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Post by Brian on Nov 8, 2022 0:23:04 GMT
Brian will whenever we stop take his guard and start to gamble with those men who have money to gamble (so long as that is permitted within the rules under how Harold has his army structured).
Brian will do some Bardic tale spinning with the men he is hanging out with before they go to bed.
Brian gives himself a solid half an hour to process whatever he fleshes up.
Trying to let whatever he gains reflect and stew in his mind to see what he can come up with from the men in question
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Post by Katerina on Nov 8, 2022 8:03:45 GMT
Ryland varies the pace of his mount moving up and down the line during the march. He will casually chat with the men, sergeants, and leaders of the various factions with the goal of learning about the command, etc., and if these mercenaries are all from this shadow, and what they are fighting for.
During the ride when he sees Princess Katerina alone, "Cousin, I witnessed the floggings and hangings on my way in. What qualifications does Lord Harold have for leading armies? Does he lead one for Amber?" Ryland asks.
Kat looks surprised at being called Cousin. She has no accepted parentage and nor has anyone ever called her such in the past, however she decides to let it slide until she has answered Ryland's question as she finishes up tending to the wounded. " My understanding back in Amber is that Lord Harold is a commander of some reknown and success, though not an official one. He is not seen as the establishment by the Crown and indeed I think he has some problems with the Regent which is why he didn't attend the party. Having said that he was the ONLY one in Amber who I could find willing to help me defend my homeland, and for that he gets a lot of leeway from me. Lady Eivor knows him well I think." And perhaps would like to get to know him better.
Kat points the way towards the capital, avoiding a treacherous ridge following a query from one of the men and then decides to come back to Ryland's familiarity. " You called me cousin. Do you know something more of my father and mother that I do not?"
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Post by Eivor on Nov 8, 2022 8:57:27 GMT
When she is not shouting at stragglers and trying to install some cohesion in the ranks, Eivor sits quietly by the fire and carves, little piles of wood shavings accumulating around her feet as she seems lost in thought. She does confer with Harold on occasion, but otherwise her demeanor does not encourage familiarity.
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Post by Brian on Nov 8, 2022 9:56:14 GMT
Brian makes his way to Eivor " considering how quickly you and Harold put this togther....dont let the frustration get to you. We need to put this right for Kat and her people.....it'll be tough but I think we can do it."
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Post by Eivor on Nov 8, 2022 11:09:56 GMT
"What is frustrating is that this should have been simple. Kat wants her homeland back. It should not have involved Great Houses of Chaos and errant princes of Amber," Eivor replies while her knife continues to gouge at the wood. "There is a sickness in this family, and it is hard not to feel angry about it. It is hard to exercise restraint when others do not."
She shakes her head. "Don't mind me. Thank you for coming to help when others did not."
Her knife stabs into the wood. More shavings fall at her feet.
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Post by Brian on Nov 8, 2022 11:13:33 GMT
"There is an old touchstone 'As above, so bellow.' The troubles in Amber are manifesting here. I don't know Chaos well.....i imagine my wife knows it better. But I imagine trouble 'bellow' also radiates up. And the music of the two sets of troubles dances here. And Kat is family of some sort....by hunch the senior members of family firm at a minimum suspect it. Was she placed here for this moment?"
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Post by Ryland on Nov 8, 2022 15:43:14 GMT
“It was a guess. And it appears an incorrect, or at least an unproven one. You are in shadow with three of my cousins.” Ryland replies to Kat.
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Post by Katerina on Nov 8, 2022 16:40:38 GMT
"I am, but for all you know I could be anyone. Of course you could also be right, but I have no way of knowing that. I was always told by the King of Eshanta that I was left here by my father and that he adopted me, but I have more recently been told that it was Princess Fiona who left me here. I had been palmed off to her by someone else, but I never got the full story out of Princess Fiona. So I have no family that I know of, and all I have is the place that I was brought up in, which is even now being destroyed by a Demon army. It's not like I really fit in here, but its all I know and I'll be damned if I see my home destroyed." Kat replies somewhat bitterly.
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Post by Eivor on Nov 8, 2022 17:50:21 GMT
"That we can't know, and speculation will get us nowhere," Eivor replies. "All I know is she needs our help, and that she is in my care. Perhaps my aunts expected me to abandon her at the first opportunity, but I mean to see this through."
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Post by Brian on Nov 8, 2022 18:04:45 GMT
" If they expected that....they are a poor judge of your character. Or they feel that's the path you need to walk. Your her mentor....her Doctor Holmes. You couldn't leave her."
