Rethemi Intrigue: A Campaign Write-Up

by Marc Renouf

Introduction

For the most part, the most important facet of an intrigue campaign is information; who has it, how they got it, how they're going to use it, and whether or not they can keep it a secret. It is also important to keep in mind that no person/faction is omniscient (that would take all the fun out of intrigue, eh?). Brilliant generals and tactful politicians can make startling errors and glaring mistakes purely because they acted on false or incomplete information.

Thus, it becomes important to keep track of who knows what. In feudal societies, rumors abound. Misinformation is just as important as information. Knowing who has access to which information (be it plots, locations of persons, objects, or forces, building layouts, how to make a certain kind of poison, or when something will happen) will keep you on top of the situation and keep it from getting out of control as the campaign or adventure progresses.

Finally, it adds an element of mystery, uncertainty, and suspense to the campaign, which is often very rewarding for GM and player alike.

Dramatis Personae

First and foremost in the Rethemi civil dispute is King Chafin III himself. The King is a competent and ruthless politician. He basically got where he is by murdering everyone who stood in his way. The only remaining claimants with a better line to the throne than he has are Saval and Hesela Lynnaeus, Tormau's nephew and niece. He is intelligent and a good planner.

The King's biggest challenge is to stay on top of a crumbling pile. He is fairly good at keeping people in check politically, but has less of a handle on military matters, leaving the important military matters to trusted men like Dorin of Metsellen. The King is basically his own Marshal purely out of necessity and paranoia. In matters political, however, Chafin III should not be underestimated. He will do whatever is necessary to ensure that he remains on the throne.

Next is the Earl of Tormau. As the chief antagonist towards the King, he also is a crafty politician. Though he tends to favor more direct methods, he is not above using political pressures to get the job done (more on this later). Even these, however, tend to have a militant facet (using brigands against Ithiko, etc). Far from being an all-out "bad guy," he respects strength of character, willpower, and directness.

The Earl's primary goal is to unseat the King should the need or opportunity arise. If he could put Saval or Hesela on the throne, he would effectively be royal regent until the heir came of age, which is plenty of time to secure his own position. Failing this, he is not above surrendering the throne of Rethem to Kanday. Though he personally finds Andasin IV a weak ruler, he respects Anaflas. Should Anaflas become King of Kanday, Earl Lynnaeus would be much less averse to this solution.

The Earl of Techen is young, but he is bitter towards the King. Feeling that his lands were unjustly exploited while he was a ward of the crown, Earl Lenesque is not particularly supportive of the King. He has pledged to remain neutral in the event of open conflict between the King and Tormau, but has not pledged aid. This is mainly to keep the Thardic legions from marching across the Gomisen river to retake several of their possessions.

The Earl of Techen is mainly desiring stability. His lands are fertile and numerous, and they benefit greatly from trade along the Thard. War is bad for business, and thus he will attempt to avoid it. It is important to remember that the Earl of Techen is probably the richest man in Rethem. This means that in the case of intrigue, he is much more likely to move indirectly, paying or bribing others to do what he deems necessary.

The Earl of Ithiko is in a very precarious position. He has an all abiding hatred of Tormau, and will do anything he can to spite his fellow Earl. Unfortunately, he is far weaker than Tormau, having poor lands, few holdings, and only one major vassal (the Baron of Zaza).

Oddly enough, it is Ithiko which is keeping Tormau in check. Tormau knows that an open conflict with Ithiko, while ultimately successful, will cost him men and time, thus giving the King the advantage.

The Church of Morgath. Effectively ruling Golotha, the Church of Morgath is in a position to exploit its political clout. Many of the higher Morgathian officials (most notably the Khidarmur of the Golotha temple and the Gurim himself) want to increase the church's power. Though the church doesn't have many followers, it does have a good bit of money (a significant portion of Golotha's city revenues gets funneled into church coffers), a goodly number of spies and informants (more on this later), and a ruthless will to succeed.

As an aside, one of my players is playing a Morgathian priest character. Because of this, I've created more extensive detail for politics *within* the church. Murderous at best. If any of you are interested in this kind of intrigue as well, I'd be happy to go more in depth on this one too. You may want to check out the submissions I've made for the Morgath section of the Harn Religion Team (it's on Magnus' web page). For now, it's not terribly important because the church likes to portray a unified front to the populace at large. As such, internal politics are a bit separated from external politics so that the Church can save face.

The Church of Agrik. Amazingly political in Rethem, the Church of Agrik is as close as Rethem gets to a "state religion." As such, it has a significant number of followers. The church of Agrik is also heavily involved in politics, with some of the fighting orders (most notably the Companions of Roving Doom) being staunch loyalists. Such loyalty is not without its price, however. Most of the Agrikan orders want somethnig from the King, be it lands, crusades against barbarians, or war with Kanday. While Tormau still stirs, the King can not feasibly grant these requests, even if he were inclined to do so, as it would ultimately weaken him militarily, and he can't spare the men to undertake such endeavors.

