Warhammer Fantasy: Honor is all, Chivalry is all (Bretonnia CK2)

Turn 31
1454
The court is gathered. Thodrek is speaking with some young man, the matter of payment for armor, a maille hauberk. Telathyne went with, Merovée, and did not see fit to tell you she would until she was gone; her quarters have lain untouched since, fine silken sheets and tomes that would melt the eyes out of your skull if you tried to read them— possibly literally.

Meanwhile, this merchant of stinking cheeses— of course, a cheese merchant— is lodging complaint for stolen goods, as if you can force the Greenskins to return what they stole. Annick is tending to Phillipine in your quarters. Her master, the old Albion man, is there, too, but the child is still too young, according to him, to begin training.

Rose is with you, at least, hidden in the shadows, white cloak and staff gripped in her palm. The Prophetess regards the room regally, and seems as much a fixture as the arches and the hanging banners with your heraldry. It is a day of absolute normalcy— insomuch as you have normal days, of late, what with your war against the undead; though, fortunately, you have removed that cult from your land at least.

Unfortunately, normalcy is a fragile thing at the best of times. A commotion at the entrance between the Household Knights and a peasant, and soon enough he enters. Wearing a maille hauberk, and with a kettle helm on him, he is clearly a soldier, though the heraldry he bares tells of one of the lesser knights— Sir Anatole, a small Knight of the Realm with only just a Manor and a Village scarcely enough to sustain him.

The man is sore wounded, gross cuts on his cheek and three of his fingers missing and by the looks of it, crudely; further, he has a bag with a smell you will never forget so long as you live.

"Sire! Sire! Goblins!"

"Calm yourself, soldier! Explain." There is a sinking feeling, in your chest.

We was making our rounds when we were attacked by 'em! Gutted Phil, Georges, everybody! They hauled away Sir Morgan! But they just gave me these, and told me...told me to tell you…"

"Tell me what?"

"Tell you that until you gave him a real fight, he was going to do this...again and again."

"And who is...he?"

"King Pasten, sir. At least, that's what they called him! He...he told me I had to give you this…"

One of your men grabs the bag, though you know, you know without knowing exactly what is inside it.

In calm hands, you take the bag. Trusting in the Lady, you open it.

There are people who ask, why you hate the Greenskins. Or at least, why you hate them so much. Why you spend so much gold and blood, hunting them. Why you risked your life so much, before rulership was thrust on you.

This bag is the only answer you need.

You rise, shaking, and gently hand the bag over. Consolations must be made. You do not know what it is, to lose a child— and not peacefully, either, nor swiftly.

But the very thought, of any of this, happening to your children?

It fills you with the kind of rage that you have never known. Not ever. It is not a good rage. It is not a clean rage.

But it is yours, for its worth. Your heart weeps for your fellow knight, even as many ladies faint and many sirs gasp when they realize.

"...Scribe." One of the Manheim refugees perks up and takes up his quill. "I want this taken as far as it can be: From this moment on, all Knights of Montfort; all soldiers of Montfort; any warriors of Montfort; who return with Goblin heads shall be rewarded with the most generous of bounties. Any who return bearing the heads of Goblins from the tribe that killed this poor soul? Will receive weapons or armor from my personal armorer. And whosoever might return with the head of this...barbarous King? Will receive a treasure the likes of which have never been matched."

(POLITICAL CRISIS, WOO BOYS)
(Gain Trait Wroth)

Martial: The king demands peace, and there is wisdom in that— peace is, as generality, a better thing than war. But there are some peaces that cannot be accepted; some wars that must be fought. Better a just war, though it be terrible, than an unjust peace.

Grey Mountain Watch: The Gris Musketeers have had it easy so far, simply trying to return to normalcy.

No longer.

You will set them to the task of protecting your mountain villages in the forts you established, and in training the militias in the basics of the sword-fighting techniques they know. It should make them even more useful against the greenskins, and keep your people more safe. It will also allow them to gain veterancy.

- You have taken leave of your senses, it is true. Ferocious, brooding anger coils in your chest— the mountain stirs.

But you have not taken all leave. Bands of Musketeers still yet flow to the villages under your command, yet more knights convinced to host them; standing firm with defenders, they will be a strong defense.

