The Ironploughs had taken offence at the insult to their home and one night while the Noldor were asleep in their camp there had been an attempt to steal some away to the Ironplough Clan Residences
Oy vey, welp, time to get to the bottom of the situation, nat 1s never lead to anything fun. That being said "kidnapping attempt" are the key words so hopefully this matter can be resolved with minimal strife. Also think we might want to train the Eotheod on being better builders, they'll need the skills for rebuilding.
As for the expedition, meh, it was a risk but we got more Dawi, and the Eotheod to help with that. Might be good training for them as well to face off against Warg cavalry with Dawi infantry support.
Gonna note that we're already making 5 Silver ingots a turn in our Market. That's nuts. We haven't even really setup what we'll be selling ourselves or a toll on using the High Pass.
Gonna note that we're already making 5 Silver ingots a turn in our Market. That's nuts. We haven't even really setup what we'll be selling ourselves or a toll on using the High Pass.
Oh yeah, once we mostly finish the work in the Hold I want to immediately pivot to revamping the High Pass with some proper Dawi Stonework and a Master Rune of Passage. Set up a small toll so we can make money just via the traffic the Pass will generate.
Imagine what we'll be able to make when we have more goods to sell and aren't hoarding. The sheer bank from being known not only as a safe and reliable market, but one having goods that are hard to come by or from areas that aren't normally traded with...Noldor wine will sell *very* well in all human lands for example, let alone the other food and goods.
The Lord at the Door
The Deadeye has sent word to you in the morning after the failed kidnapping that Maenthel, the leader of the Noldor Farmers, and Lord Elrond are the Door asking for you. You go out from Karak Drekfut having checked with the Matrons that the Noldor are only lightly injured and past the centre of the Valley where the Noldor are gathered. Most of them are without their weapons, but with some near to hand all the same.
Perhaps it is fortunate that the Eotheod and Captain Hagrim are away in the Near Vale and so were not here for last night's mistakes. The North Throng have come down from North Pass and are standing watch over the Ironploughs and the Noldor. So far the stern glares of the Greatbeard have been sufficient to cow both sides. There's something in you that feels a tinge of pride amidst the terrible shame at seeing millennia old Noldor stayed by the Greatbeard's disapproval.
Young Gisilhari, of all the Eotheod, is still in Karak Drekfut and follows you as you go along the long march to Kazad Urbaz. You had promised to introduce him to Lord Elrond, but this is not quite the manner in which you had intended it. All the same, it will be good for him to watch this affair. It might fit neatly into your lessons on Oaths, Debts and Grudges as well.
You go out into the High Pass to speak with Lord Elrond. Maenthel has been largely accurate in her description of the events of the previous night. Ironplough Greybeards had snuck into the camp where the Noldor Farmers dwelt in the Valley and had cut open a tent and gagged a Noldor. They had been caught dragging their captive towards North Peak and a short fight had resulted. The Greatbeard had rushed down to the Valley concerned that the Noldor may have taken some opportunity to betray the Hold and parted both sides before sending the injured to the Matrons.
Lord Elrond has come to discuss how the agreement could possibly stand while the Noldor cannot feel safe in your Ankor. The meeting in the High Pass continues for some time, long enough for the presence of a dozen Noldor archers to start to fade into the background. The Noldor will be returning to Imladris, not to fulfil their remaining service, for Lord Elrond will not ask them to stay in Karak Drekfut if you cannot control your Dawi.
And there should be a recompense as well, to those involved. Lord Elrond estimates that the families involved will not accept less than 1000SC
With the recompense agreed upon, you take the opportunity to introduce Gisilhari to Lord Elrond. The Garazi has been most attentive to your meeting and indeed throughout the year has shown signs of being a serious young lad who takes your lessons to heart deeply. The Lord of the Noldor is not unkind with Gisilhari and the two sit together for a time on one of the stones that litter the High Pass. They are talking about you, that they keep looking up and over at you as they speak makes it something clear. But their conversation is not terribly long and the pair return to you.
'It is a custom amongst the Dunedain that their heirs be sent to Imladris to study under the Noldor and be safe until they are grown. Young Gisilhari suggest that he would be opposed to also taking up residency in Imladris, the affairs of last night are evidently not all that is to be found in the Drekfut Ankor. But perhaps he should know fellows of an age, and a race. Consider offering Gisilhari some time under my wing in the years to come, he may need the kinship of fellow Umgi.'
You look down at the young King and stroke your beard slowly. Lord Elrond continues on and asks what will become of the fools who have disturbed the peace between your two peoples.
Depending on what Lord Elrond thinks about the situation I'm tempted to do similar to the two beardling grudge a few turns ago.
If the Ironploughs think elves are lying about the issue of being underground then obviously Dawi being affected by Sun Madness is a lie as well. Let's make them live on the surface for a while and see how they like it.
Depending on how mad Elrond is I'm torn between losing 1 Farmer dice for 1 turn by sending them off to Rivendell as free labor.
Or keep the dice but get a penalty by keeping them in the Surface Hold as punishment for the next few years until the Elves contract ends.
Edit: hello there Elrond update, how nice of you to sneak in.
So we overpay in silver I'm thinking? I would totally be willing to give 20 silver to show how seriously we are taking this.
For the reckoning I'm half tempted to encourage them to take the bloody slayers oath but I'll wait to see what more reasonable punishments the thread comes up with.
Depending on how mad Elrond is I'm torn between losing 1 Farmer dice for 1 turn by sending them off to Rivendell as free labor.