Internal politics within the Agrikan church are nearly as ruthless as those of the Morgathians. In this case, however, divisions tend to lie along Order lines, and this are more identifiable and less likely to shift at a moment's notice. That's not to say there aren't assassination attempts, plots, etc, just that they're more direct than the Morgathians. More violent, less chaotic.

The Church of Halea. Though small, the Haleans should not be underestimated. Their devotees are among the most wealthy and well-connected of the kingdom, giving them acccess to much in the way of information. People say the damnedest things in bed, especially after being given a liberal dose of some drug. They may not even remember what they've said... :)

As such, the Haleans will have much information, which they will broker, suppress, leak, or act on as they see fit. Above all, however, they will be subtle, as they are generally few in number and lack direct force. Solithar versus Ainlaumak is no contest.

The Church of Naveh. Often forgotten, the church of Naveh actually has a tremendous capacity for guiding events. This comes mainly through their use of cleverly placed followers, most of whom have ingratiated themselves into positions of trust or influence and are merely patiently awaiting the order to strike. It is reasonable to assume that most important people will have at least one such assassin lurking within their households.

This gives the Navehans access to quite a bit of privileged information, perhaps more than even the Haleans. They also have the ability to take out key people if necessary. Fortunately, their aims are mysterious and poorly understood. They are out to "cleanse" the world, and thus they are not as politically powerful as they could be.

The Mangai. Also often forgotten, the Mangai has the potential to be the most influential body in all of Harn. In general, however, they will attempt to remain neutral. Their primary motivation is profit and the protection of Guild monopolies. They can, however, exert quite an economic influence and have quite a bit of financial clout. If people need cash, it is the Mangai that is most likely to cater to their needs. In return, the Mangai will seek to extend their rights and privileges within the kingdom (which can in turn be used as a precedent for increased rights elsewhere. Wonderful, no?).

The Lia Kavair. As a war of intrigue is often accomplished through bribery, theft, and assassination, it stands to reason that the thieves' guild will play an important role in the course of events. They can provide the services that other factions are unwilling or unable to provide for themselves. In return, they also will seek to keep their "privileges." Having the authorities turn a blind eye to most of your activities could be highly profitable.

It is important to remember, however, that the Lia Kavair is by and large a fractious and unruly organization. The guild as a whole is generally broken up into local "chapters" that have little or no contact with each other. They are included here mainly because they are a force to be reckoned with in the larger towns like Golotha and Shostim.

The Council of Eleven. Okay, this one's out there, but it serves to show that there are those outside of Rethem with an interest and a hand in what goes on. In my campaign, the Council of Eleven is seeking to destabilize Rethem and hand it over to Kanday (hopefully with as little bloodshed as possible). The reasons for this are twofold. First, it drastically reduces the power of the "evil" churches. Second, it increases the power of Kanday against Tharda, whose revolutionary political system is a concept has been deemed "dangerous" by the somewhat xenophobic Council. Feudalism keeps people easy to control and gives the Melderyni rulers more influence, and thus they are more in favor of it than they are of a decadent republic. It is directly through Nykkal of Claswith (Tormau's chief advisor and covert member of the Council of Eleven) that Tormau got the idea of getting in league with Anaflas. Subtle, no?

The Story

It all starts with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Baron of Omnis, Jasyph of Sayorsaxe. Through his dealings at court, Lord Sayorsaxe comes into the acquaintance of a woman named Berthalia of Loren. Unbeknownst to the Chancellor (or anyone else, for that matter) Berthalia is a Navehan. Berthalia's mission is to subvert the Chancellor. She knows that it is unlikely she will be employed by the Chancellor, and time is of the essence (for some undisclosed Navehan reason). She accomplishes her mission by inviting the Chancellor to dinner (Berthalia is posing as a wealthy foreign merchant).

At said dinner, she offers the Chancellor some "rare Karejian Dream Wine," which is actually just good brandy heavily laced with Alanal. Poor Jasyph enjoys the experience, and in repeated visits rapidly becomes hooked on this substance. Berthal becomes his supplier, and swears Jasyph to secrecy, threatening to cut him off. Now the Navehans have influence over the Chancellor of the Exchequer of Rethem.

Side Note: the Navehans are being extremely crafty here. They have subverted a major political office in a fashion that smacks of their old enemies the Haleans. If caught, Berthalia will "confess" under torture to being a Halean. Ouch. If they win, they keep Jasyph. If they lose, they hurt the Haleans. Isn't life grand?