We Have A Chance, Pt 2. To Kill Kings: The king is wise. Just. Noble. Ever has it been so.

The King is not, however, always right. This is the best, first, most legitimate ray of hope your people have had in centuries, if not Millenia. This is the weakest the greenskins have ever been, the strongest you have stood. The most vulnerable, the most separated, the most torng against each other. The Plain Goblins hate the Night Goblins hate the Forest Goblins all hate the Orcs; and the Plain Orcs hate the Savage Orcs hate the Black Orcs hate the Iron Orcs, who all hate the goblins. The Goblins coronate the first kings of their foul kind for the first time in centuries, who themselves war against each other and orc; and the Orcs flock to their warbosses, who battle it out without the shamans to divinate the will of their savage gods for them.

You will not, could not, would not, waste this chance. You will ask the king for forgiveness one day— but not today. Today, as Gilles and the Companions once did so long ago in their Seventh Great Battle, you will lead your men into the pits that hold your foe, and break the Night Goblin Tribes of Montfort once and for all.

But first, you have to find them. And that means asking their inhabitants.

The king's order...has not been rescinded.

But Sir Anatole will not care. He will have vengeance for his son; and with him, he will drag Baron Graeme, the boy's grandfather; who with him might drag Baron Belrose; and from him, all the rest— and if all of your barons are dragged into a war, suffice to say, so are you. Some other thing can be found to appease him, if you do not wish it— but it might be wiser simply to bite the bullet.
Needed: 45 Rolled:74+30=104, King Roll: 12+20=32

- There are several ways you could discover where the filthy green vermin are hiding, the location of their… "City". You could deploy scouts— Knights Errant, hungry for glory, or your House-Hold Knights. But the caves are dark, and filled with monsters— hundreds would die, unless by some stroke of good fortune a Knight Stumbled on to it.

Of course, you could capture a goblin. Interrogate it, take as much knowledge as you can. But your temper runs short, of late; your anger is vast, untempered.

So instead, you lead bands of knights deep, deep into the mountains.

You lead them...and you slaughter. You burn villages, break fastnesses, shatter homes. At first, they fight back; at first.

They stop after you behead a dozen Bosses in a single day, and have their heads mounted on pikes flown at the head of your columns.

After that they only run, fleeing, to other tribes and as these goblins run, they gather together. Hundreds of them, impossible to miss. Your men follow them and keep track, and paths are projected. Paths sure to lead to yet more of their kind, the hiding hole of their kings. For this Pasten is not alone, not truly. The green filth always seem to produce more.

The enslaved humans you rescue are grateful. Half-starved, beaten, struck and poor, these people soon enough take up arms against their former oppressors. More than once, you come on a camp where goblins, armed but so weak, and humans, near-naked and clad in tatters, wounded— but valorous— fight for freedom, emboldened by stories shared by the filth. Horror stories and tales to frighten, of a green-clad knight, wielding a lightning lance and baring the Lady.

Your hooves, and your knights, and your people, make them flee. Run. Hide. They gather together, these Goblins. In lands that have not been walked since the time of Gilles, you walk-- or perhaps more accurately, ride.

But that is not what most brings you joy.

What brings you greatest joy is a discovery you make in mountains, a hunting lodge bearing the symbol of your family. Crafted by Martrud's son, a well know hunter of greenskins, it is a citadel in the mountains, a place of goodness-- Grisbergue is well and truly yours.

The king is...less than impressed that, against his explicit not-quite-order, you have begun a war. He would not plunge the realm into strife and discord, but his response is still yet to shame you publicly, to call you a maverick. It seems he's little love for anyone who'd hang skulls on pikes. If he'd seen what they'd done to Montfort, not just now, but so many other places too— your Grandfather, Gntilla, Sir Robert— he'd understand.

(+300 Infamy, Grisbergue)

Diplomacy: Your hate is at a boil! You could spit thunder, and split the steel with your hands! Every ounce of you is filled with hate— and that has made you slightly less charming than before, but only slightly. Perhaps, more importantly, it has put you onto a thought you had hoped to avoid entirely— but one which races at you with a fervour.