Or keep the dice but get a penalty by keeping them in the Surface Hold as punishment for the next few years until the Elves contract ends.
Reduce the idiots who did this injustice to apprentices, and make them serve under the noldor farmers until they've grown out of this horrid foolishness.
I am not sure what the reckoning should be but I think having the ironplough interacting with the Noldor is a bad idea. The beardlings swapping work loads isn't that big of a deal since they are quite young but having the greybeards sent to work for free and forcing them in tight quarters with the Noldor sounds like a recipe for more incidents.
Edit: Also trying to get them to take a slayers oath is a terrible idea. If they had actually caused permanent harm then maybe but slayers oaths are incredibly personal and would require them to feel a deep shame. I think what a more measured response if people wanted to get rid of them for a while is temporary exile. Not that I am advocating for that either.
[X] Write-In a Recompense: 15-20 Silver ingots (we are getting 10 a turn, this pays it off and gets it done as simply as possible. Half again shows we take it seriously without going too far into appeasement territory.)
[X] Write-In a Reckoning: At the very least those that participated in the attempted kidnapping will be given over to the Loremasters to study the laws and traditions passed down by the Ancestor gods as to the treatment of guests, the seriousness of the dishonor and Shame of attempting to kidnap a guest of the hold, and are to be taught as very young beardlings if that is how they wish to behave. They are to choose their own punishment from amongst the records as to how such behavior was dealt with in the past, with Lord Elrond and the families of the harmed being able to weigh in and veto if the punishment is deemed insufficient no less than once each. Should this be unacceptable, we can refer to the 'other shoes' ruling we provided before and offer to let those that attempted to kidnap provide labor to the families of the harmed and in their spare time receive education as to the laws and traditions of the Noldor as to how such actions are punished in their lands. The main thrust of our Reckoning should be that we take such violations of the guest rights and protections, as well as our hospitality very seriously and will not allow a precedent for future actions like this to be accepted.
A plausible recompense in my mind is that those who participated in the act will have to go to Imladris themselves. There they will serve the household of those they have wronged for as long as the original payment was supposed to last. There they will gain an understanding of what it is like to work in an environment that they do not want, do not seek, and are not used to.
Ouch, losing the elf farmers is bad since we haven't finished the vegetable farm.
I'll leave it to the math people to figure out how to pay for this.
I really wish I could suggest sending the Dawi as free labor since that shows how serious this is but if the Elves aren't feeling safe then having their attackers in their home is absolutely not a good idea.
A plausible recompense in my mind is that those who participated in the act will have to go to Imladris themselves. There they will serve the household of those they have wronged for as long as the original payment was supposed to last. There they will gain an understanding of what it is like to work in an environment that they do not want, do not seek, and are not used to.
I am not sure what the reckoning should be but I think having the ironplough interacting with the Noldor is a bad idea. The beardlings swapping work loads isn't that big of a deal since they are quite young but having the greybeards sent to work for free and forcing them in tight quarters with the Noldor sounds like a recipe for more incidents.
oh l see the elves are trying to fleece us .. thats a grudge there.
offering only half the value of said goods are not a fair trade for Recompense time to tell the greedy elves to get lost
all joking aside the price they want is way to high and l say give them only 2 silver as they where no deaths
[X] Write-In a Recompense: 15-20 Silver ingots (we are getting 10 a turn, this pays it off and gets it done as simply as possible. Half again shows we take it seriously without going too far into appeasement territory.)
[X] Write-In a Reckoning: At the very least those that participated in the attempted kidnapping will be given over to the Loremasters to study the laws and traditions passed down by the Ancestor gods as to the treatment of guests, the seriousness of the dishonor and Shame of attempting to kidnap a guest of the hold, and are to be taught as very young beardlings if that is how they wish to behave. They are to choose their own punishment from amongst the records as to how such behavior was dealt with in the past, with Lord Elrond and the families of the harmed being able to weigh in and veto if the punishment is deemed insufficient no less than once each. Should this be unacceptable, we can refer to the 'other shoes' ruling we provided before and offer to let those that attempted to kidnap provide labor to the families of the harmed and in their spare time receive education as to the laws and traditions of the Noldor as to how such actions are punished in their lands. The main thrust of our Reckoning should be that we take such violations of the guest rights and protections, as well as our hospitality very seriously and will not allow a precedent for future actions like this to be accepted.
For the issue of sending our small and young Umgi kinglet to Rivendell, I would have a stark conversation with him about it's benefits and cons, as well as remind him that he'd still spend most of his time here amongst the Dawi and his people.
For Elrond, this has been a all around embarrassment for us, and needs recompense. Dawi Style (YEEEAAAHHHH *sunglasses put upon and beard tugged*)
A shame about the expedition, but not wholly unexpected. We should strive to assure that our Dawi do not shed blood in vein.
Honestly the biggest disappointment about the results of this turn besides the Noldor incident, was the lack of Thungi blood in the next generation. Getting new Rhunrikki training is only ever a positive.
Thank you for the chapter, as always they are fantastic!
It will depend on the elves themselves, but it's not as if they will be unwatched during the time, and serving the family does not mean waiting on them hand and foot. These are farmers. They will likely be given a small (watched) dwelling and be made to farm for the nolder for the full-term. With all the fruits of their labors going to those they have wronged. So I don't think they will be a significant danger to anyone.
The one thing I'm now thinking of though is if this would be an imposition on Lord Elrond. Though we will of course ask if he is willing to consent to the arrangement
Edit - Though i think i am also a fan of Argentums suggestion