Are Duro's men soldiers, servants? Does he ever address them?
More like henchmen/thugs. Their names are Francis & Richard. Duro often addresses them as Frank and Dick, or Fkhead and Dkhead. :mrgreen:
Coming soon: Road to Estancia Escarida 
Why does this sound like a Hope-Crosby film?
Because it does. I lack originality and have used the "Road to" motif in story titles many several times. :mrgreen:
Estancia-es-Karida is located near the village of (Arabic word for Clearwater), some sixy miles from the capitol city of Granada in Andalusia. The physical location consists of a rehabilitated Roman villa with a very weak and easilly accessable regio. Outside (Dominion 2) it seems run down but still suitable to be inhabited. Inside (Magic 2) it is all fixed up and crowded with people. Entry to the regi is as simple as walking in the front gate or hopping the wall.
Now the information on the Andorra wiki is outdated. I checked the list of members and it is a direct copy from ToH-Iberia. Which is cool. But that was 45 years ago. Several of those magi are still there, but not all, and there are some new ones. The numbers balance though, still 12 magi and 75 grogs.
Prominent members include...
- Alarcon of Flambeau, who is also a Sahir and a Knight of Seneca. Interesting backstory there.
- Yusef Abdul-Quadir, a Sufi
- Teril Adan Ex-Miscellanea, who once fought (and survived!) a Wizard War with Antonio. Turns out Lex Luthor was manipulating them.
- Isalinad filia Terah of Jerbiton, her matter passed last year
- A blind Criamon with no name.
But you are not there yet!
About a days travel out of the way, there is a magic orange grove that Fedora has heard of. It is owned and operated by a Hermetic Sahir they call Joshua the Blessed. Up North. That's where most of his costomers are from. He exports his magic oranges to covenants such as Barcelona, Valnastium, and Voluntis.
They say the seeds are vis and the juice is the sweetest and healtiest of all time ever.
So...
Do you guys want to take this side trip?
Fédora will pass along what she knows about Estancia-es-Karida and the magi thereof. Credible speculation, she will preface with [color=blue]"It is rumoured that..."
She also talks about the orange grove. [color=blue]"Do you want to see it? It's not very far out of our way." The tone of her voice and the expression on her face make it evident that she would like to.
Rilcheaux rubs his chin. The trip seems a bit of a diversion, but this Joshua may well have his own network into various covenants that could be worth exploring. "Certainly, let us see this marvelous grove."
Fédora smiles. [color=blue]"Let us go, then," she says as she turns up the road that leads to the grove.
So up and over the hill you go and down the road you take a fork to the left. Cross the river and through the woods. Hours of walking through the enchanting Andalusian countryside.
It is a nice summer day out too.
So then, checking ye olde randome encounters table....
19 Beholder. Nah, that's stupid. Re roll...
76 Adventuring Party. That works.
A small mercenary company, an odd dozen, on their way North seeking war, willing to fight for either side if the price is right. But this is such a nice summer day that they are camped alongside the road taking rest.
Would we have any idea which war they are looking to join? The Albigensian Crusade is pretty well over by now...as of 1229. Except for the siege of Montségur which begins in 1243. At this point Cathars are simply being hunted by the Inquisition. Reconquista is currently concentrated in southern Spain, around Seville and Cordoba... unless they are planning to get involved in the war between Fredrick II and the Pope... which would be more East than North...
You will have to talk to them for specific details of thier plans. But realize you live in a world of constant warfare. Especially Iberia. There are skirmishes, raids, bandits and extortionists, almogavars, town guars, international mercenary companies and more. Thee very large companies operate out of Barcelona. There are petty skirmishes between christians and moslems, between moslems and moslems, and between christians and christians. There is a mixed bag of interests at stake: religion, ethnicity, economics, political influence, and more.
Nothing is simple.
[color=brown]Except the job. They pay the price, and we guard their walls and secure their gates. We march their lines and trail the spear. Its what we know. Its what we do.
Their Captain chats with you. Big fellow. A bit obese, but large and strong. And maybe female but maybe not. [color=brown]Call me Sam. Sam and the Odd Dozen. A mixed bag we are. Mitchy over there is an atheist Jey, Bobo used to be a Marmaluke, Carlos scares horses and strangers but is as friendly as they come and has an instince for approching peril. Then there is Rez and Roy. They do their thing and I ain't bothered by it. And they are a fierce tag team. A couple of the fellas are runaways or fugitives, depending where we go. We stay out of Portugal and Valencia. Headed maybe to Catalonia.
Me? I am what I am and my name is Sam. Witch tried to curse me once. Turned me to a toad then a princess. Then a dog. Broke the spell with um, a magic apple. Still has some after effects. They say magic does that. After seven spells yer done for!
Rilcheaux is intrigued "So what happened to the witch?"
[color=brown]
Huh? You ask to many questions fer a stranger! Where ye be off to anyway? Thems no-mans-lands up thataway. The Tafia Lord of Granada maintains control up until ya get to the river some three miles up. Then after that is scrub lands and bandit lords. They pay good, but they keep switching sides and makes it hard to get settled in.
Nah, that ain't you. And yer dressed to nice to be commoners but not all lorly like. And yer hats. Seen them before.
Ah! I know what yer up to. Come to do business with Yashua.
Where you from anyway? What language are we speaking?
I assume Spanish, which Rilcheaux has at 4.
Rilcheaux simply replies "Travelers on business, and yes, we are going to see Joshua."
Fédora pretty much keeps to the background during the conversation, as she doesn't want to attract the mercenaries' attention.
When they start conversing in Spanish, she strokes one of her Eavesdropper's Earrings and mutters [color=blue]"Ja ponimaju", which invokes Thoughts Within Babble, and follows the conversation.
Actually, Sam literally asked Rich what language the two of you are currently speaking. Curious that
I shall presume Rich said "hello" first in Spanish. It makes sense. Castilian, Arabic, and Portuguese are spoken fluidly in this corner of Iberia.
[color=brown]I speak a lots of languages and somes I get confused, 'cause I don't speak any of dem proper.
The bandit lords and petty barons on the no-mand land, they don't mess with ol' Josh. And they don't mess wit you red hats neither. Those were our orders when on patrol. Don't mess with Josh or the Red Hats that visit him. They say he is a wizard. That is why he lives alone in no-mans land.
But there is also monsters. Yep. And they mess with everyone. That's sorta why that area remains unclaimed. Not a big deal if you know how to avoid them. Like the wyverns. Dey is most active in late spring and early summer, and dormant in the cold seasons. Ogres never range more than a mile from their hill-homes. And the Visporsath only comes out on nights with no moon.
Be willing ta guide ya. For a half-dollar and a good word with the wizard. Always wanted to work fer a wizard. Heard up in Barcelona dere is a merc company that sepcializes in wizard guarding. The Vibria company. Another one up in France called Monjoy.
That is what I was thinking of fer our future. Quit the skirmishers and the raiders. Find us some bodyguard work.
Rilcheaux looks to Fedora. This is her territory and he doesn't want to reveal any information the local magi would prefer not be public.
I am waiting on a response from Peregrine before proceeding further.
[color=blue]"Do you speak Latin?" Fédora asks Sam.
If he doesn't, she will speak with Rilcheaux. [color=blue]"Interesting, what they were saying about Carlos. If it's not just teasing, it may be a sign of the Gift, or at least a sign that he's got strong magic of some kind.
"Are they serious about wanting to work for wizards?"
Does Fédora know of any covenants that are currently hiring grogs, or a mercenary company? ((Int 1 + Area Knowledge: Iberia (Covenants) 5 + die roll of 6 = 12.))