Once you are both done with leveling up, please post here what your character has been doing for the past couple of years.  Within a couple of months you were able to take your respective pets into your care, so you should comment on how that has affected your living arrangements.  Feel free to put any special abilities in a private section -- we'll be making liberal use of them in this thread.  If there is anything you want to say about your special heritage, then certainly put that in a private section.

Obviously, you both know who the spymaster is for the other faction, but I'll expect you to role-play that you don't.  This isn't something generally known.

Urvan, you will likely be moved into the senior pages' quarters, being bigger than most of the others.  We'll assume that someone graduated out rather than was moved down.

Scarlet, you're still a little young to move out of your mother's quarters, but you could probably arrange it if you want to.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:55, Sun 31 July 2022.

The years passed...

Urvan of Tamacia, in reality the orphaned Urvan Kron, became a familiar face on the grounds of the Palace and among the servants of House Lexagenol.

Although he attended to his duties, mostly in service to the Knights of the House, there were a few factors that held him apart from the other Pages and Squires.

The first and most obvious was his physicality. Although only fourteen years of age the boy possessed a hulking build. He was larger than some of the smaller Knights, and outweighed some of the other pages by fifty pounds or more. The other boys would sometimes lie awake at night as Urvan tossed and turned and groaned in pain, his growth almost unnatural and the associated growing pains agonizing at times. He had pronounced and unsightly stretch marks along his inner thighs, under his arms and down his back where his pale flesh strained at his growing bulk.

Those who shared quarters with him had always noted his out of proportion ribcage, the way his latissimus muscles had been creeping up his neck to an almost ludicrous degree, and the way he ate voraciously, easily consuming an entire chicken every evening if he was given the chance.

Most chalked it up to his supposed Spartan heritage, but some privately wondered, and some avoided training with him at all.

Another obvious trait that set him apart was Boreas, the Apollo Hound gifted to him by the Queen some years back.

Boreas was a somewhat clumsy and enthusiastic dog, ridiculous in proportion, social and affectionate in most settings, but fiercely loyal. Urvan has his side of the quarters and Boreas would brook no approach while the two were in for the night. Even an errant step by a Page getting up late for a drink of water, or to relieve himself, would be met by the hefty brute madly scrambling to his feet in order to investigate the "unusual" disturbance, and some of the boys cursed the animal openly for its overbearing vigilance.

It moped whenever it was apart from Urvan, and had once lept from a second story window, badly spraining a leg, in order to join him.

Overall, day to day, Urvan was not especially well liked, but it could be said that he was respected. He did not chase girls like the other boys (although he admired them from afar), and he did not enjoy drinking. His laconic personality was somewhat dull at parties and his sense of humor, when it rarely presented itself, was too dry for some. It was also not fun to train with him, as although he was not overly brutal in practice, he did not let the other pages win either, which was as frustrating as it was predictable.

The Knights too whispered about him at times. The story of what had happened with Caiaphas had made the rounds and it was enough to puzzle some of the experienced men, it just didn't add up that a boy, barely twelve, would stand any chance at all against a full grown man, armored and fairly fit, very drunk though he was.

He didn't boast like the other pages, he did not bandy insults or show up to training hung over. At the same time Urvan, as a page, was not especially talented at many of the Knightly skills. He was mediocre in the saddle, a very basic swordsman, unimpressive with a lance and  not especially brilliant with his tactics. The boys feared him, but they did not look up to him, so his leadership abilities were not very promising.

"If you make a fortune at all, it will be in ransoms" one of the older knights had joked one day. Even at 14 Urvan could bodily pull an armored man from his horse, rip a helmet off right through the straps or break an arm, but that would be of limited utility on a real battlefield. Privately some of the Knights avoided training with him. Nobody wanted to be knocked down and pinned by a boy in view of the others after all, even if it was Urvan.

The boy was a character, a quiet, odd sort of character. He had something about him, his pale and pronounced musculature, the way he moved, that look in his eyes. It gave some pause, almost seemed to fascinate others, and set him apart from his peers, much to the chagrin of some who had his best interests in mind.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:55, Sun 31 July 2022.

The sudden downfall of Alyssa of Travis was a shock in the small, insular world of teenage courtiers. Whatever the political ramifications were for the grown ups, whatever the consequences of the brusque way in which her marriage prospects with the son of the Count had sunk, the shockwaves were stronger in that small, parallel court that was the teenage clique of Castle Moresby.

The second shock was the brazen way in which Scarlet d'Ardelle stepped into that power vacuum. Within a month of Alyssa's vanishing for parts unknown, her former toadies (and Scarlett's recent bullies) were following her around, laughing at her jokes and humoring her. Whether they really bowed to her charisma or they were just scared was anybody's guess.

