In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 60):

"Damn it! I should have known... The bastard would have ratted us out. We need to keep a low profile, or offer an alliance."

In reply to Jacob (msg # 61):

"We could steal a boat and go around the town, but then we'd be on foot....or I know of a few men in town that I am sure are loyal to the King. We could sneak in, and contact them, or we could go back, and go the long way around, but that would take two weeks to take the Great Loop that would lead back to your castle."  Sir Raive says.

"Which route would you take?"

In reply to Jacob (msg # 63):

"I don't know, my king."

"Let us be off, and quickly. We need to take the faster route."

In reply to Jacob (msg # 65):

He leads you around the outer edge of the town, sometimes in up to knee deep swamp water, which your horse does not like.  It balks a few times, but you get it to come on.

+@1 to horsemanship.

As you get close to some boats, you smell pipe smoke.  And looking ahead, you see two guards protecting a half-dozen rowboats from presumably people like you, or you in particular.  They are sitting and smoking pipes.

"Damn... we need to kill them or talk to them. What do you want to do?"

In reply to Jacob (msg # 67):

"Your choice, o king."

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 68):

"Just do whichever one is quickest."

In reply to Jacob (msg # 69):

You and he charge them, and swing your swords.  Both of you miss as they run back, and Sir Raive misses, but you nick yours on your second attack.  They fumble out their blades.  You continue to attack with Sir Raive as the grass slides spongily under your feet.

You get a solid stab in the chest on your foe, and Sir Raive stabs his through the neck.

The last guard panics and runs, beating feet faster than you can, at first, and you both swipe at air.  But then you chop him down.

The guards are dead.

+@2 to swords.

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 70):

"Let's go."

You get back to your capitol with Sir Raive in tow.  News has reached them of 'strange disturbances' in the Southern Swamp.  Your Captain of Guards and King's Counsel which includes a Lord High Exchequer, High Judge, Arch Priest, and several others all want to know what happened, and why you look so beat up.

"We were betrayed by the Duke. We prepare for war. That's the plan. Diplomacy failed."

In reply to Jacob (msg # 73):

Two days later, you have a core of a hundred men at arms with halberds, forty archers, ten knights like Sir Raive, thirty servants with wagons and oxen and the Duke of the North who is gleefully planning to avenge insults from the Southern Duke is with you as well.

"Let's ride."

You arrive at the Duke of the Southern Swamp's capitol hill.  The gates of the small city are closed against you, and the flag of the Matriarchy hangs over the castle.  Getting closer, you see that there is a body hanging from the gate.  Getting closer, you realize its the Duke of the South, or was.  He's dead now.

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 76):

OOC: How many troops do I have vs the Matriarchy?

In reply to Jacob (msg # 77):

The Matriarchy has more troops, but they are less trained, less armored, and less weaponed.  Its a slave army of men commanded by a small group of men called the Core, commanded by a female staff and female commander.

The chief problem you have is that of concentration, as all feudal lords have. It takes time to gather  your forces, days at least, and for some a week or two.  The Matriarchy presumably has already concentrated their forces.

You should expect four to five times as many troops as you currently  have. One question is what happened to the Duke's troops when the Matriarchy betrayed him.

We will rally north of the Duke's former lands. I will wait until the troops have arrived, and establish perimeter defenses.

In reply to Jacob (msg # 79):

An emmissary, with four honor guards comes to your camp.  The Emmissary is Countess Lucinda, and she has an arrogant and harsh look to her face, as well as high quality armor.  Her guards have much less armor.

"False King, we have freed the people of what you call the Southern Swamps from your tyranny.  Now you seek to bring war against us?  How dare you?"

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 80):

"First, let me say that this is an incredibly long story. Most recently, though, the duke tried to betray me and kill me, but when my troops returned, the Countess's troops had killed him. You were the one who initially brought war."

In reply to Jacob (msg # 81):

Are you speaking in private, or in a small group, or in front of your whole army?

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 82):

I have my advisors and generals with me.

In reply to Jacob (msg # 83):

"The treacherous duke attacked us, so we attacked him.  In recompense for his unprovoked attack we will take his dukedom and you will give us a thousand gold marks.  Then we will have peace."

Your advisers looked shocked, irritated, and Sir Raive is rolling his eyes.

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 84):

"Why do I owe you anything?"