4712 Pharast
Imperator Pax
Talon Master
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4712 Pharast
Her blue eyes swept over the cluttered table. It was filled with arrears, and tallies and all sorts of other records of stocks, and goods, and the balance of currency. They had been waiting, delaying really, instead of focusing on the matter of the first market day, fair, of spring. Even if the trolls were out there there had been other things that had needed to be seen to.
Among the first things she and her sister had constructed was a home, or well paid for one they hadn't been involved in the manual labor. It was unfeasible, not impossible, but unfeasible, to construct something totally in the Qadiran style, in the style of their homeland and thus their home was a mix of the exterior finishings of local materials and interior trappings of home. She supposed it must have been similar to the problem the baron faced.
Though it was unfinished the baron's keep had begun with the task of excavating soil that had buried the old Taldan settlement... and then the Iobarian substructure beneath it, and rebuilding its foundations with local stone. It was slow going work to mate the dressed stone and masonry into new buildings but the hillside that had been built up by the Taldane probably for a watchtower at some point, what Eire had suggested might have been a 'broch' had been cleared away, and dug out to access the deep iobarian chamber under which had served as the main sublevel of the new keep, above which a mix of timber eaves, and concrete arches supported the ceiling of the vaulted great hall, but that wasn't what held her attention.
Kalikke was staring at the map as it shifted. It was a map, of sorts but it was also a product of arcane magic. She had seen the remnants of the incubator that had kept Shaoyu's egg warm though the dragon kept careful watch on it. The map was, its colored terrain was in three planes. The unknown reaches of the domain were simply sand. Great expanses of green sand filled the west and eastern expanses just waiting for agents of the barony carrying special tokens to explore them. It was the explored parts which rose up... little models of facets of the realm like Sorrowflow to the north east, and the capital at the center.
This little wonder had been the baron's project in the snow filled previous month, and it has altered just this morning updating to show a small yellow fortress on the surface of a hill rise. "It must be bronzeshield fortress." It certainly lined up with the map that Jaethal had been able to procure. "At least we know that they've arrived." She remarked.
The blonde wasn't reassured by the comment. Harrim had gained assurance he would be permitted to accompany any ventures into dwarven ruins that the baron delved into... and so the dwarf was there. Kalikke would have enjoyed the possibility of venturing forth, and the sweet teeth would have enjoyed the thrill of it but they at least would be able to see the fortress later... Valerie's interest was being in the vanguard of the baronial force... alongside his grace.
They were here in the event of attacks on the capital. "How frequently does it change?"
"I believe every hour." The blue eyed tiefling replied, unless the baron purposefully triggered a 'refresh' as he called it.
"Will it change if the baron is successful?"
"If this Hargulka yields?" She paused, "I don't know." Then after a moment. "He'll most likely simply recall to the cathedral, so we should know quite quickly either way. For now though there was no change other than the indication his grace had arrived at the dwarf fortress... and as the morning sun climbed higher into the sky... there was court to open... they needed to return to the hall, and contend with the business of the realm.
--
Valerie knew that there were questions circulating about when Oleg would get around to a religious center for Olegton. By this point the other communities of note in the realm all had religious anchors, at least one. Or at least Valerie assumed it was just Olegton, the kobolds and mites of old scyamore were supposed to have shrines at least, and shamans.
That made having Loy Rezbin here somewhat of a problem given the precise reason. Tatzlford had been raised on the eastern side of the ford where the tatzlwyrms den had been... thus the side his grace and the others had attacked from as it had been the direction he had been travelling. It was a small village, of about roughly two hundred families and given the troll crisis a small fort had been erected in what was the center of town to protect it citizens in time of crisis. Officially Loy was Lord Mayor of the town, but the influence his wife Latricia wielded was undeniable. The priestess of Erastil had among other things come to address planting day, but also the matter of the recently, privately, established temple to the goddess Calistria. Unfortunately not only was this the only religious matter being brought up, it was being done while his grace, and Harrim were both absent the capital.