And Scarlet didn't care.

Her sudden rise was not without a certain violence of its own. Drizella was officially renamed Noboobella and recklessly bullied until she cried at the mere sight of the new, crownless queen of teenage Moresby. The others knew how to toe the line, for Scarlet didn't just have a sharper tongue and more vicious streak than her predecessor; there was also a dark aura about her, nothing concrete, but whispered rumours about the way in which Alyssa had been disgraced discouraged any questioning of Scarlet's new position.

Scarlet became a regular at master Usuul's fencing lessons. The exercise was a welcome way to burn excess energy, the accumulation of pent-up frustrations and unexpended energy within her. A few maids joined too, anxious to imitate her in what had previously seen as a contemptible tomboyish extravagance. She grew more agile and faster of reflexes, just as her body was finally growing into more feminine curves.

Whatever Anne d'Ardelle's opinion on all those changes was, Scarlet was paying no attention to. With her newfound power came a more vocal opposition to Mother's whims and despotisms. Scarlet started openly ignoring her orders and publically gainsaying her. She felt like her own woman, finally, no longer bound to her outdated, gauche opinions. She listened to Tigris' meows more than to Mother's yadda yadda.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, Scarlet could for the first time in her short years smile at her reflection and admit that she was coming into her own...
This message was last edited by the player at 12:44, Tue 02 Aug 2022.

A large feast and celebration is planned for the event, in spite of rumors of the Gauls to the north arming and collecting on the border, compounding the usual problem of the Persian Army to the east.  These concerns are not enough to prevent the important work of celebrating.

Within Moresby Castle, preparations start months ahead.  The people traveling, their servants, their necessary baggage (which means more servants), their horses, carts, and oxen (which means more servants) all have to travel to Olympia.  The coordination is worthy of a major military offensive.

Among these preparations is a question of who will care for the Duchess' Savannah cats.  Sir Fishbacher's health has never been strong and seems to be failing; he has requested remaining behind to care for the cats that will not travel.  His assistant, Lavaleen, seem the next most obvious choice, but in the chaos of preparations she suffers an accident that breaks her leg badly.  The accident was not life-threatening, but it makes travel difficult.  No one has seriously considered the other assistant, Erikus.  Finally, the Duchess comes up with the brilliant idea of asking Scarlet Fitzbarton d'Ardelle to take on the responsibility.  She seems to have an affinity for the animals, raising one of her own, she is presentable, and she seems to have adequate knowledge. 

---

Within the Palace, there have been some changes over the past two years.  First, the tradition of having the pages wear only togas was eliminated.  The quaint custom was first ridiculed by a jester, which would have had no effect until the queen made the comment that it did seem a little foolish and the practice was instantly abolished.  Some of the pages were pleased with the change, while others worried about the cost of providing their own clothing.

Every spare room in the palace is being repurposed for guests.  The knights who live in the palace are being pushed out to the barracks, and the soldiers living in the barracks are pushed out to tents which crowd the compound and the space around it.  The pages are being forced to double up, all of them crammed into what used to be the younger pages' quarters, and guests are being housed in the older pages' quarters.  Meanwhile, the workload on the pages has increased.  As guests arrive, they all want to send messages to people they hope to meet, and all the knights are insisting that their armor and tack receive special attention from the squires, who in turn have no problem bossing around the pages.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:52, Tue 02 Aug 2022.

Even Urvan was starting to feel it.

His fingers had been worn raw with all the polishing, sharpening, scrubbing and filing over the past week or so, and there were stains under his fingernails from a bit of leather dye that had seeped through his gloves the day before.

Boreas, who now weighed well over 200lbs, had been crammed into the double bunked pages quarters with the rest of them and had been terrorizing some of the new boys who had made the mistake of becoming overly familiar with the somewhat protective canine.

But the first day of the games was coming soon and the excitement about the Palace was palpable.

This excitement was tempered somewhat by the sheet number of strangers coming and going in the corridors and the chance that some well meaning local might try to introduce him to someone that he, or his family, should know.

Thankfully, most seemed concerned with the more practical aspects of the Games rather than the parentage of a humble page, a little odd looking though he may be.

Urvan was by no means immune from the excitement and he too had his favorites and certain individuals that he planned on watching closely over the coming days, and their close confines were a little more tolerable with all the gossip and insider information that they shared each evening before lights out.

...And naturally, with Scarlet being in charge of such an honor, how could her noble Mother not be invited?

Scarlet almost prevents it, almost: but at the last minute she considers it can be better to let mum come along only to show off and ignore her to "tend to her duties". Letting her stay at home and stew would be satisfying, but it will be even more fun to have her attend and bite her nails because she can´t boss her around any more.