Several months pass, and the Navehans are content to merely leave a very light hand on the reigns of the Exchequery, making no moves. Unfortunately, Jasyph is caught in the act of imbibing by one of his liege's men (liege here is in the technical sense, as Omnis is under Techen). Techen, seeing an opportunity, threatens Sayorsaxe with cutting him off from his supply (he threatens to kill the supplier, not knowing who it is, but pretending as though he does. Jasyph falls for the bluff). In any event, Revi Lenesque coerces Sayorsaxe into conducting a little embezzlement against the person he is most loyal to: King Chafin III.

After the first few payoffs, Techen doesn't even need to threaten to cut Sayorsaxe off anymore. His threat is now that he will leak Jasyph's betrayal to the King, which would result in a messy trial, followed by a hanging, followed by the hanging (or at the very least banishment and outlawry) of his family. A good man at heart, Jasyph cannot bear to think of this, and acquiesces to Techen's will.

Techen's primary motivation is to get back some of what he feels (and not without good cause) was unjustly "squeezed" from his lands when he was a ward of the crown. He feels his lands were overly exploited, and any money he can siphon away from the royal treasury is money that should have been his to start with. Feeling justified, the young Earl of Techen enters into the wily world of political intrigue.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent is King Chafin III, a very competent veteran of the intrigue scene. Like every good King, Chafin III has agents spying on his major rivals (and major *potential* rivals). This being the case, he soon finds out (from a steward in Techen's household, a man who can pretty much come and go as he pleases and is literate enough to read his lord's notes, ledgers, and letters) that the Chancellor is betraying him to Techen. The King is not amused.

In a fit of cold rage, the King decides to teach Techen a lesson. Rather than just trying Sayorsaxe legally, he orders his death. Messily. In his own home, as if to say to the young Earl, "Betrayal will be dealt with harshly, and anyone can be reached. Watch yourself." He passes the job off to one of his most trusted thugs, Bremel of Kawaran, the Akarata of the Companions of Roving Doom.

Not wanting to be implicated in the murder of a noble, Bremel astutely passes the job off to a man he knows. This man is Mull of Troos, a minor merchant in Golotha. Mull is a practicing Agrikan, and until their temple was razed, he was a lay member of the Order of the Pillar of Fire (who originally sponsored the Companions of Roving Doom). More importantly, Mull of Troos is a front man for the Golotha Lia Kavair (or more precisely, one of the sub-chapters of the Lia Kavair within Golotha), and Bremel is well aware of the man's connections. On threat of death for indiscretion, Bremel asks Mull of Troos to hire the right men to get the job done.

Mull does this very thing, and within a few days, a small band of competent thieves and assassins sets out from Golotha headed for Omnis (where the Chancellor is "on vacation" at the "suggestion" of the King). They enter the keep by stealth, killing the Chancellor and his family (wife, daughter, and oldest son, the youngest is squiring under a Knight elsewhere in Rethem). They have been given permission to take certain things from the household as further "bonus" payment, and come away with a chest full of booty. They head back towards Golotha.

Aside: enter the *other* Agrikans. Klyrdes of Bisidril, Harnic Primate of Agrik, keeps close tabs on the Companions of Roving Doom. Since they have lost their parent clerical order, they operate with more freedom than he is entirely happy with. As such, he has spies within the Companions' ranks, one of whom informs Klyrdes of their dealings with the Lia Kavair. Exposure would thoroughly discredit the Companions and force the King to banish them much as King Chafin I exiled the Order of the Crimson Dancer. This would serve to weaken the King's power base, as he'd have to be rid of his largest and most loyal group of leg-breakers, which would in turn make him rely more heavily on the remaining orders, which would in turn increase the influence Klyrdes would have over the King. It would also rid Klyrdes of the problem of a nearly uncontrollable fighting order. This is offset by the fact that disfavor on one sect of Agrikans has repercussions for all orders. Remembering full well how many decades of work it had taken the Agrikan church to recover from Ezar of Zhirdoka's hideous blunder, Klyrdes of Bisidril decides to keep silent on the matter. Indeed, he orders Mull of Troos' death, just to make sure a link is never established.

Unfortunately, Mull of Troos escapes. Perhaps he had been warned by rogue members of the Order of the Pillar of Fire in covert positions. End of aside.

Not wanting to explain the chest or their business, the thieves smuggle themselves and their booty into the city by way of the sewers.

Campaign specific note here: in my campaign, Golotha has sewers that date back to the Corani Empire. These empty out into the canals and into the river. At high tide, one can swim into the sewers. At low tide, they are as much as 15 feet above river level and leak sewage down the banks. Most are barred to keep people out, but many have had the bars pried away by the smugglers or (more ingeniously) have bars that are to all appearances still in place but can be opened or swung out of the way. Since the canals are kept at a pretty much constant level by the flood gates, the canals generally drain a few inches through the sewers as the tide goes out. They are thus generally wet, smelly, and thoroughly unpleasant. They are also most often used by the Lia Kavair and the Navehans, so most thinking people avoid them like the plague.

