29. July 10, 2016

The Last Year in Kirenweld, and Duke Konrad's Governance

We ask the Baronet how Duke Konrad has been governing. He replies there was a lot of turmoil...the coronation was quiet and done soon after our father's death because there was fear that some of the nobles would foster unrest. However, nothing crazy happened. The duke sent out guards in case of riot he said, and kept them there not quite for a lockdown but keeping pressure on certain places. Konrad has a lot of new advisors (not our father's cabinet). The atmosphere in Kirenweld is changing, though nothing bad is happening to people, no new taxes or strange policies, but Konrad is building the military slightly. The Baronet says that Konrad has been a firm but fair ruler. Doesn't seem to be biased or heavy handed, Konrad strictly interpets the law as written. Of us, the People were told Jessa and Bel had killed guardsmen and stole stuff. The assumption is that we looted expensive stuff since multiple guards were sent all over the place. Rumors are that we're out fomenting discontent, maybe turned gladiator or pirate or monster tamer...might want to overthrow the Kirenweld government. Apparently, there are fan tales about us among the commoners, circulating on broadsheets.

Baronet Holstgaren is unsure who is on Konrad's council...some are new advisors, some from his mom's side of the family. He is unsure if Konrad is rubber-stamping things or is really in charge of direction Kirenweld is taking. The timing of the discovery of the old dwarven facility is something he finds odd...was it really “discovered” only 9 months ago, or did some agent reveal its existence to try to tweak circumstances?

We can't guess if Konrad has a personal agenda against us, or has been manipulated by others into thinking we needed to be taken out. We don't know his motivations, they are a mystery.

Earthquaaaaaake!!!!

In the end, we decide the easiest way to evacuate the complex is to stage an earthquake instead of having us pretend to take the Baronet hostage. The dwarves set careful charges, make rumblings and eventual collapses happen from the inside out. The Baronet reappears and yells for everyone to get outside, away from the earthquake. The Kirenwelden guards and nobles stampede out, and the dwarves collapse the entrances.

As agreed with the Baronet after we'd hatched the faked earthquake scheme, he will return to the city and talk to the Duke in person.

Coronation – And Return of the White Granite Spirit Guardians

Kaerg is coronated; we humans were not invited and don't attend. So instead, we explore the abandoned Kirenwelden quarters in the old dwarven facility and gather some supplies. It appears that the military men had presence of mind to grab classified military documents and valuables before running outside, like they must have drilled for the possibility of an earthquake. But there's plenty of ordinary supplies and food available.

Kaerg calls up his spirit guardians and they reanimate their armors and start taking up defensive positioning as directed.

Emissaries of the King

Because the dwarven king is not known to outsiders (xenophobia of the culture), they will only have trusted, honored individuals from other countries/races be emissaries for him, and come in as a representative of the outside culture. Since we (Therin, Welgard, Boris, Jessa, Bel, and presumably when he returns Baronet Holstgaren) have already seen and know Kaerg, he asks us to be his emissaries. We agree.

Training

We spend 8 weeks training [to level 4] with the dwarves before we go back into the world.

Departure and Mission

The dwarves Charge us with circumspectly giving every dwarf we come across with a special stone, which is an announcement that Sirtegaard is reestablished, so they know to come to it if they want. We have written messages on sealed scrolls for any dwarven nobles we may come across.