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Post by Ryland on Nov 9, 2022 0:14:53 GMT
Replying to the princess, “Be careful around us. We are an odd lot. For instance, it is hard for me to think of a place as home. After walking the pattern, everywhere I roam is my home.”
Ryland gives her a pleasant smile and continues.
“I do understand the concept of “mine.” and not wanting someone else to damage or destroy what is yours. That is often reason enough to fight.
I’m concerned about the morale of these troops. I’ve seen that King Brian has the same concerns. We have both separately started measures to help.
This circles back to Amberites being an odd lot. There are tales of my uncles walking into shadows and coming back with entire armies. So, this strategy of using conscripts and mercenaries is different. Conscripts aren’t generally useful unless their homes are the ones being invaded. Mercenaries run a gambit between coin and honor. More importantly, we need them to think we will win.”
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Post by Edward on Nov 9, 2022 5:40:51 GMT
Edward will keep himself quiet until they have stopped for the night. He has some errands to accomplish, but he will continue to listen to Ryland (his closest relative, and possible friend) *snicker*
When everyone has stopped for the night, Edward will attempt to do a few things before it gets too dark and rest is required.
until then, he will move his way over to Eivor and try to listen in on the conversation to see if it turns into a detail about the enemy. If not, he will ask.
"Eivor, I was curious as to what you have seen of the enemy so far? You think their numbers finite, or do they grow daily?" and when given the opportunity to respond in an appropriate amount of time, he will ask other questions.
"If seemingly Infinite, what are your current plans to defeat them? One on one and hope they give up after you defeat the leader? or do you have plans to bring in a contingency of troops that are sitting in shadow. Battle hardened perhaps?"
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Post by Eivor on Nov 9, 2022 7:54:53 GMT
If Eivor understands the Doctor Holmes reference she doesn't give a sign, merely grunting an acknowledgement.
"Perhaps. We will see."
Eivor eyes Edward thoughtfully, the sharp tip of her knife glinting in the firelight.
"Don't you think I would have done that if it were an option? Time, cousin, is not our friend. By the time I gathered the army you speak of the city would already be lost."
She turns her attention back to the wooden slat which she turns in her hand before working on a rose pattern on the border.
"Their forces are not infinite, otherwise our task would be futile. It is difficult to bring through reinforcements easily this close to the Mirror Maze. Still, they are numerous. That is their greatest advantage. Take away their numbers and their morale will fail. Take away their leaders, much the more so."
"Have you ever fought a Lord of Chaos, cousin? There are no Queensberry rules."
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Post by Katerina on Nov 9, 2022 7:56:16 GMT
Replying to the princess, “Be careful around us. We are an odd lot. For instance, it is hard for me to think of a place as home. After walking the pattern, everywhere I roam is my home.”
Ryland gives her a pleasant smile and continues.
“I do understand the concept of “mine.” and not wanting someone else to damage or destroy what is yours. That is often reason enough to fight.
I’m concerned about the morale of these troops. I’ve seen that King Brian has the same concerns. We have both separately started measures to help.
This circles back to Amberites being an odd lot. There are tales of my uncles walking into shadows and coming back with entire armies. So, this strategy of using conscripts and mercenaries is different. Conscripts aren’t generally useful unless their homes are the ones being invaded. Mercenaries run a gambit between coin and honor. More importantly, we need them to think we will win.” Kat pats her Dinathactor on the neck and checks mentally that she is alright, but the conjured female doesn't have the zest that Coashur has. She misses him. " I've never been anywhere else until a few weeks ago. Amber doesn't seem that different to here, but other places are very different. The Golden Sands for instance people just went there for pleasure and although I can understand the concept it felt odd for me to go there for that when there was so much riding on the battle here." " I am grateful for your coming with King Brian to help me. Both you and Edward did not need to come and help someone that you hardly know. However I fear that there are bigger things at stake here. This is a key part of Chaos' plan in the war against Amber from what I've been told, but it seems that the Regent is unaware of this or turning a blind eye to it. So I can only do what I can to protect my home. The mercenaries have been promised land here and their leaders titles, so at least they have a reason to fight for the place. As to control and running armies, that is not my area of expertise. Lady Eivor is a true warrior at heart and will know what to do as will King Brian."
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Post by Brian on Nov 9, 2022 10:22:56 GMT
I turn to Edward. "Last time I literally and metaphorically decapitated a Chaosian army's leader they kept fighting.....That trick doesn't seem to work with them."
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