In any event, they are caught by another group of thugs (this being the PC's). Seeing six men dragging a chest through the sewers in the dead of night (and don't ask what the party was doing down there), they decide to set upon the thieves by surprise. Taking them in an ambush, Sir Jagoth the Unholy (a knight and lay member of the Church of Morgath), along with his sociopathic henchmen take possession of the chest. One of the thieves escpaes, however. Most unfortunate. Taking it back to Sir Jagoth's temporary residence at the Bridgetower Inn (under cover of darkness and stealth), they open it to find several intriguing things.

Amongst the money, silver goblets, and bits of random jewelry grabbed by the thieves of their way out, Sir Jagoth finds a small box, the kind of box one finds important papers or possessions in. Keep in mind, at the time, Sir Jagoth has no idea whom the chest (or the box) belongs to. Breaking the small lock, Jagoth opens the box to find an unfinished (and unsigned) letter, a quill, some ink, some sealing wax, and a signet ring. The Knight accurately identifies the ring as being the official seal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The unfinished letter gives him pause, however, as it reads as follows:

My liege,

I fear we have been discovered by agents of the King. Though I am against your plan, the time to go forward with it has come. I will try my best to acoomplish it quickly and forestall any suspicions. Wish me luck, as your fate as well as mine depends upon it. May the Gods have mercy on our souls.

Your humbl

Also found is a small secret compartment in the bottom of the little box containing several doses of Alanal (Berthalia had started giving him larger doses directly, not even bothering to disguise it as wine any longer). One of the party members was secretly a Navehan himself, and identified the drug. He told no one, however, and since the character died several sessions later, the secret died with him.

Not knowing exactly what to make of this letter, Sir Jagoth the Unholy does the politically correct thing and sets out to visit his liege, Subla of Uldseth, Baron of Quste, to whom he owes obligatory military service every spring (Sir Jagoth has no lands, and thus can serve when other knights are tending to their domains).

Gaining audience with Baron Uldseth, Sir Jagoth the Unholy tells the Baron that he has come into possession of several strange articles that the Baron, or more likely the Earl of Tormau, may find useful (Jagoth is nothing if not a social climber). He reveals the Signet Ring and the letter to the Baron, who immediately sends word to Tormau by trustworthy messenger on the first available boat. He sends Jagoth on to Shostim to discern whom the King will select as the new Chancellor and whether or not the missing Ring has been made an issue of yet. If they are to pull anything off, they need to do it quickly.

It is at this juncture that the Earl of Tormau makes his first move against the King. Knowing that the King is fully aware of Tormau's small army of mercenaries and Kuborans, and knowing also that the King is none too happy about it, the Earl leaks a phony plot to an agent of the King (unbeknownst to the agent, who swears that the plan is real). This phony plan involves Tormau's Ivinian mercenaries carrying Tormau's entire force to Shostim by sea. In several days.

Understandably, the King panics, and calls in all the feudal muster he can that is within a day's forced march away. This includes most of the lands around Shostim, as well as nearby Norienar and Bekar.

The purpose of this plot is to force the King to bring in his feudal muster now, in late summer. Knowing that the military obligation only lasts 30-60 days, Tormau has ensured that the King's troops will be finishing their obligation just about the time that the harvest must be taken in. In a nutshell, it buys Tormau time and gives him more options than he previously had.

Several days pass (messages travel slowly. It can be quite aggravating to players who are tense, thinking that something has gone wrong. Heh). Jagoth makes quite a spectacle at court, meeting an old rival and being challenged to a duel. As per typical Rethemi social convention, the question will be settled in the Pamesani games (which turned out to be the next day).

Several more days pass, and the King begins to relax a little. He has wrongly assumed that one of Tormau's spies alerted his lord to the calling of the muster and Tormau opted not to fight a losing battle. He is as yet unaware that Tormau's plan has succeeded beautifully.

When word finally comes to Uldseth from Tormau, it is in the form of a rough plan. Sir Jagoth is to go back to Golotha and use his extensive criminal contacts to find someone capable of forging the Chancellor's handwriting (the letter gives them a sufficient sample to work from). He is to have several promissory notes forged, then seal them with the Exchequer Seal, and give them to a "foreign merchant" in Tormau's employ. The notes will be dated before the Chancellor's death, where it is far more likely that a foreign merchant would have had them for some time (promissory notes travel widely, often being used as collateral for the buying of goods or the borrowing of cash). These notes will be exchanged with wealthy Golothan merchants who can cash them directly. Thus, by the end of the plan, Tormau is five steps removed from the royal treasury, yet collecting from it as surely as if he were taking it himself.

