In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 27):

I am like Lord Dunbarring.  The Wandering haunt are after me because of the power I possess.  Remember the mountain top after the witches?  That was my power.  There are also people after me who would do me harm.  Because of this I have to hide my identity as a mercenary.

He looks around exaggerating the movement then leans in

Can you keep a secret?

"I think so.  I am very good at keeping things my friends give me."

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 29):

That is well put.

Titus strikes a thoughtful look and fishes around in his bag absently for a minute, finally he comes up with two scraps of gray cloth.

Here is the secret... I'm not a mercenary.  I'm a Lord.  At a young age I was pursued by monsters and bad people, and now I have ended up here.  I have been employing Brennan to find out what happened and how I can restore my name.

He unfurls the two pieces in his hand and you can see the cloth is unremarkable with a stylized yin-yan symbol in the middle.  They are durable and well made.

These are the opposite of a secret.  When you wear this cloth, and ONLY when you wear this cloth are you to acknowledge that I'm a lord.  Any other time I'm Titus and a mercenary as I have always been.  You still work for Brennan.

Do you have any questions.

Enrei stares at the cloth thoughtfully for a longer time than probably makes Titus comfortable.  He opens his mouth slightly, but remains silent for a moment longer before speaking, "What means 'acknowledge'?"

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 31):

To act like you know.

Confident that it may have sunk in he begins using the same call and response technique used to teach an inebriated bar room a new drinking song.  He asks Enrei to say his name, when he responds with Titus he will smile and approve.  He then hands Enrei the cloth and asks him his name, he gently corrects Enrei that his name is now 'Lord'.  He then takes the cloth away and asks him to say his name, once again Titus....

and so on.

He does this until a look out of the corner of his eye at Brennan indicates that he thinks the lesson has sunk in.

Get it?

He asks with the big storyteller's smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Wed 19 Oct 2016.

"Yes," Enrei says unsteadily before holding up the piece of cloth and adding,"Lord."

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 33):

Good.

Titus smiles.

Brennan anything to add?  How do we go about announcing ourselves?

He hands him the other peice of cloth.  He ties the one for Enrei on his arm and does the same for himself.


If this works it will be a miracle.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 34):

"Well, how powerful of a Lord are you, exactly? How long does your line stretch back, and through the reign of how many sovereigns? How much land is your to control? How many people are under your command, what do they produce, and what is your annual tax burden? How many knights will come when you call? How many peasant militiamen?"

He spreads his hands wide.

"These are the questions we must know if I am to suitably introduce us at this wedding. And, mind you, the loftier you make yourself, the better our gift will need to be."

Brennan narrows his eyes slightly.

"I can coach you on a few names to drop -- and some to avoid -- based on who is and isn't here. I did used to do honest work for a noble, you know."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:05, Thu 20 Oct 2016.

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 35):

Titus smiles. He begins speaking as the lies begin to take shape and develop momentum of their own.

I know.  Thats why I asked you.

My lineage is not long stretching back to my great-grandfather who distinguished himself in military service... only 2 sovereigns, the previous and the current.  We control a small port around a lake in the North and produce mainly fish and the surrounding areas are rice patties.  There are 600 citizens under my protection.  The tax burden is on the low end of middle.  We are well managed and surviving comfortably but not luxurious by any means.  We are industrious and pay our due to the King on time and in full.

The allegiances mainly stem from my grandfather.  If I were to call 3 houses would likely answer.  My father was business minded and had no head for politics as such our house was improved in it internal workings but weakened in both political and military power.

I am the spitting image of my grandfather and have a temperament and abilities to him.  Most all of our current allegiances are of my doing.  Since my father had not maintained an active militia the town easily razed during the war in the north.  I was a young man at the time and was taken hostage for ransom.  I escaped, returned home and was delighted to find that one of our house's loyal retainers (gesture to Brennan) had managed to survive the battle as well.  Until that point we have survived on our wits and getting our hands dirty.  We are NOT the standard milktoast nobility.

At this point the name of Fastbender is all but buried in the minds of our enemies to the North.  We are searching for answers to our lineage and birthright and hope to resurrect our house from the ashes.

I should say all of this in past tense as if you go now you will just find the charred remains of timber and stone...

He stops breathing heavily.  Silence fills the time.  After a moment he looks back and forth between the two.  Finally settling on brennan.

Holy shit its like the lies spin themselves.  Its amazing the life it takes on once its uncorked. 

Too much?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:25, Thu 20 Oct 2016.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 36):

Brennan shrugs.

"As long as you can remember all of that, it should be fine. I hear that not everyone has my gift of total recall."

He rubs his hands together.

"So... what does Lord Fishmonger wish to present as a gift?"

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 37):

My father was lord Fishmonger.  The son has much higher aspirations...Its a story to tell.  Stories are easy.  Facts and numbers less so.

Do you know anything about the family that is getting married?  More information the better.  I need to know everything about these people.

I'll give them the same thing that Minh would... a family telling, a song, and a story.  None of which they are likely to forget.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:02, Thu 20 Oct 2016.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 38):

Brennan frowns slightly.

"I'm not certain who rules here now. Once we get near enough to observe the coat of arms, I should be able to tell you more."

His tone turns somewhat chiding.

"I must warn you not lose yourself so fully in this endeavor that you mistake our course, my Lord. We must reach Losthelm before those who pursue us catch on to where we are headed. Recall that we are humanity's version of archangels and demon lords. Only we have the power to do what must be done in this shade of reality."

Brennan lowers his voice.

"I have not forgotten your pursuers, either. And they are far more dangerous foes than the well-minded, blind paladins who chase me."

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 39):

Titus shudders at the mention of his foes.

