangs, rippling muscle and killing fury. Deepwood Hounds have been known to disembowel and cripple horses, rip limbs and heads free from their foes, their jaws able to crush bone like dry leaves. But they’ve also been known to fight to the death to protect their charges, giving their all to serve their masters in all they do.

Jor pulls a small scrap of parchment from inside his ragged buckskin vest along with a sharpened stick of charcoal.
“If y’dont mind m’lord, I wouldn’t feel proper just kitting your Hound out the same as the others. Wouldn’t seem proper would it? He’s a lord among hounds now isn’t he?”

>Continued

>>3754998

Almost on cue, the pup places both paws on the table, standing on his rear legs with its squarish head tilted in curiousity. A small portion of pink tongue pokes between his lips and his hindquarters wriggle as his stub of a tail wags madly. You pat his head as he strains upward, ears pricked forward.
“Seems he already feels the part. He’s eating at the lords table and sleeping in the Keep from now on after all! Let’s see....”

>Something sturdy. As vicious as the Deepwood Hounds could be, a little extra protection, maybe some cleverly placed iron plates and mail, never hurt.

>Something impressive. Just as strong as a normal harness and collar but chased with intricate engravings in the leather and bronze rivets.

>Something terrifying. Fear is an effective weapon and having a spiked demon from the underworld charge at you was fearful indeed.

>Other (feel free to write in)

>>3755002
Sturdy

>>3755002
>Sturdy
Doggo will survive for eternity.

>When the Hound is matured, it will automatically be equipped with a Heavy Harness that bolsters it’s Defense in combat.

“Something sturdy should do. Maybe some thicker plates, a bit of mail secured to it, I’m sure I’ll be impressed with it Jor.”
You can’t help but appreciate the Kennelmasters generosity, not only gifting you one of his pups but also having a harness made specially for the beast. Even with the value of the hounds, that was still a significant gift just in sheer terms of value. Your face becomes a bit more serious, Jor being one of the few who can stand to look in your eyes for any length of time.
“Thank you Jor, I’m honored by your gift and i swear to you I’ll care for him well. Is there anything I can do to thank you for your gift?”

Jor scoffs, shaking his head and brushing aside the question. He points at you a thick finger before turning it to the curious pup.
“He’s a gift m’lord. If ya gave me something back it’d be a trade wouldn’t it? All I ask is that ya care for him well and keep me and mine in your thoughts whenever ya have the opportunity t’set up trade. Good money in hounds. Specially these.”

With that, Jor bows his head slightly and turns, the clack of his cane on the stone floor slowly receding as he makes his way out the main door of the hall. The pup watches after him inquisitively, his head cocked to the side and a strange whine leaving his throat before you distract him with a chunk of silverfish, the morsel of food disappearing between ivory white teeth. You pat the pups head as he sniffs about your palm for more treats, taking a small drink of your cider and sighing as you look about the hall.

Aliella has returned to her book, underlining passages and marking pages with strips of parchment while Quorro watches the young pup cautiously, eyes as wide as saucers. You smirk at the portly felines indignation at the new arrival and consider tweaking his whiskers. You’re not quite sure the merits of her research but if it occupies her time and makes her more or less happy, that’s fair enough for you. You pity her future husband, whoever that may be, if he presumes to think himself the master of his house once she arrives.

Old Yarin, nearer to seventy winters than sixty, sits at the corner of one of the benches, a ledger folded on the table before him and small plate of cheese, bread and butter, soft fruits and water is nearly untouched. The elderly man had been one of your fathers most trusted advisors, the man who had taught you and your sister your letters, numbers and histories and a shrewder coin handler had never been born. From your experience no one has ever been able to wring a copper piece extra from the man in his entire life. Doubtless he wants you to approve new constructions or repairs to the Keep or sign your name on some trade proposition he has written up. As odd as Yarin may be, the man has ever had the best interests of House Cambrey in his heart.

>Cont

>>3755222
>Check those trips

You also can’t help but notice a figure in the back of the hall, nervously fidgeting about. A young man, face marked by a scraggly blonde beard and carrying a rounded iron cap under his arm. From the handaxe and IronBark club at his belt and the mail he wears under a plain, dark green tabard, he seems to be one of the younger town guards. From the way he looks nervously in your direction, seemingly unsure of how to approach, it’s likely he has some concern on his mind.

>Speak with Aliella some more

>Speak with Yarin (Trade/Town/Domain imrovements)

>Have the young guard brought before you.

>Finish your breakfast and go about your day.