It is at this stage that things begin to go very wrong. After commiting the forgery, the thief Sir Jagoth hires takes out a little insurance plan. He has made an extra promissory note. In the event of his untimely death, that note, along with a description of who hired him (Jagoth's footman), and a sizeable sum of money will go to the Guildmaster of the Lia Kavair. He makes this known to Jagoth's footman. This makes the forger a loose end, and now at least two members of the Lia Kavair know some of what is going on. They connect it with the fact that several thieves were killed on the night that the Chancellor was killed, and begin to suspect that Sir Jagoth was responsible for the original hiring and the subsequent death of the thieves (to cover his tracks). Jagoth rapidly becomes (unbeknownst to him) persona non grata to much of Golotha's criminal populace. Mull of Troos is nowhere to be found, and even if he were, he'd be plenty willing to let Jagoth take the fall to protect himself and Bremel of Kawaran.

So it is that Jagoth disappears from sight. His henchmen, knowing part of the plan and always ready to make the best of someone's demise, go to Tormau. They bring the forged notes, the small box, and the signet ring with them. They have lost several valuable days. The longer they delay, the more likely it is that the notes will not be accepted, and Tormau needs the money to finance all the "projects" he's got going.

This group of Jagoth's thugs is now in Tormau, they know a bit too much, and Tormau would prefer to be rid of them. As such, he dispatches them to the Ithiko-Zaza area, where their somewhat brutish talents can be put to good use. Thus, they become bandits under Tormau's employ. They are given free reign to cause chaos and terror as they see fit.

It is at this juncture that we will jump back to Golotha. For the past several weeks, the Church of Morgath, acting under the auspices of the Heptarchial Council (which they effectively control) has been hiring mercenaries. Ostensibly, these marcenaries are to "protect" the city in the event of "violence" by other parties. Basically, they explain it as hedging their bets against a civil war. Most citizens of Golotha are more than happy about the concept of being somewhat protected should war break out.

Now, however, an opportunity arises. Sir Dergos of Savurdy, lord of the manors of Lardon and Rymen (in Delwen Hundred, sub-infeudated under Chakta), has pledged his men towards the King's feudal muster. He asks several weeks to raise his militia, after which he will depart immediately for Shostim.

Sir Dergos has something else in mind however. A lay member of the Church of Morgath, Sir Dergos contributes significantly to the coffers of the Morgathian temple in Golotha, and has a special understanding with them. A somewhat harsh and cruel man, Sir Dergos has a reputation for running his domains in a very cold and draconian manner. As such, serfs sometimes feel that they would be better off far away from his lands. The nearest place to go to gain their freedom? Golotha. Who does Sir Dergos know very well? The Morgathians. Who runs Golotha? The Morgathians. Who's screwed by this little deal? The runaway serfs. Thus, in exchange for a little bit of money now and again, Sir Dergos virtually guarantees that none of his tenants will be leaving his lands any time soon.

In any event, Sir Dergos has the beginnings of a plan. He lets it be known to his friends in the Church of Morgath that he will be coming through Golotha on his way to Shostim in two weeks' time. He also lets them know that, should the opportunity arise, his men will be at the Church's disposal.

The Khala Council of the Golotha temple convenes, including of course the Khidarmur and the Gurim himself. They have been hiring mercenaries, and thus have a force of their own at their disposal. Sir Dergos is bringing nearly a hundred more men (including his militia). The Morgathians form a daring plan to take Golotha from under the nose of the King. The one thing they need, however, is a distraction.

For this, they decide to approach the Earl of Tormau. Indeed, they send the Khem Kadar of the Golotha temple (if you're interested in more detail of the various positions within the church, see my submission to the HRT page), a *very* powerful and influential man. Along with him, they send a chest full of cash and a few other baubles. All of this is to impress upon Tormau the seriousness of their offer.

Their reasoning is as follows: if they are successful in taking Golotha for themselves, the King will be distinctly displeased. The King already has a standing army at Shostim, only a day's forced march to the north. Additionally, most of the lands to the south of the Thard (in and around Chakta) have yet to be called for feudal muster, meaning there is a ready supply of military force to attack them from the south. It stands to reason that even if they are successful, they will be attacked from both north and south, only to be crushed and lose everything. Thus, they need someone to make the King stay put. Who better to do that than Tormau. If Tormau engages in a little sabre-rattling, the King will be unwilling to dispatch men from Shostim. If the Earl's forces from Henwe and Weseda become involved, a soutern attack becomes much less likely, giving the Morgathians time to solidify their hold on Golotha and its surrounding environs.

