Mold Castle has changed hands between the English and the Welsh more times in the last sixty years than most people change clothes in a lifetime
The fishermen have shallow, flat-bottomed marsh skiffs. You'd need something nearly seaworthy to cross the bay (remember, it's two miles across; currents will be strong once you're out of the marsh).
Stefan can tell you that Maribus had a means of travelling under the water, and suggests you ask his familiar, Sanno, if he knows the location of the craft. Otherwise you may have to ask a Redcap for a pretty big favour.
Elysante asks Josef where Sanno can be found. Is he in Maribus' sanctum or on the mainland? She will not go out in the estuary on her own. If Sanno can be found easily she will ask the otter how Maribus used to travel over or under water. Can he help find the means of travel for her. If it means investigating the sancta in the process she will ask Rhodri, Attravere and Tabanus to join her.
What does Attravere know about the sancta and the underwater transportation? He is after all the filius of Maribus.
Attravere recalls [Whatever Arya says he recalls] regarding the transport.
He also asks how long Elysante expects the baron might take to reply to a letter she pens. "If he recalls you fondly and the prospect of your presence is something he would immediately write or offer a reply to then I might be persuaded to deliver it to him this very day and return with his answer."
Maribus had crafted a small ship which was enchanted to travel very quickly. It was made for general use by the covenant's Redcaps and himself. You've probably heard one of the Redcaps complaining that he took it with him when he disappeared.
Maribus also had an enchantment in his talisman that would create a Rego Aquam effect to propel him through the water at high speeds, and let him breathe underwater. But he'd presumably have his talisman with him, wherever he is.
Might be better to send a Redcap, what with your not-so-Gentle gift. They will much more readily do favours for a Magus Mercere than for a Jerbiton.
"Of course if you think the Redcaps will deign themselves to such "lowly work" as delivering messages to mundanes I would not object. It's probably the quickest way given the circumstances. For the future we must develop a safe and reliable way to travel the river though.", Elysante says to Attravere with a slight hint of a spit at the Redcaps.
When Elysante goes to acquire vellum, Wallis, the covenant scribe, refuses to allocate precious vellum for a letter to a mundane. He insists she send a message by the traditional method. "You may be accustomed to the trappings of wealth, maga, and perhaps such overt displays of privilege are common in France," he sneers, "But here in England, where we are ruled by your people, we make no pretense that the Normans are anything but illiterate barbaric usurpers. If you wish to be so gauche as to waste something so precious as vellum just to appear more wealthy, get your own." He huffs. "A letter to an illiterate indeed."
((It takes no Folk Ken to pick up that this guy not only hates the Normans, but that he's also a pretty elitist literatus. Probably from Oxford or Cambridge.))
Maybe twenty minutes later, a tall, muscular knight approaches Elysante. "Mademoiselle l'Anglois?" he inquires politely, in perfect Norman French. He bows appropriately for a nobleman greeting a woman of equal station. "I am Chevalier Guillaume d'Arras, better known in these parts as Sir William of Mercere. The magus says you wish to send a message to Flynt, in haste?"
((Elysante has met the Baron, is he illiterate by normal mundane standards? I will assume he is not since he is of noble birth. Also what is considered traditional methods of writing a message these days?))
"Mr Wallis, be aware that there will be many changes around here in the coming months and years. You will have to learn who is your new masters. Normans, English or Welsh doesn't matter here. You answer to us magi no matter where we may come from. Is that understood?", she looks at him with burning eyes and talks to him with a harsh, cold voice. "Now will you get me some vellum or do I need to take it myself from our stores?" ((She uses Leadership(Intimidation) on Wallis to make him realize who is the boss between the two of them.))
Depending on if Elysante got her vellum or found something other appropriate material to write her message on she will hand it to Chevalier Guillaume d'Arras and asks him kindly to take it to Baron d'Montalt in Flynt as quickly as possible and if possible if he can wait to see if the message is answered immediately.
The message reads:
[i]
Your Grace Baron d'Montalt,
It is with great sadness I heard the news about your loss of Mold Castle to the Welsh. I hope you and your family are all well though.
It is with great urgence I seek an audience with you. We have many things to discuss which is of interest to both parts. Please answer this request as soon as possible, preferably with the returning messenger. I will come to your court at Flynt if you wish or you can visit Neston with a small retinue if that suits you better at the time being.
Your humble Vassals,
Lady Elysante d'Anglois of Gallus Florensis and Neston[/i]
Attravere's eyes widen at Elysante's disparaging remarks regarding his house. "Typically interactions with mundanes outside of covenants are the specialty of your house, but I offered my assistance as a favor intended with goodwill and the hope of building trust among new covenantmates. "the Redcaps" are my house. My friends. I'll thank you to not insult us."
Vatlen returns, with the Knight of Golden Locks at his side. He catches the eye of one of the covenfolk and barks his orders.
[color=red]A meal, prepared for myself and my guest. At once! And make sure that it is fine food placed before us. No gruel or slop. If I or my guest are displeased, I shall boil your stones!
And tell Lillianna to come meet with me. I wish to speak to her at once!
Actually, most nobles are illiterate. Outside the Order, it is highly uncommon for anyone but clergy to know how to read (or Latin for that matter). The merchant class is more likely to read and write than the nobility. Typically messages are sent by someone who memorises and recites his charge.
"Now will you get me some vellum or do I need to take it myself from our stores?" ((She uses Leadership(Intimidation) on Wallis to make him realize who is the boss between the two of them.))