17:11, Today: Zag, on behalf of Scarlet d'Ardelle, rolled 27,14 using d20+9,d20+9.  Meeting Dearest's cats, Male, female.
18:11, Today: Zag, on behalf of Scarlet d'Ardelle, rolled 19 using 1d20+9.  Meeting Archon.

Dearest's two cats are a large older (15 years) tom named Gatópardos and a 5-year-old queen named Kompsótita.  The male is the largest cat she has ever seen, a good two inches taller than Tigris.  Scarlet sprinkles a bit of catnip on her hands before approaching him, but, he turns out to be a big snuggler, rubbing his face on her hands and gladly submitting for scratches.  The female is a little more standoffish, but Scarlet has learned not to crowd her and let her come around on her own, so there's no confrontation.

Scarlet watches Sir Fischbacher put the Duchess's two cats into comfortable cages in one of the large wagons, and Erikus into the wagon to ride with them.  Scarlet is a little surprised to see how large he has grown in the past two years.  Where he was in inch or so shorter than Scarlet when they first met, he is now at least 4 inches taller.  His mother hovers nearby, no doubt neglecting her duties.  She sees Scarlet and ... 

There are two other cages provided, one for Tigris and one for another cat which will be travelling: Archon, a big, healthy tom belonging to Sir Heger Ledath, a devilishly handsome, powerfully built man who is rumored to be a favorite for overall winner in the Games.  When Scarlet meets Sir Ledath and Archon, the man is quite friendly, with a big smile and a great laugh.  The cat is cool to her, but not unfriendly.  He leaps into the cage at Scarlet's command and settles down easily.

As they travel, Scarlet realizes that she can keep up with the baggage train with an easy walk-trot regimen.  She knows that the cats will need exercise, but will not be interested in walking the whole way.  So she takes each cat in turn for a half-hour exercise.  Erikus is happy to put the harnesses on the cats for her (of course, Tigris does not need one), but he just looks terrified and refuses to leave the cart when she suggests it.  She soon learns how exhausting two full hours of a walk-trot regimen can be.

On the first night, Scarlet gets some supper for herself and then looks for Erikus for help feeding and bedding down the cats.  She finally finds him, still hiding in the wagon even though the cats' cages were unloaded and moved into a tent nearby more than an hour ago.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:49, Fri 05 Aug 2022.

19:36, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 23 using 1d20+6.  Perception

With the early guests arriving, Urvan has been very busy.  He has been discouraged from bringing Boreas along in his page duties, though it is not exactly forbidden, so he has taken the political path of locking the hound in the Pages' quarters.  Boreas becomes restless and nervous locked up for any length of time, so Urvan has to take multiple breaks from his work to bring the big dog out for a run.  Although Gerro is the only other page who has warmed up to Boreas, Urvan has found that many of the soldiers, especially his friend Caiaphas, delight in the power and presence of the dog.  He has caught more than one of the men slipping the beast a sausage or a bit of chicken.

Urvan is standing in the main hall, waiting for any request, when a contingent from the temple arrives.  They are here to bless the grounds where the games will be played in another few days time.  Of course, the arena is outside the palace compound, but they are still expected to come to pay their respects.  Among the contingent is a face that Urvan saw only once, but is indelibly burned into his memory: Erastoo, the heavily tattooed high priestess of Hera and the leader of the Purifiers.  She is met by Gratham, the sham of a priest who once punched Gerro, and they talk for a moment.  Then Gratham waves over a page, an older boy called Talaiporía, and asks a question which Urvan can't make out.  In response, Talaiporía looks around, then points directly at Urvan before his hand is pulled down again by Erastoo.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Thu 04 Aug 2022.

Urvan was well aware that there were more than a few people sneaking Boreas treats, he had grown especially chunky over the last few months, but Urvan had been so busy that there was little he could do about it.

When the delegation from the Temple arrived, Urvan was of course on hand to give directions, very luggage and to generally make himself useful.

However when Talaiporía pointed him out in particular, it was all he could do to not freeze in place. His heart suddenly lurched and he felt a cold sweat break out on his brow as he suddenly found something to do that would allow him to leave the room, perhaps not as subtle as he would have preferred, but the entire meeting had been unexpected and it was all he could do to not bolt like a startled deer.

Nothing more happens at the moment for you to react to.  Presumably, you'll be called on to run an errand of some sort.  The next obvious step would be to ask Talaiporía what that was about, but I didn't want to presume you did that or if you wanted to stage or to arrange the meeting somehow.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:09, Thu 04 Aug 2022.