A Less Extreme Option: Yes, it is true that you will need many, many soldiers to smoke out the Goblins. However, there is a better way than selling your children like meat on the market. Better by a long shot.

There is another traditional Bretonnian way to form alliances— squiring. By sending your children to— and teaching the children of— other nobles, you gain their support. Louis still must be taught, and you could take on two students.

- Letters are sent out, promises and oaths. Within months, the people you choose send tokens of their good faith: Supplies and knights, for they are all powerful.
Reward: Chose Squires, Sir for Louis (Will Vote on who, exactly, in thread)

Call Up Your Vassals: Your vassals have had an easy past few decades, all told. The Barons, at least. Your father's growth of his personal levy made everything easy for them.

No longer.

They will not deny you.
Needed: 40 Rolled:17 Reroll:29

- Greenskin attacks pin down their forces; you get the sense, of course, that some of them are happy not having to disobey the king. They can deal with it, but their levies will be little aid in the battle to come until the orcs are decisively dealt.
-Failure, Bonus delayed until next year-

Stewardship: Unlike the last time the Greenskins made mouth-noises, half your realm is not on fire. But, much the same charge is in the air.
(Pick 1)

Minor Holdings: You obtained a large number of minor fiefs in your training of your men— usually, a small manor and the dozen houses and a blacksmith, overrun by greenskins. Good practice for fighting in dark, enclosed spaces. Generally, a Knight Errant would claim them but, well, since more often than not it was just you and a handful of peasants doing the deed, you now have a number of very lands, all split off from each other. You can't keep them all to your chest, you're busy enough just with the contiguous Montfort, so clearly it's time to distribute the wealth about.

First thing's first, it would be smart to see whether, among the nobility, there are any claimants to such lands. Then...well, you can worry about the rest later.

- More lands are distributed, holdings like forts and temples and so on. Busywork, but necessary for the maintenance of the Realm.


Nouvelle Vie- Transit: Sir Yvain has scouted out the city for several options. He sees much potential for coinage in your port, even if it is river bound.

The Strigany travel throughout the whole of your land; their caravans reach areas as notable as Métropole and its forty-thousand souls to the hamlet of Snow's Fall, population one-hundred. Yvain would like to offer payment to the Strigany in return for, essentially, ferrying merchants and their goods between your lands. Everyone would win— nobles would get access to rarer materials, and could establish trading connections; Strigany make money just for doing what they do; and the merchants would get money from your more...ah, isolated vassals, who would either from desperation or ignorance pay top dollar for certain amenities.

And, of course, you'd get to skim from the top in the form of taxes.

- There are Strigany interested, well enough, in your offer. Too old, or too disinterested, for war, they remained behind.


Piety: Rose has returned from her trip rescuing the new Baron of Westerlands. She has a new scar, as well as a new staff, much bigger than her last. It seems she has become, then, that which evil fears most: a Prophetess of the Lady. Young, for that, but not entirely without Precedent.

Ready for War: The Tomb Kings stir. The servants of Nagash seek Bretonnians, for what and why you neither know nor care. In such times, it would be wise to ask the damsels for wisdom in facing the Undead Kings— before they can ravage the lands.
Needed:50 Rolled: 34+5=39

- Rose is so busy killing Greenskins, healing soldiers, and other important tasks that studying falls by the wayside for her; the Damsels follow her lead.

The Wild Warriors: There are many worshipers of Taal in Montfort— despite its mountainous nature, Ulric never did gain quite so much power as you would expect. They wander the wild paths in twos and threes, patrol the fens and glades, march the mountains in search of Greenskins, and other such feats.

That said, they do all practically worship your wife? Perhaps she could forge them into something?

- You need more soldiers. You need them, killing. Fighting. Saving. You need them, and so you will have them.

Annick, mounted on her Hippogryph steed, rounds them. This will not the simple sort of training of the Empire— oh no; they know how to fight.

Annick is going to throw them into the toughest she can— and what comes out, will be terrible to behold.

Learning:Perhaps not the most useful thing, when you could be driving Greenskins from your shores.