Besides, Latricia's complaints of a scandalous new institution, and Oleg's lack of of action there were still others. The tiefling Kaessi had been given leave to establish a temple for the Church of Nethys on Candlemere, but the isle, similar to that of Shrikewall's swelling population was now contending with additional migrants and that included members of the church of Sarenrae which included Qadiran adherrents, which while Valerie suspected that Kaessi enjoyed some of the available creature comforts of her homeland she wasn't especially happen with other facets of the Dawnflower's church.
Absalom was rightly called the city at the center of the world, and it wasn't just Sarenrae's church. Nor was it just Abadar, or Nethys, or Calistria coming in the new wave of persons... there had probably been other immigrants, ones who had held to Shelyns church but with the turn of the year it was on paper. Paper, that was the development. The river kingdoms, the stolen lands included, were largely sparsely populated wilderness scattered hamlets and farming villages mostly. They still had no idea the real population of the rustic countryside, but settlers from Brevoy, and the even larger volume of peoples migrating north from down river coupled with the stock taking of the first real annual tallies of harvest, that was different.
Prosperity was a powerful draw, and Valerie understood the increase in people would draw the churches interest. The baron's membership in the Church of Iomedae, most clearly demonstrated by his directive to establish the first cathedral in the River Kingdoms had not gone unnoticed. It made her duty to the realm greater... and a potential conflict with the church of Shelyn more and more inevitable.
She reached for the tea, a non alcoholic choice she had selected intentionally, and sipped as the throng of court attendees filtered back in as the recess approached its end. Kaessi sipped the glass of wine she had liberally refilled as Valerie brooded over the letter that had been shared before the winter had set in. She would have preferred the matter not be addressed that way, but it had been... and a confrontation seemed likely in summer if not before. "What do you think?" The tiefling asked.
"Of their dispute?"
"The law is clear." Valerie replied giving her own opinion.
"That is true." The red eyed woman agreed, "And there are other considerations beside."
Valerie paused clearly stopping to consider the matter, "Octavia is an adherent of Calistria."
"Ah yes, that as well. I was thinking more about the matter of elves." There were some migrants from the south who had expressed an interest in settling in the Old Beldame's area, what would most likely become New Colton, and that included a contingent of elves from Absalom, "If we were to side in favor of Erastil not only would it be against the laws written, it create further discontent."
"if we don't, wouldn't Erastil's church have an issue?"
"Latricia will clearly have an issue," The tiefling sipped her wine, "But acceding to her request shows favoritism that really isn't warranted." She tapped, "We have options to delay. His grace, we could even delay by summoning Jhod to return, and give his input on the importance of the letter of the law."
Valerie frowned at the latter suggestion. It was exploitative... but it would probably work. "Do you have any suggestions on the issue with regards to Olegton?"
"We delay of course. They want us to make a decision because the dwarf, and the baron are absent, that would make fait accompli. Abadar's church clearly desires official dispensation." So they were to delay. Undesirable, but she didn't see another course.
"How do we do that?" The answer of course was that Garess had a report of his own related to the martial readiness of the realm to convey... which of course ultimately circled back around to the matter of faith. If Erastil's church had been better organized, then it was more likely that they could have provided levies of archers, but the hamlets were too small to effectively gather. They had been trying, but taking small clusters of men would have been ineffective, especially against the threat they faced in the trolls.
The Church of Gorrum was a major faith in Brevoy, and common in the River lands as well. It was the faith that Amiri also belonged to, but that didn't create any particular interest. Valerie doubted that there were organized churches in the land of the mammoth lords, and she had never seen the kellid barbarian woman attend a religious gathering out of anything that might have been mistaken for piety. Where Erastil encouraged self sufficiency and competency with sword and bow for self defense, Gorrum was a war god, and his church was much, more martial in character.... but even that ran into the matter of organization.