If they want me.  They know where to find me.  Moving won't save us from them and you know it.

He perks up as he claps his hands and rubs them together.

Now lets introduce ourselves.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 40):

Brennan nods, and the group advances toward the castle. When they get near enough to discern the banners, he attempts to identify them. If successful, he will describe in great detail all he recalls of that noble line's traditional allies, enemies, and other trivia for the benefit of his allies.

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 41):

OOC:  I have updated the Kingdom thread with Eastwatch's banner lord.  There is also a new map of your recent travels.

Banners are easily found (An iron gate set into mountains) but are currently overwhelmed by garland and fresh wildflowers as townsfolk prepare for the festivities.


As you walk cautiously through the crowd, and adjust to the bustle from the cold wilderness you just left, you notice the unusual behavior of the city soldiers.  After watching for a moment, you realize they are inspecting local merchants' wares: bread, cakes, butter, roasts, as well as the decorations.

There is no cruelty, but they appear to be incredibly strict on what is good enough to bring to the towers, sending much of the foodstuff and finery back.  One young lady, after having her basket of loaves rejected, simply drops them on the ground for anyone to claim (if you take one, they are sweet and sticky).

The general chatter you overhear is that the wedding was planned very suddenly, and is a surprise to everyone.

You notice another oddity, a small crowd about a pig sty.  Apart from mud and scraps, there appears to be a man sleeping between two large sows.  Certainly you've observed such behavior before in town drunks, but this man appears to be dressed very well.

In reply to GM (msg # 42):

Titus looks at the man in the pig sty.

Just so you know.  I expect something important to happen soon, likely tonight.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 43):

"Ah, there we are, " Brennan smiles, glimpsing the banners at last. "These are the lands of Lord Torrence Garr.  His aunt is Lady Shandra Garr of Long Plain. She is his banner lord, and he is bound to rally to her aid at her command."

"Torrence Garr has no bannermen of his own, but he is still important. He's one of the wealthiest lords under Lady Garr, thanks in large part to the wine production of his lands."

He frowns at the guards examining the citizenry's profferd goods.

"It seems there is a high standard for what passes as an appropriate gift. I'm not sure 'a song and dance' will be sufficient."

Brennan scoops up a sweetbread from the ground, dusts it offer, and takes an exploratory bite. His expression brightens immediately, and he takes a second before finishing chewing the first.

"Now that's interesting," he says around a mouthful of bread, noticing the man in the sty for the first time.

Brennan heads over toward the sty and touches one of the rabble on the shoulder at random.

"Excuse me, do you know what's going on here? Why's a man dressed like that rolling in the mud?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:57, Mon 24 Oct 2016.

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 44):

Brennan... this is one of MY... songs and stories.

He speaks so quietly that Brennan can barely hear him.  As he says this one of the pigs turns into a dragon, breathes fire over the crowd who doesn't react at all, stretches lazily and flies off.  When he looks at Titus he finds his eyes are blazing fiery orange and his standard orange glow extends into the heavens.

It takes him a second to realize that only he sees the visions.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 45):

Brennan finds the peasantry surrounding the sty to be more than willing to talk:  apparently it's something of an oddity to them as well.

The man is, or was, the Sheriff of Eastwatch.  A bit of a hard nose, but fair and well respected.  Several days ago, he apparently vanished, only to be found a day later in his chambers.  According to rumor, he was losing his mind, endlessly counting the same coins over and over.

Lord Garr had him escorted to the barber.  The next day, the sheriff was found in a pig sty... allegedly in congress with a prize sow and unwilling to leave.

Naturally, Lord Garr discharged him immediately.  Ever since he has been going from sty to sty as he is kicked out of one he turns up in another.

In reply to GM (msg # 46):

Titus turns his conversations to fact finding missions trying to dig up everything he can about Lord Garr, specifically disposition, and the woman he is planning on marrying.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Mon 24 Oct 2016.

"What is gift for?" Enrei inquires of Brennan as he looks at the man in the pigsty curiously.  Though this is not his first time seeing a man among swine, it's always interesting to find out how they got there.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 48):

Brennan follows the path of the pig-turned-dragon with interest, then glances over at Titus. Finding him glowing with radiant energy -- yet turning no other heads -- he concludes that the spectacle was meant for his eyes alone.

He raises an eyebrow in response. It is clear from his puzzled expression that he is not sure what the take-home message might be, but his perfect memory will allow him to peruse the scene in more detail later.

To Enrei, he smiles.

"There is going to be a wedding here. We hope to attend, and will need to bring a suitable gift in order to do so."

Brennan then pushes his way toward the front of the crowd, looking carefully for any auras among the peasantry or the man in the sty. An observant eye might watch him reach down to the cup hanging from his belt, fingers brushing against its lip gently before bringing it to his mouth.

"What do you make of this, Galandril?" he breathes softly into the rim.

"Wedding.  This is where we can feast on nuptuals?" Enrei follows closely behind Brennan but does not offer much in the way of help.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 50):

Brennan nods. "Exactly, Enrei. There shall be a feast, and we have been invited."

He turns to Titus.

"Give me a moment to contemplate what's going on with the former Sheriff. Perhaps find directions to a local bath house or something. We will need to refresh ourselves before we can make for the castle."

Brennan sighs.

"I hate to waste the money, but we may need to buy body oils, lotions, and perfumes as well. And we'll need a place for Bryce and Deev in the retinue. Go over their roles as well while I ponder the Sheriff's plight a moment longer."

He grins slightly.

"If it pleases my lord, of course."

Enrei ponders Brennan's reply as he goes on to converse with Titus.  After a few moments of deep thought he speaks up, "I will give him my goat," the Chal'i states affirmatively.