So it is that the Khem Kadar and an entourage of thirty men set out for Tormau (indirectly, of course). In fact, they set sail for Ithiko, ostensibly on a pilgrimage to the birthplace of Balsha (it would look suspicious for a large group of Morgathians to go directly to Tormau as Tormau traditionally dislikes the Morgathians. Thus, that would alert the King's spies in Golotha that something was afoot, and that would be unwise). From Ithiko, they decline to stay long, instead setting out on the road north to Zaza, ostensibly for a personal visit (there is a small temple in Zaza as well). In Zaza, however, they don't even stop. Instead they keep heading north, on the road to Tormau's lands.

It is at this juncture that the presence of thirty men (most of whom are unemployed lay followers) becomes apparent. The entourage is ambushed by bandits. Oddly enough, the bandits are operating under Tormau, the very man whom these Morgathians are going to see. The Khem Kadar is one of the first casualties of the engagement, and while there are few other major casualties, a tactical error ends up in the chest full of goodies being "liberated" by the brigands.

Aside: Here I will break for a moment to go into another kind of intrigue. The Khem Kadar of the Golotha temple, a very influential man, has been killed by bandits in the hinterlands of northern Rethem while traveling incognito towards the lands of the church's least favorite noble. There are three surviving Sungai (two are wounded badly). One of them is the aforementioned party member who is a priest. If you think this political stuff was bad, you should see the kind of power-politics, treachery, and backstabbing that went on within these Morgathians over the next week or so. Ye gads!

Anyway, to make a long story short, the three Sungai approach Tormau (sans chest full of goodies) and present their case to him.

Now Tormau has an opportunity. Though he severely dislikes the Morgathians, they are in a position to help him. If they can manage to take and hold Golotha, they can effectively cut the King's lands in half. The lands south of the Thard are multitudinous, fertile, wealthy, and well populated. By depriving the King of his feudal levies and revenues from this area, Tormau strikes a decisive blow to the King's ability to stand against him. Better still, if the Morgathians fail, the King will still need to expend men, money, and effort in retaking Golotha. Even if the King ignored Golotha, he'd still need to get his troops south of the Thard to Shostim sooner or later. The nearest ferry lies in Kandian lands, and the Kandians are not about to let armed Rethemi traipse through their country headed for a civil dispute. Ferrying men across in boats is time consuming, expensive, and dangerous, all of which are bad for the King and good for Tormau.

After discussing the plan with his two most trusted advisors, Earl Lynnaeus agrees to give the Morgathians the distraction they need.

This action comes against the better recommendations of Nykkal of Claswith, who is Tormau's chief advisor. Tormau sees no other option that will serve his purposes as well as this, but he does not know Nykkal's ulterior motive. As I explained in the first part, the Melderyni Council of Eleven has a hand in Rethemi politics, albeit an extremely subtle one. Faced with no other alternative, Nykkal of Claswith informs the Council of Tormau's decision. This results in Obiris of Ueld covertly informing the Golothan Church of Save-K'nor of the impending attack. The Save K'norans do the only thing left to them, which is to stash their invaluable collection of books and artifacts somewhere where the Morgathians won't find and destroy them. The Council as a whole feels that they do not have enough time to adequately counter this move by the Morgathians (not without revealing themselves), and thus are resigned to watch and mourn. And so it is that Tormau enters into league with the Morgathians.

At this point, the Haleans (remember them?) also get wind of the plan from a drunken Morgathian Sungai revelling at a house of courtesans. Knowing that they do not have the power (the Haleans have an extremely tenuous hold in Golotha to start with), or the time (it is set to take place in four days) to stop the events, they do the next best thing. They sell the information.

Thus, in exchange for the Earl of Techen's financial backing for the construction of a new and larger Halean temple in the town of Techen, and exclusive rights over all courtesan and brothel operations in the town, they inform the Earl of Techen of the Morgathian plot. Note that this is an astute move for the Haleans. They exchange a weak temple for a newer one in a richer community, and they have ingratiated themselves with an Earl. Not bad for a day's work.

Instead of acting directly on the information, however, the Earl of Techen prefers to not tip his hand. Without explaining his reasoning to anyone (as he knows there are agents of the King spying on him now), the Earl proceeds in an aggressive attempt to procure every Talbar and Pinda he can get his hands on (the ones he doesn't already own, that is), sometimes paying more than the boats are worth. Over the next few days, the Earl of Techen is in a position to exploit the natural barrier of the Thard river. By the time the Morgathians launch their attack, the Earl has bought numerous vessels and has a controlling position over trade along the lower reaches of the Thard.