Understanding the Journal: The Fay Enchantress has, essentially, translated the most basic parts of the Journal into easy enough steps for you to take against Arkhan, and his evil. However, as you said, it is a basic translation. More earnestly studying the book might give you an edge over your opponent, the traitor.
Needed:50 Rolled: 61+5=66

- There are several holes. Questions.

The most pertinent being: If they're trying to resurrect Lamorte...why search for his missing pieces, instead of trying to claim the whole body.

Saint Josephine of Rhya: It is said that, within the deepest gulches of Montfort, a small but potent shrine to Saint Josephine exists. A Venerated Soul, she is patron of families and healing, holy to Rhya; it is likely, if that shrine exists, that it might be reclaimed. Given how many knights died in Estalia, healing and families will be necessary to recover your numbers.

- The Greenskins have invaded the shrine, as they have invaded everything your people have ever built. Dispatching your cousin, who leapt at the chance to kill Greenskins, he prepares a siege, and a goodly one at that; well-fortified and sacred, he cannot storm it— yet.

Intrigue: You are a better sneak than your father, and your wife is better than you both. Wise and clever, she has been the doom of a thousand souls.

The Stirring Dead— Crown of Sorcery: You were right. The beast Arkhan does seek, in his madness, to resurrect Nagash, the Arch-Necromancer— and aiding him in his madness, Arnulf Todbringer. A distant cousin of the Todbringer, the venomous little worm seeks to cast down Sigmar's work— and he will sacrifice everyone to do it.

But there are things even the Nehekarans must respect— the dread King Settra is one of them; if he found, for even a moment, that the Prime Traitor worked again, his wrath would know no ends; and the Black would face a war that would shake the dead. The Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert must be accounted for.

And so, before the Arch-Necromancer would be truly reborn, the traitor seeks some measure of insurance. Enter the Sorcerer's Crown: one of Nagash's relics, a great amount of his dark power burns in it. The plan, it seems, would be to resurrect Lamort, place the crown on his head, and turn the resulting monster— who already once defeated Settra— against the king, and so remove the biggest threat from the board in one fell swoop.

Instead, you are going to take the crown, to keep it in safety. Ideally, to destroy it, one day— if it can be destroyed.
Needed:60 Rolled:57

- You agents who try are all attacked by skeletons. They survive, obviously, but end up thrown into an adventure that leads them to the Empire— the exact opposite direction of what you desired— for chivalry, and while they do kill a necromancer and end up married at the end of it, it's not exactly what you wanted.

So, that happened.
-Failure-


The Stirring Dead— Black Grail: You were right. The beast Arkhan does seek, in his madness, to resurrect Nagash, the Arch-Necromancer— and aiding him in his madness, Arnulf Todbringer. A distant cousin of the Todbringer, the venomous little worm seeks to cast down Sigmar's work— and he will sacrifice everyone to do it.

But there are things even the Nehekarans must respect— the dread King Settra is one of them; if he found, for even a moment, that the Prime Traitor worked again, his wrath would know no ends; and the Black would face a war that would shake the dead. The Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert must be accounted for.

There is another method, however, by which the Traitor and the Black might seek to resurrect the dead hero. The False Grail corrupted many knights, only after it finished hollowing out Maldred the Mad Duke. A thing of bleak power, its charnel waters might resurrect even the longest dead of corpses, and imbue them with an unholy strength. It must not be used on Sir Lamorte, and so you shall send men to find it.
Needed:50 Rolled:10

- The men you send to find it enter Mousillon and are never heard from again.
-FAILURE-

Personal: There are murmurs in the court. It is a curious thing, that you have not marked the passing of your grandfather. If you did it now, it would be easily dismissed— but waiting more would be...questionable.

Read the Journal: "And so I, Alcadizzar, do decree that this Northland belong to my kin, now and for the rest of days."

You have the journal of a madman waiting in your study.

It should be fun.

- Alcadizzar, last king of Nehekara. His sires and his sires' sires alike wracked the coast in the time of Gilles.

And yet, as you read his innermost thoughts you feel… a connection.

His hatred of Orcs is nearly as complete as your own; the weight of the world fell on him, too; and as you read him write about the birth of his son, you can almost feel connected to this long dead king.