((You roll a 4, +2Com + 2 Leadership, specialty Intimidation = 8. Also the guy at Togo's looked at me funny when I busted the d10s out of my purse.)). Wallis is completely unfazed, and corrects a conjugation error and one grammatical error Elysante made in her speech. "Covenant resources cannot be misappropriated for personal vanity here. Should you steal from the covenant stores, the magi will send you packing right back where you came from. Should you steal from my stores, as I am in the employ of Josef, you would thus be stealing from a Jew, therefore stealing the property of the King himself. I would, of course, do my civic duty and report your miscreancy to the constable."
Guillaume le Chevalier is perfectly able to recite your message verbatim.
The knight shakes her head. "A man who treats his inferiors harshly invites insubordination. A man who treats his underlings graciously, however, never wants for anything.". She takes the frightened, confused guard by the hand and speaks to him in his native Cymric. He smiles and nods (apparently oblivious to her highly unorthodox dress) and leads you to the covenfolk dining hall.
The meal for the night is grilled fish with leeks, and thick crusty oatbread. Liliana enters as you are finishing your meal, and heads straight to your new companion. They seem very glad to see each other, though you don't know Welsh so you're not sure what they're saying. Something Liliana tells the knight upsets her, and her response seems to leave Liliana confused, or concerned, perhaps-- you can't really tell. They both head for the door.
((I'm a little confused on the time-line. Are the events in Chapter 1 the next day? Or is this meal happening after the current events in Chapter 1? Regardless of that part, Rhodri is bound to be at dinner.))
Welsh is Rhodri's native language, so he may catch the first part of what they say. He is also interested in this knight as it is so uncommon to have a woman warrior. He will glance at her arms and armor to try to identify their style and quality.
((Chapter 1 begins the morning after the current thread.))
The magi have a separate, smaller dining hall adjacent to the covenfolk dining hall. With an Awareness check of 7+2+2 Rhodri hears voices speaking rapidly in Welsh... First they seem to be discussing someone's poor manners-- as you lean over to look into the main dining hall, you glimpse Valten with the lady-knight-- then they start talking about a lion and a dog. ((A confidence point would make the difference between hearing them clearly over the other voices in the dining hall.))
The woman warrior is dressed in gleaming golden armour, obviously fae in design and creation. You haven't seen workmanship like that out of any human hands. The armour is superior to what you yourself could craft, and that's even assuming you could work starmetal (you've only seen it twice and never had the pleasure to get it in the forge, but you've heard it is very difficult to work.) She is armed with a mundane bronze axe, probably Welsh manufacture, and the knight herself has, easily, the most beautiful face you've ever laid eyes on. The unearthly beauty is familiar-- ((Faerie Lore check of 5+2+4=11)) she can only be one of the Daoine Sidhe, the lords of Faerie, rumoured to be the eldest beings in Creation.
The knight and Liliana seem to agree that they must investigate, and appear to be hurrying towards the door. What do you do?
Figuring the poor manners being mentioned belong to Valten, and noticing his quick return, Rhodri speaks to in Latin quietly to the other magi "The Flambeau has returned." At that his interest in the uncouth mage, and that's saying something, wanes, his attention being drawn to the Daoine Sidhe...
Rhodri rises and prepares to greet her. ((I should mention that Rhodri is at Faerie Rank 8.)) Rhodri will give whatever sort of a bow he learned from childhood, but lessen it a bit to not show 100% deference to her now that he is a mage. In Welsh he'll say, "Greetings, my lady. Would you like some food?"
You catch her just as she reaches the door. She seems mildly surprised at your greeting, then salutes as befitting a knight rather than a lady (confirming she is one of the Eldest-- who do not mimic human behaviour). "It is a pleasure to meet you, good sir; I am known as the Knight of Golden Locks." (She does indeed have long curls that shine the same hue as her starmetal mail.) "Please forgive my haste, but there is a matter of urgency I must attend. I will return when I have finished, and make proper introduction." She bows and departs with Liliana, leaving behind the scent of honeysuckle and rosin.
((To clarify: Events in this thread are all occurring the day prior to the events of Chapter 1. It is currently evening.))
A few hours after sundown, there is a commotion out on the green. A giant bonfire roars happily in a pit. Liliana is playing the harp, and the Knight of the Golden Locks is playing the lute and singing. One of the covenfolk beats a bodhran, and one of the men-at-arms plays a reed pipe. The covenfolk are all out and about, some dancing across the green, and others huddled together for warmth in the cold night air, drinking mugs of hot mulled wine.
Word is travelling around that the faerie knight and the Merinita ventured into the haunted forest together, and returned with a magus who might have information on Leona's whereabouts.
((Leaving this thread open for character interactions and such... since the Chapter One thread has already begun please be cautious about undertaking anything that might change the timeline.))
[color=red]You ar correct, and I stand admonished milady. Hunger and previous ill treatment have worn my nerves thing. I am reminded of the parable of Tytalus and Flambeau discussing what the qualities of a learder are. Flambeau claimed that the leader is the servant of his followers, to which Tytalus scoffed and replied how he drives his minions with the force of his personality. Flambeau smiled, saying that he just proved his point. Flambeau, knowing the hearts and minds of his followers and having earned their respect and loyalty, would merely have to walk and his followers would be at his side. Tytalus was wasting his time and energy corercing and cajoling his followers, pushing them from behind
The two of them hurry to a fountain near the base of the tower. It looks like an ordinary fountain, but they both step in and are completely submerged in the water. They do not reappear (though they do return later that evening, as described above).