Now the Earl of Techen is in a position to charge whatever crminally outlandish fee he likes, whether it is for ferrying the King's men to Ormon Isle to attack Golotha, Ferrying the King's men across the Thard to fight Tormau, or ferrying supplies to the Golothans if and when they come under siege by the King's troops. Thus, while maintaining his neutrality, Techen has increased his relative influence and potential for profit in the situation. Also not bad for a few days' work.

As a side note, I'd like to mention the weather. The first few weeks of Azura have seen incredibly bad weather. Indeed, by the 8th, there are actually several inches of snow on the ground. The cold snap has frozen apple crops on the trees, and high winds and snow have beaten down much of the grain. The King has lost some of his feudal levy purely because the men must go back to their farms and take in what little crop they can before the snow kills it all. The prospect of famine for some looks distinct, and things in general look bleak.

Oddly enough, a poor crop at this stage will actually increase the chance of a war. Most nobles keep stockpiles of grain for planting in later years and to lend out to their tenants. These stockpiles may be all there is to eat come winter. Thus, it is not beyond reason that people will join the militaries of the various factions just so they'll be able to raid for food. What was brewing up to be a sedate civil war next spring is now looking more like a bitter war of starvation, attrition, and murderous raids this winter. End of aside.

Finally, after a some rapid preparations, the Morgathians make their move. With their force of mercenaries they attack Caer Chaftar. Unfortunately for the loyalists, there is a traitor in the garrison, and the two outermost gates (those on either end of the causeway) are left open to the attackers. After and hour of bloody fighting, the Durangash is hoisted above Caer Chaftar.

Meanwhile, Sir Dergos of Savurdy's men attack Caer Chakta. Though they manage to fight their way inside and take the keep, Sir Lewen of Reytal, the Sheriff of Zabin, escapes.

Now the Morgathians control both ends of the Dedergon Bridge and all of Ormon Isle, making Golotha much less accessible for attack. Indeed, the only approaches are by boat or past Chakta keep and through the stout City gates, neither of which is immediately feasible.

At this point, Tormau again leaks it to the King that he is preparing to attack. The King, thinking that Tormau is using the distraction of Golotha to take him unawares at Shostim, refuses to dispatch troops to attack Golotha from the north (where they would be probably be attacked by Subla of Uldseth anyway). Thus, the King could not have gotten the situation more backwards.

Meanwhile, to the south, the Sheriff of Zabin goes about trying to raise troops to lay siege to and retake Caer Chakta. When he discovers that Barons Pozen and Horsik (of Henwe and Weseda respectively) are on the move, he is forced to reconsider. Faced with an open battle against a numerically superior foe is one thing, but being attacked by reinforcements from the rear while laying siege to an enemy keep is nigh unto suicidal, especially when they can trap you against a river bank and crush you utterly. Thus, the Sheriff gives up his grand plan and is forced to plot in exile away from his former seat at Chakta.

All in all, the plot has worked like a charm, with one minor hitch. When news of the attack again comes back to Tormau, rumor has it that Caer Chakta has been burned to the ground. Thus, he feels that Golotha is in a precarious position. Luckily Pozen and Horsik know the truth and will act upon it accordingly.

Jumping back to the Zaza area, our friends the thuggish PC's have become increasingly daring in their raids. The bad weather has affected them as well, and they have taken to sacking outlying farms and raiding for food.

Now an unusual thing happens. The party is re-united with the long-missing Sir Jagoth "the Unholy." The brigands are running out of places to go, and Ithiko's men have recently discovered their hide-out. Faced with no better prospects, they team up with Jagoth and make a run for it.

Jagoth knows someone who lives nearby. The Lady Nyris of Kldysyn, whom Jagoth had met at the royal court some months before (boy did this tie in well...almost as if I had planned it from the beginning ), holds the nearby manor of Nefica.

The Lady Nyris is widowed (her last husband was killed in a hunting accident when the cross-stop of his boar-spear gave way). The Lady has been married twice before, and her unions have always led to an increase in her standing. Unfortunately, her gold-digging plans are wrinkled by the presence of her former husband's uncle, Lord Markag of Klady, her ward. She is interested in Jagoth because he has ambition and is likely to go somewhere. Thus, when he comes to "visit," she welcomes him with open...arms. ;) The brigands lay low for a while, narrowly escaping a band of seasoned mercenaries under Ithiko's employ.

At this time, Sir Jagoth cooks up a plot to increase his own standing in the Earl of Tormau's eyes. He sets off for Zaza, with his "men" in tow. Once there, of course, the main topic of conversation is about bandits. He lets several "observations" drop, things like, "It is unfortunate that the King has called he troops back to Shostim out of paranoia. The Earl of Ithiko hasn't nearly enough men to patrol so many lands. How can he protect his vassals?" followed later by, "The Earl of Tormau has no problems with brigands. Nor do the lands of his vassals." He then sends his "men" out north of Zaza to jump and butcher the first wagon, caravan, or travelling party they find.