Then you read an entry describing him making a concubine of "savage" from the Bretonni tribes of Carcassonne, and your loathing of him grows to unimaginable heights.

In any case, you do learn a little of why the necromancer's slaves sought this journal. It seems the old king kept a treasure trove of Nagash' own journals in his residence, for to keep them safe; scarcely the Books of Nagash, nevertheless his evil essence permeates them; things not in the books proper, too weak or useless at the the time. Forbidden to them now, though.

In any event, it is a surprisingly good teaching manual.
Reward: Gain some knowledge of the plan, +1 Martial

A New Steed: Your fine steed, Blaze, was killed by that Sorcerer. You've made due either by walking or with one of the loaner horses from the stable, but it's starting to chafe.

No longer. But you will not acquire just any old horse— you will acquire a right proper Couronne Warhorse! A grand Destrier, huge and imposing and terrible.

Or perhaps something even greater?
Needed: 75 Rolled: 92

- The magics of the Silver Lance of the Blessed, the Lady's Banner, and the Greenskin mark interface in...odd ways.

Suffice to say, you get a nice horse.

(Interlude Reward Up tomorrow)


Les Hommes D'Honor: Abuse is frequent, its marks hidden, its victims silenced by brute force. Well no longer. You will send emissaries, a rotating group of three men— a Knight, a Freeman, and a Peasant, to examine these lands— and if they be found wanting, their lords cruel, their wills vile— then these men will tell you, that you might bring them to task.
-LOCKED FOR 1 MORE TURN-

- They set out, these men you have chosen; they set out, and they look and they find...corruption. Cruelties, selfishness, lies and injustice. Bearing your mark and your authority, they reward the just and punish the unjust— a dozen knights are stripped of rank for crimes in the first month alone.

The Barons are pleased to receive what is essentially free aid, and that outweighs their independence. Some knights, though, and especially the freemen who detest to receive orders from a peasant, rage. Let them.
Reward: Increase in Tax income, decrease in corruption, +2 Peasant Opinion, Certain Powerful figures...displeased

The Beacons Are Lit: The Greenskins attack, ever and always. Unsubtle, they raid, assault, rave and slaughter. Your villages are constantly under attack— less than when you were a boy, but still word comes of three attacks a week.

Enough is enough. Stationing your forces in forts and so on, you will have great braziers made in every village, so that you or your men can ride out and sally to the defense.

- The fortresses and manors are done, the watches set. A complex system of giant bonfires that can be easily lit are set, such that the moment a orcs or goblins or other threats appear, knights and soldiers— bearing your arms— can ride to their aid, if necessary. The people love you for it, and the Knights accept it with little complaint.

On a different note, this fairly decisively ends the Greenskin threat against your Barons— enough, at least, that next year they will send their levies.
Reward: +500 Prestige, +5 Household Knights, +5 on Anti-Greenskin Rolls

Squires and Sirs

Traded letters fly back and forth by pigeon and, by the end of the year, you have made your decisions. There are many people who would like the man who made Bohemond to...well, make another Bohemond. You'll try, at least.

Potential Squires
Potential students of yours, their families having sworn to send aid in various sorts to you.

Antoine de Tancred (No Relation to You Know Who)
Born: 1441

The son of Baron Landuin de Tancred, he is a bright child, but something of a coward-- hence why, at thirteen, he is still unsirred.

It is his father's hope you can teach him some bravery.

Aid: 50 Household Knights, 1 Paladin

Traits:
Craven: He is a coward. (-2 Martial, -1 Opinion)
Bright: A smart boy. (+1 All Stats)
Withdrawn: He is a withdrawn boy. (-1 All Stats)
Precise: He has a propensity for precision. (+1 All Stats)
Young: He is a youth. (-2 All Stats for every year under 18)

Stats:

Martial: 13+1-2-1-+1-10=2- Not exactly the greatest; like, not the worst, but still.
Piety: 13+1+1-10=5- More than acceptable.
Diplomacy: 15+1-1+1-10=6- Always with the quick words.
Intrigue: 7+1+1-1-10=0-Nope.
Stewardship: 18+1+1-10-1=9- Good at math.
Learning: 19+1-1-1+10=10- Also very smart.