Scarlet suppresses a smile of inner satisfaction as both cats react positively towards her. This has to be a significant triumph, handling the Duchess' own with such ease! Of course, she is only rehashing and adapting what she has learned from Erikus; had the boy any practical wits beyond rote memorization, he might have had a shot at acquiring some fame and status for himself and his mother using these very same skills Scarlet has gleaned from him. But no, luckily for her and unluckily for him, he is a dove and she a hawk.

I find myself (perversely) wanting Scarlet to be super dismissive towards Erikus, the poor boy. Let's try to tone it down:

And Scarlet knows this is, to some degree at least, not lost on Erikus' mother. She watches his son carefully, and Scarlet hasn't forgotten her plea not to damage him, two years ago. And while truthfully she hasn't, for he is no worse off than when they met, he is also no better off, his knowledge and skills just another tool for Scarlet's rise. Scarlet returns her gaze, unfliching: dare you say something, commoner? Whether the woman is hopeful or worried under her practised politesse, Scarlet doesn't really care.

Her thoughts are elsewhere: on the prestige she might gain from this trip. On the way Ledath's smile makes his eyes twinkle. On whether he has a lover, and how does that feel for her. On her aching calves after all that damned trotting along with the caravan, hiking her dress and ruining her courtly shoes.

"Erikus! What are you doing hiding in here? I never thought you'd be a shirker! What would your mum say?"

Erikus' eyes are wide as he stares at Scarlet.  "Sorry.  Sorry.  Sorry.  What should I do?  It's time to feed the cats, time to feed the cats.  Cats need to eat.  The younger cats should have at least 1/2 beef or pork and 1/4 supplement.  The older cats need less fat, so they should have no more than 1/4 beef or pork and at least 1/2 of a lean meat like fish or venison.  ..."  He continues this recitation, which Scarlet knows is directly from 'The book.'  After a few minutes of reciting, he calms down enough that Scarlet is able to get him moving and the cats are quickly taken care of.  She leaves Erikus to sleep in the tent with the cats, then finds that she is expected to share a small tent with her mother and two other unmarried women who are not part of the Ducal family party.  (Feel free to make up names and personalities for them, if you like, or we'll just leave them as background.)

The next day is similar, with the exception that Scarlet feels that her legs are on fire even before her hours of exercise.  And the following day it is even worse, and she wonders how she will last the eight days of the trip.  However, on the fourth day, finally, her pain is subsiding and she starts to feel a new strength.  As she heads towards the tent where the cats spend the night, she hears hissing and a man moaning.  Running in, she sees three youths, large lads who look like stablehands perhaps, surrounding Erikus.  As he turns from one to the other, whoever is behind him gives him a hard shove in the back.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:43, Fri 05 Aug 2022.

It took some time for Urvan to calm himself. Terrible memories from years passed flooded back and he found himself considering wild courses of action.

It was only after thirty minutes or so that be resolved to find Talaiporía and to ask him what had been discussed. There was some chance perhaps that he was imagining things or had been confused.

He would need to report this, and soon, and he wanted to have some of the basic information on hand when he did so.

With everyone so busy, it takes a few hours for Urvan to track down Talaiporía.  He is one of the few pages who is still taller than Urvan, but probably not as strong.  They've never been unfriendly with each other, but not particularly close, either.  Urvan tries to keep a light tone when he asks, "When you pointed towards me this morning, what was that about?"

Talaiporía just shrugs, "That creepy woman with all the tattoos, she asked if there was a page who started just two years ago, just before midsummer.  You were the only one who started around that time, so I pointed you out.  She asked your name and where you were from.  Sorry, I thought it was weird that she'd ask, but I didn't think anything of it and I just answered her questions.  Is there a problem?"

When you say you need to report this, I assume you mean to Iwo?

Urvan felt his blood flush cold at the news. She knew, she knew who he was, or at least she suspected, and now she was right here in the Palace with him.

Urvan thanked Talaiporía for the news and assured him that he had did nothing wrong. He asked Talaiporía to let him know if the woman came back with more questions before he took his leave.

Iwo would likely be very busy with the games and all the visitors, but this news in particular was urgent.

Urvan went in search of him at once. Careful that he was not being followed, he stopped at a few false locations first and took a round about route in his search, checking for followers all the while.

Scarlet is surprised that Erikus, whose entire world has revolved around the cats and their care, would hide here and neglect them. Something is afoot. Perhaps it is only the trip, possibly the first time the boy leaves Castle Moresby...

...but then a couple of days later she runs into three lads bullying the boy. She is incensed, not so much at Erikus being given such rough treatment, but at the contempt shown, by derivation, to the office of Guardian of the Cats, that Scarlet regally occupies.