>Other

>>3755224

>Have the young guard brought before you

>>3755224

>Have the young guard brought before you.

>Have the young guard approach.

Gesturing for the attention of a nearby guardsman, the man quickly walks over and inclines his head respectfully. Resting his hand on the head of his ironbark club, he looks up to where you are seated at the Lords table.
“Yes M’lord? What can I do for you?”

“Do you see that lad over there? The one who looks like he’s about to faint?”
You point towards the anxious looking young guard, having approached several paces as he nervously seems to fret about how to approach you. The guardsman follows your gaze and once he sees the lad he nods, a grimace on his face.

“Aye m’lord. That’s Holden. He’s one of the newer lads, just came up from Darkpool not a month ago.”
Comes the reply, the mans tone seeking to lean apologetic for the newer recruits nervousness.

Darkpool is a relatively small village under your domain, located against a small but extremely deep lake in the depths of the eastern forest. They had likely urged the young man to join your guard for pay, steady meals and the possibility of finding a wife he wasn’t distantly (or closely) related to. Without a Knight assigned to the village, it was left largely undefended past the occasional patrols of your soldiers and the village militia. You flick your fingers in the young mans direction and speak in a low voice to the guardsman.
“Right. Well it looks like he’s got something to say so be a good man and go bring him over here. I’d rather find out sooner than later what he has to say.”

With a nod, the guardsman strides off towards his younger cohort, his arm swinging by his side as the other rests on the knobbed head of the club. The young guard, Holden, looks at him in surprise as he grabs his shoulder, the two men speaking quietly before the older guardsman, Dwalt, you think his name is, grips him by the elbow and ushers him along. Stopping before your table, Dwalt gently pushes the younger man forward, whispering quietly
“Go on lad. Go on! Tell him!”

Holden rubs the rim of his iron cap nervously as he holds it between his hands, his ragged beard and sweat matted hair both the same dirty blonde color. His eyes are wide as he quickly dips his head.
“L-lord Obron”

The older guard squeezes his elbow, cutting him off as he leans forward slightly. His whispered growl brings a light smirk to your face as he corrects the mangling of your House name.
“Auberon you fucking twit. Get it right”

>Continued

>>3756051
His lips work wordlessly for a moment before he finds his voice again, his eyes like those of a frightened sheep as he seems to think some unnatural retribution should befall him if he offends you. Aliella snickers quietly, her arms folded across her lap as she watches the man clearly cringe internally. He finally regains control of his tongue and begins anew
“M-my apologies Lord Auberon. C-Captain Betrich sent me. T-there’s been a commotion on th- on the road there has. Folk hurt....”
His fearful eyes focus on you as he licks his lips nervously, sweat beading on his forehead.
“Folk killed sir. W-we were out on patrol near Ironwood spring and we found em like that...butchered like hogs sir. Spread all over their camp...Only a few of ‘em still lived when we found em and they didn’t... they didn’t last long after. It was horrible it was sir...”
He takes a deep breathe, wiping his brow and eyes as he seems to search for words on how to proceed. You have set aside your good mood and cup, leaning forward and fixing the man with a stare that would shatter the resolve of many a man.
“Men.. women and old folk... even the little’uns sir. Captain Cedric sent m-me cause I’m the fastest runner they had.”

>What say?

>>3756052
Prepare the horses, let's see what it is.

I imagine they sent him to bring us over?

>>3756052
Who did this?

How were the wounds? Beast or men?

Are they searching already?

>>3756085
Don't know if we would get anything from going but if its needed I don't oppose

>>3756052
Call for a servant to bring the boy some wine and a hot meal so he can calm down and recover.

Have another send word to Pythe to ready the GreenGuard to move toward the incident area as soon as possible, we need to investigate and retailiate if we can.

If it is Lord Blackpine, then this assault must not go unanswered. At the same time we must not be pulled in into the myriad of alliances and intrigue in search of retaliation. (At least not while we don't have many allies)

The BEST plan imo would be to wage either a proxy war or a stealth war on Blackpine. Have our men raid and ambush theirs without any insignia indicating their allegiance. Acquire trade from Lord Ashburn and then in trade shipments, supply them with Ironbark or weapons and such.

It's important to NOT publically declare war against Blackpine lest we piss off Blackpine's friends. We slit their throats at night, we burn their camps and supplies, and we let Lord Ashburn do the heavy lifting.

What do y'all think of the plan?

>Im not dead, just at work till 7am tomorrow morning. Thread will resume as soon as I can!

Nice new thread is up. Sorry for the wait
>>3765489