When hurried word comes to Zaza that there has been another attack, this time in broad daylight, Jagoth says, "My lord Baron, bandits are everyone's problem. I will go north to Tormau's lands and bring aid in hunting this rabble out." His rationale is that the next village north of Zaza, Strade by name, is one of Tormau's holdings, and bandits hurt trade going both ways.

When in Strade. Jagoth sends word to Tormau, who immediately sends a small detachment troops and instructs Jagoth to kill one of Tormau's own groups of brigands. Heartless and treacherous, but hey, they are expendable. Jagoth's men are even given the location of the group's hideout.

To make a long story short, they go and slay nearly the entire group of brigands, taking them by surprise in their own camp. They capture two men and bring the head of the brigand leader, Galgar the Toothless, back to Zaza. A merchant in Zaza identifies Galgar as the man who attacked a caravan of his several months earlier, and Jagoth is the "savior" of the town. Indeed, Jagoth, a knight ultimately under Tormau, and a detachment of Tormau's men are at Zaza, and being welcomed openly.

Now the Baron of Zaza has a problem. Styfen of Paque is an honestly good and competent baron. His primary concern is that of the people he has sworn to protect, and it is an oath he takes seriously. Yet he has sworn to protect both those under him *and* the Earl of Ithiko. In the event of open conflict with Tormau, Zaza's lands will undoubtedly be the battlegrounds, and his people will suffer the most. Even then, Tormau will likely still be victorious in the end. If Zaza switches allegience to Tormau, he has betrayed his feudal oath, but Ithiko will fall quickly, as he will be hopelessly overmatched. Thus, at the cost of his honor, he can save countless of his peoples' lives. Tough situation.

To make it worse, the carrot has been waved in front of his nose, as it were. He has seen first hand that Tormau can and will protect him (he doesn't know that it's a sham), so the offer becomes that much more appealing. Tormau can deliver what Ithiko has failed to do for the past several years. Decisions, decisions...

Unfortunately, a hasty and none-too-bright messenger went to Ithiko by fast horse the night that Tormau's men brought in the brigands. While they were having a feast in Zaza to commemorate the death of a particularly ruthless band of brigands, Ithiko was being told, "Tormau's men are in Zaza." From there, he immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion (blinded by his hatred and mistrust of Tormau) and dispatched a messenger of his own to Arketh.

The next day, after having ridden for a good part of the early morning hours, a company of the Companions of Roving Doom entered Zaza. Seeing Tormau's men camped on the common, they charged, no questions asked. They (wrongly) assumed that this was an advance force for an army that was meant to besiege Zaza. So it was that the first blows of the war were struck. A skirmish between loyalist Agrikans and Tormau's soldiers, all over a misunderstanding.

The fighting was fierce, and eventually both sides broke and retired from the field, both having suffered heavy casualties. When the dust cleared, no one could figure out why the Agrikans had attacked.

Ithiko's men are mobilized and on the way, so the whole thing has the potential to be straightened out if someone has the good sense to do so.

Unfortunately, two nights earlier, and unbeknownst to any at Zaza yet, the King has struck back. Needing to buy himself some time from Tormau's increasingly aggressive plottings, the King has again ordered an assassination. The channels are the same as before, only this time, the Lia Kavair know that it is beyond their skills, and hire the Navehans, who (for reasons they don't tell anyone) accept the job.

So it is that on the 30th of Azura, a trusted person in Tormau's own household kills both Saval and Hesela Lynnaeus, claimants to the throne. The murderer is never caught, so the spy is still safe, and the Navehans have lost nothing.

What the Earl of Tormau has lost is his justification for aggression against the crown. Many of the uncommitted nobles could be swayed to Tormau's side, using the justification that the Earl merely meant to put the rightful heir on the throne. Now, without the children, there is nothing to justify their actions with, and Tormau's less avid supporters will hesitate or withdraw their support entirely. Any further aggresion by Tormau or his supporters is treason against the crown, pure and simple.

And so it is that Tormau finds himself politically stonewalled, forcing him to back off. But can he back off? The first blows have already been struck. And so it appears that a war is coming whether Tormau, the King, Techen, or any of the others want it or not.

This is now current as far as the party is concerned. I'm not sure what they're going to do next. It's like the 3rd or 4th of Halane, and they don't know about Saval and Hesela yet, so things could get interesting. As you can see, there are numerous factions, all with different goals, ideals, strengths, and weaknesses.

If there's anything in these explanations that doesn't make sense or that you want more info about, feel free to ask. I've had to gloss over some of the details. In any event, I hope that you enjoyed this look into my campaign, and I hope it has given you ideas or inspirations you can use to torment your own players as well. :) Enjoy!

Marc