"You three! What are you doing here, interfering on Ducal business?" she says in her most authoritative voice, stepping in.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:07, Sat 06 Aug 2022.

After a circuitous route, Urvan reaches Iwo's office and quarters, but Iwo isn't there.  He returns to the main hall where the queen is greeting people officially.  Iwo is off to the side of her on the raised area along with several other counsellors; he occasionally steps in to speak to her quietly.  Looking around, Urvan spots both Erastoo and Gratham standing among a group of what look like priests and priestesses of various churches.  Urvan knows that if he were to try to approach the dais, guards would block him, even if he were delivering an official-looking message.  Protocol would be to hand it to one of the guards to the side.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:09, Sat 06 Aug 2022.

01:20, Today: Zag, on behalf of Scarlet d'Ardelle, rolled 12 using 1d20+8.  Intimidate.
I assumed the plus for you being noble class was cancelled by the minuses for you being smaller and outnumbered.  Plus they're drunk.

The three bullies turn to Scarlet.  Two seem frozen, but the largest of them laughs, "Whatsh it to you, little bitsch?  Maybe you'd like to take hish placshe."
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:26, Sat 06 Aug 2022.

Urvan agonized for a few minutes, but decided not to risk a written message being intercepted.

In the controlled chaos of the ceremonies Urvan felt lost. He was not about to run for the countryside, not yet, and at the same time he felt anxious and uncomfortable being idle.

In the end he returned to Iwo's secret chamber for a moment of reflection and solace.

There was a small iron bound chest in that room, and Urvan used a small key that he wore concealed on his person to unlock it.

Within, nestled within a cushion of red velvet, were the preserved and polished skulls of his parents.

Gently he lifted them out, one by one, laid out the cloth atop the chest then set them side by side. An experienced doctor or perhaps a grave keeper might have been able to spot the differences in the shape and structure of bone, but on the whole they just looked like particularly sturdy and well preserved specimens.

Among his mother's books, the few he could understand, there was no mention of this sort of veneration, but there were illustrations in some, and he had created his own little ritual to help him cope with his loneliness, the terrible things he had witnessed, and the strain of his secrets over the last few years.

He knelt, placed his hands on the ground and lowered his head and pressed it firmly against the hardwood floor of Iwo's chamber, as he had seen it done in the illustrations.

There he remained, motionless, as he worked to control his breathing and as he reflected upon his next course of action with his sworn enemy a few hundred yards away within the Palace ground.

Now and then the strain would become distracting and he would resume his kneeling position to reflect upon those skills before he resumed his forward posture.

He might be missed, it was true, and he might have to pay for it, but this moment alone after all the hustle and bustle of the last few weeks, after the recent shock, was worth it to him.

With a swish of steel, the rapier appears in Scarlet's hand and the point dances in front of the lad's face.

"And maybe you, dirty commoner, would like some appendix of yours chopped off," she retorts with an icy tone. "What is your name, knave, and what is your business here?"

10:34, Today: Zag, for the NPC Drunken idiot, rolled 19,3 using d20-1,d3+1
10:34, Today: Zag, for the NPC drunk, rolled 9,3 using d20-1,d3+1.  crit check.
He's at -2 for being drunk.  And then he rolls natural 20.  LOL.
Take 3 points of non-lethal damage.

The brute looks at Scarlet's steel, inches from his nose, then bats it away and swings at her head.  She is so surprised that he has the audacity to strike at her that she does not even try to dodge.  The punch catches her squarely in the cheek and she hears the ringing of a bell inside her head.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:43, Mon 08 Aug 2022.

oh no he didn't...

The world suddenly turns ninety degrees left (is that south?) and there must be a church nearby, judging from the sound. The next thing she knows is she's leaping forward, not really seeing where she strikes, driven only by those two years of fencing training and a red-hot desire to do harm in revenge...

Scarlet d'Ardelle rolled 15,3 using d20+3,d6+2.  Rapier.

12:27, Today: Zag, for the NPC Erikus, rolled 18,1 using d20,d3.
12:32, Today: Zag, for the NPC Erikus, rolled 1,3 using d20,d3.  AoO

Scarlet's rapier pierces the man's bicep.  At nearly the same moment Erikus, flying into a rage at seeing Scarlet injured, swings both fists wildly and manages to tag the man just below his ear.

The man's two friends are already on the way out of the tent, and he, suddenly sobering up, runs to follow them.  Erikus swings again, even more wildly this time and, missing badly, falls to his knees.

Take an Attack of Opportunity and then you can pursue if you like.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:34, Mon 08 Aug 2022.