Albin Belrose
Born: 1443

The second son of Duke Folgar and an absolutely huge boy-- Grandson of the former king Charlen-- Albin has worried his father with his tendency towards disrespect-- he hopes you can break the boy of it.

Aid: 1 Sir Albert Belrose, Heir of Artois and Knight Errant; 300 Knights Errant; 300 Mounted Yeomen

Traits:
Herculean Build: There are big people; there are giant people; then there is he. Already coming up to your shoulder at eleven, he is a prime example of Bretonnian strength. (+5 Martial, +3 Diplomacy)
Brave: Impetuous might, perhaps, be fairer. (+2 Martial)
Rule-Breaker: He follows morals, not the codified junk of ages. You can respect that. (-3 Diplomacy)
Adorable: Yeah that sounds about right. (+1 Diplomacy)
Young: His destiny lies in the future, not the now. (-2 For all Stats for each year under age of eighteen)

Stats:
Martial: 20+5+2-14=13- If you can harness him, he will be a force for good.
Piety: 20-20=0- "I'm sorry, father, but I only obey the Lady."
Diplomacy: 5-14=0- he burns bridges, all for the sake of what he believes. Again, you can respect that.
Intrigue: 1-14= "I say ye now, I am a Knight!"
Stewardship: 8-14=Eh.
Learning: 10-14=0- He's smart enough.

Flùr Fairbairn
Born 1443

The eldest daughter of Conall Fairbairn, and a strong one at that, she wishes to be a knight-- to face evil, and darkness. You are, perhaps, the highest figure in Bretonnia willing to facilitate such dreams; further, your relations make clear exactly what you think, despite it all. While there are those who will mock you, you certainly cannot say the good baron would not more than fulfill his end of the bargain.

Aid: 1000 Highlander Spearmen, 500 Highlander Ponies, 60 Noble Pikemen

Traits:
Amazonian Build: You'd swear someone is putting something in the water. (+5 Martial, +3 Diplomacy)
Adorable: She's a right button, she is. (+1 Diplomacy)
Stubborn: Unwilling to bend. (+1 Stewardship, -1 Diplomacy)
Devout: The convert is often the more faithful than those born to it. (+3 Piety)
Young: A youth. (-2 For all Stats for each year under age of eighteen)

Stats:
Martial: 20+5-14=11- She'll be a damn good fighter.
Piety: 15+3-14=4- Her faith is strong, but...heterodox, to some extent, much like the rest of Écosse.
Diplomacy: 10+1-1-14=0- She's a bit of a handful.
Intrigue: 7-14=0- Hoo boy.
Stewardship: 14+1=15- She's pretty good at numbers, at least.
Learning: 5-14=0- Um. No?
--
Sirs

Several Potential Lords for Louis have made their interest known.

Sir Frañsez Beaufort

A Baron from Bordeleaux, he would like more access to the excellent weapons and armor of Montfort.

Aid: 25 Household Knights, 100 Knights Errant, 300 Yeomen Riders

Traits:
Strong
Virtue of Ideal Jouster
Tourney Knight
Pegasus Rider
Brave
Veteran

Sir Rollo de Lyonesse

One of the Duke's Household Knights, he is traditional and favors harsh lessons-- but good ones. Less aid, but of a higher quality-- and perhaps more useful, in this mountain fighting.

Aid: 20 Dismounted Knights, 500 Men At Arms

Traits:
Traditionalist
Virtue of Dutiful Audacity
Dismounted Knight
Household Knight
Harsh
Honorable

Duke Kai of Mousillon

The Duke of Mousillon, he is noble, honorable, eminently fair and just. A Grail Knight, he is ever busy cleansing the lands of Mousillon of taint and has high need of his men-- but he would, nearly without question, be the best teacher.

Aid: 1 Grail Knight, 10 Household Knights, 50 Knights Errant

Traits:
Honorable
Noble
Chivalrous
Grail Knight
Vampire Hunter
Jouster
Virtue of the Pure Ideal
Devout
--

So, vote for two Squires and one knight to teach Louis.
(No seriously, please do)