--
--
Notes: Tomorrow hopefully, I will be updating Not a Hero, which was originally planned for today, but I need to go through both my laptop and my PC for notes because that update been repeatedly delayed due to previous technical issues. so I am as a result of this updating this because, I have material in the pipeline
Her blue eyes swept over the cluttered table. It was filled with arrears, and tallies and all sorts of other records of stocks, and goods, and the balance of currency. They had been waiting, delaying really, instead of focusing on the matter of the first market day, fair, of spring. Even if the trolls were out there there had been other things that had needed to be seen to.
Among the first things she and her sister had constructed was a home, or well paid for one they hadn't been involved in the manual labor. It was unfeasible, not impossible, but unfeasible, to construct something totally in the Qadiran style, in the style of their homeland and thus their home was a mix of the exterior finishings of local materials and interior trappings of home. She supposed it must have been similar to the problem the baron faced.
Though it was unfinished the baron's keep had begun with the task of excavating soil that had buried the old Taldan settlement... and then the Iobarian substructure beneath it, and rebuilding its foundations with local stone. It was slow going work to mate the dressed stone and masonry into new buildings but the hillside that had been built up by the Taldane probably for a watchtower at some point, what Eire had suggested might have been a 'broch' had been cleared away, and dug out to access the deep iobarian chamber under which had served as the main sublevel of the new keep, above which a mix of timber eaves, and concrete arches supported the ceiling of the vaulted great hall, but that wasn't what held her attention.
Kalikke was staring at the map as it shifted. It was a map, of sorts but it was also a product of arcane magic. She had seen the remnants of the incubator that had kept Shaoyu's egg warm though the dragon kept careful watch on it. The map was, its colored terrain was in three planes. The unknown reaches of the domain were simply sand. Great expanses of green sand filled the west and eastern expanses just waiting for agents of the barony carrying special tokens to explore them. It was the explored parts which rose up... little models of facets of the realm like Sorrowflow to the north east, and the capital at the center.
This little wonder had been the baron's project in the snow filled previous month, and it has altered just this morning updating to show a small yellow fortress on the surface of a hill rise. "It must be bronzeshield fortress." It certainly lined up with the map that Jaethal had been able to procure. "At least we know that they've arrived." She remarked.
The blonde wasn't reassured by the comment. Harrim had gained assurance he would be permitted to accompany any ventures into dwarven ruins that the baron delved into... and so the dwarf was there. Kalikke would have enjoyed the possibility of venturing forth, and the sweet teeth would have enjoyed the thrill of it but they at least would be able to see the fortress later... Valerie's interest was being in the vanguard of the baronial force... alongside his grace.
They were here in the event of attacks on the capital. "How frequently does it change?"
"I believe every hour." The blue eyed tiefling replied, unless the baron purposefully triggered a 'refresh' as he called it.
"Will it change if the baron is successful?"
"If this Hargulka yields?" She paused, "I don't know." Then after a moment. "He'll most likely simply recall to the cathedral, so we should know quite quickly either way. For now though there was no change other than the indication his grace had arrived at the dwarf fortress... and as the morning sun climbed higher into the sky... there was court to open... they needed to return to the hall, and contend with the business of the realm.
--
Valerie knew that there were questions circulating about when Oleg would get around to a religious center for Olegton. By this point the other communities of note in the realm all had religious anchors, at least one. Or at least Valerie assumed it was just Olegton, the kobolds and mites of old scyamore were supposed to have shrines at least, and shamans.
That made having Loy Rezbin here somewhat of a problem given the precise reason. Tatzlford had been raised on the eastern side of the ford where the tatzlwyrms den had been... thus the side his grace and the others had attacked from as it had been the direction he had been travelling. It was a small village, of about roughly two hundred families and given the troll crisis a small fort had been erected in what was the center of town to protect it citizens in time of crisis. Officially Loy was Lord Mayor of the town, but the influence his wife Latricia wielded was undeniable. The priestess of Erastil had among other things come to address planting day, but also the matter of the recently, privately, established temple to the goddess Calistria. Unfortunately not only was this the only religious matter being brought up, it was being done while his grace, and Harrim were both absent the capital.
Besides, Latricia's complaints of a scandalous new institution, and Oleg's lack of of action there were still others. The tiefling Kaessi had been given leave to establish a temple for the Church of Nethys on Candlemere, but the isle, similar to that of Shrikewall's swelling population was now contending with additional migrants and that included members of the church of Sarenrae which included Qadiran adherrents, which while Valerie suspected that Kaessi enjoyed some of the available creature comforts of her homeland she wasn't especially happen with other facets of the Dawnflower's church.
Absalom was rightly called the city at the center of the world, and it wasn't just Sarenrae's church. Nor was it just Abadar, or Nethys, or Calistria coming in the new wave of persons... there had probably been other immigrants, ones who had held to Shelyns church but with the turn of the year it was on paper. Paper, that was the development. The river kingdoms, the stolen lands included, were largely sparsely populated wilderness scattered hamlets and farming villages mostly. They still had no idea the real population of the rustic countryside, but settlers from Brevoy, and the even larger volume of peoples migrating north from down river coupled with the stock taking of the first real annual tallies of harvest, that was different.
Prosperity was a powerful draw, and Valerie understood the increase in people would draw the churches interest. The baron's membership in the Church of Iomedae, most clearly demonstrated by his directive to establish the first cathedral in the River Kingdoms had not gone unnoticed. It made her duty to the realm greater... and a potential conflict with the church of Shelyn more and more inevitable.
She reached for the tea, a non alcoholic choice she had selected intentionally, and sipped as the throng of court attendees filtered back in as the recess approached its end. Kaessi sipped the glass of wine she had liberally refilled as Valerie brooded over the letter that had been shared before the winter had set in. She would have preferred the matter not be addressed that way, but it had been... and a confrontation seemed likely in summer if not before. "What do you think?" The tiefling asked.
"Of their dispute?"
"The law is clear." Valerie replied giving her own opinion.
"That is true." The red eyed woman agreed, "And there are other considerations beside."
Valerie paused clearly stopping to consider the matter, "Octavia is an adherent of Calistria."
"Ah yes, that as well. I was thinking more about the matter of elves." There were some migrants from the south who had expressed an interest in settling in the Old Beldame's area, what would most likely become New Colton, and that included a contingent of elves from Absalom, "If we were to side in favor of Erastil not only would it be against the laws written, it create further discontent."
"if we don't, wouldn't Erastil's church have an issue?"
"Latricia will clearly have an issue," The tiefling sipped her wine, "But acceding to her request shows favoritism that really isn't warranted." She tapped, "We have options to delay. His grace, we could even delay by summoning Jhod to return, and give his input on the importance of the letter of the law."
Valerie frowned at the latter suggestion. It was exploitative... but it would probably work. "Do you have any suggestions on the issue with regards to Olegton?"
"We delay of course. They want us to make a decision because the dwarf, and the baron are absent, that would make fait accompli. Abadar's church clearly desires official dispensation." So they were to delay. Undesirable, but she didn't see another course.
"How do we do that?" The answer of course was that Garess had a report of his own related to the martial readiness of the realm to convey... which of course ultimately circled back around to the matter of faith. If Erastil's church had been better organized, then it was more likely that they could have provided levies of archers, but the hamlets were too small to effectively gather. They had been trying, but taking small clusters of men would have been ineffective, especially against the threat they faced in the trolls.
The Church of Gorrum was a major faith in Brevoy, and common in the River lands as well. It was the faith that Amiri also belonged to, but that didn't create any particular interest. Valerie doubted that there were organized churches in the land of the mammoth lords, and she had never seen the kellid barbarian woman attend a religious gathering out of anything that might have been mistaken for piety. Where Erastil encouraged self sufficiency and competency with sword and bow for self defense, Gorrum was a war god, and his church was much, more martial in character.... but even that ran into the matter of organization.
--
--
Notes: Tomorrow hopefully, I will be updating Not a Hero, which was originally planned for today, but I need to go through both my laptop and my PC for notes because that update been repeatedly delayed due to previous technical issues. so I am as a result of this updating this because, I have material in the pipeline