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=-=What Began in Spring, 998 Spring 2nd Age=-=
The Grand Duchy of Muoarma had been busy with a fury of debate over the last few months, as the Grand Duchess Marsha Penosbaug had called a sudden meeting of her court and advisers within the grand palace at Aedeth Mar, capital of the country. Marsha had hinted amongst her court over the last year of a military campaign, and even openly challenged the coalition against Muoarma, but never revealed to her court her true desires on the matter, but made it openly clear she had been planning a war against one of its members. Court advisers however were rather puzzled by these turn of events, as Muoarma’s guilds and rich nobles seemed more interest in trade reform then going to war. Many in the court wondered if Marsha had plans to march on Olma, or to punish Muha, or even march an army to occupy the Okke lands in order to gain access to the lake.
Yet, when Marsha began a court session in the opening months of spring, she began with a speech. “My lords, ladies, and other members of high esteem.” She began in a cold and elderly voice, the elder Grand Duchess spoke as the room of her court grew quiet. “For the previous year I have heard you bicker over what I intend to do this year, and so you will wonder no more. I have decided I will hold an election for Consul this year for two amongst the dukes of Muoarma to stand forth and defend the realm’s interest and to command her armies. The election will happen this spring, and this is to be my decree. The dukes of Muoarma will present their votes by mid spring and those who do not attend the vote I shall vote in their stead. Baron Tazberd, step forward and present the country’s wishes.” There was a nod from a fat and well dressed man, Tazerd Neskerbaud, in the crowd who stepped forward, his pounding footsteps rang with authority as he read aloud the formal declarations and requirements for Consul. Marsha watched the room as her court silently began to speak amongst themselves, and several others left watched from affair in black clad and fine robes, nodding to Marsha from afar.
Marsha’s command was spread far and wide in Muoarma, reaching the lands of Zengher, as a fast courier arrived before Duke Nausk Gotembaug was about to ride off to the Olma border to meet with some elves. Nausk was a bit surprised to receive the news, and summoned his family to consul him. Goaded by advisers and family, as the Gotembaugs had a long history of prestigious consulships in the past and Nausk saw great political opportunity in the title, he set off with his elite bodyguards and a brother, Jude Gotembaug. Nausk however, before arriving in Aedeth Mar, turned his bodyguards to ride to Souk Mar first, and rode to meet it’s duke, Galan Sanderbaug. Galan had been a good political friend of Nausk and the two had been on friendly terms, primarily due to Galan and Nausk having had been the only two dukes who had been personally disgusted with Marsha’s rise to power, a secret they both held. While Galan held the cheated Tesan Penosbaug and his family in his palace as guests, the two nobles often bickered with one another. Nausk personally invited Galan to a political alliance to secure the Consulships for themselves, and Galan readily agreed. Once things were settled in Souk Mar, both lords made off at once for the capital.
However, when Nausk arrived in Aedeth Mar, he had spotted the banners and men of Gaszbam. Nausk knew who else had come when he first entered Aedeth Mar’s gates, the Imperator of the Highlands. Nausk tried to secure his horses to a nearby stable, but he and his men were routinely bullied by the aggressive rabble of Gaszbam’s Uesbergan, who due to the poor state of their ducal territory looked more like well armored bandits then soldiers. Eventually, a deal was settled after some tense moments, with a stablemaster directing the party of Nausk to a nearby stable on the other side of the city, which the ever cautious Nausk agreed to in order to avoid a fight. In the true fashion of the lords of Zengher, Nausk approached the grand palace of Aedeth Mar and walked into the court of Marsha Penosbaug, and declared his intentions of becoming Consul. However, just as shortly as Nausk declared his intention and Galan would rise to speak, the court was interrupted when the thunderous armored steps of Garlor Olo Veunbera, Duke of Gaszbern, entered the main hall. Garlor had been nearly a foot taller than those in the room, a hulking man of great size and a true soldier, in a ceremonial armor allowed on the palace grounds and a square mustache which went down into his mouth. Garlor declared in a boisterous and rousing screech his participation in the election for Consul as well. Garlor gave a deathly stare at an unintimidated Nausk, who only stared back in impatience, the two rivals remained silent and distant from each other during their stay in Aedeth Mar’s palace.
It was only until Nausk left and made his way outside the palace to begin his campaigning did Garlor speak up to him. “Coward!” He shouted at Nausk. The two men, flanked by bodyguards looked tense, Nausk looked at Garlor and gave an annoyed sigh. “Not many have called the Gotembaugs cowards, and fewer today have survived to continue such a claim.”
“Yet there you stand, still giving alms to a regicide.” Garlor spoke venomously. Nausk snapped back at him “Regicide? Was a young babe also a regicide, household servants, elders, and other family members who shared no parts in that rebellion?” Garlor gave a nasty grunt “They are guilty by blood, you infernal wheat diddler, I will damn well make sure I bury this campaign of yours in the chamberpot where it belongs.” Garlor and his guard, having said their peace and some further jeers left, and both parties drifted to go about their campaigns. As Nausk and Galan stayed in the capital, Garlor had left and made his way directly to Edgk.
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The campaign had come down between two obvious factions, the Gotembaugs and Olo Veunberas, with the Gotembaugs being a very clear cut winner. Too many dukes and lesser lords trusted and liked the Gotembaugs for their long reign in Zengher and their excellent military service. To Nausk, the difficulty was to get Galan elected alongside him. Nausk knew full well that his support in Zengher and western Tannis secured him as a Consul, that was not up for debate, Galan had support in Jentre, but in order to secure his consulship fully, he needed the support of eastern Moasmar, or even Edgk. Nausk and Galan decided to stay in Aedeth Mar for awhile, meeting with nobles who had come to look over those who were running for Consul, and as luck would have it, Nausk and Galan were invited to a group outing of nobles within the city’s entertainment district to an art show off of the local famed painter, Guilam Reasbaug.
During the showing, Nausk and Galan were approached by three higher nobles who exchanged pleasantries, but then got to the point of wishing to support Galan for Consul, but under specific conditions. The three nobles were barons from Tannis, who had promised to support the Gotembaug agenda, for a favor. Nausk had suspicions, and asked what the favor was, which the Tannis nobles often deflected. When Nausk threatened the nobles after getting annoyed with their demands and vagueness, they told Nausk they had wished for both him and Galan to support a decentralization faction using their newfound powers, and to perhaps to support a coup. Nausk had felt insulted and dismissed the nobles, and after some mutually exchanged threats, both Nausk and Galan left the city to begin winning support amongst their intended targets.
Nausk and Galan visited a number of nobles, but during their travels, attending many parties and writing letters, both received news. Two new contenders had sought to become Consuls as well, and the date for the Consulship vote had moved back by several weeks. Of the new contenders had included Garlor’s son and heir, Tanberg Veunbera, and the duke of Tannis. Nausk was outraged, as Tanberg was not allowed lawfully to run for Consul since he wasn’t a duke, and set off once again to Aedeth Mar for answers, and summoned a judge of the city to oversee the case. Yet, when Nausk re-entered the city, the judge he summoned arrived late, informing him already that Tanberg’s election issue was fully legal. In fact, it had been written into law the previous year, which further raised Nausk’s ire. Nausk was also confused as to why the other peaceful and trade obsessed lords of Tannis would also run for election. Nausk and Galan met back up outside the city and split up, with Galan heading to northern Tannis to try to secure support, while Nausk returned to western Tannis to reinforce his own.
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Behind the scenes, Marsha Penosbaug had been busy with both internal and external politics, and her motives concerned her neighbors of Muha and Olma the most. Already, the Olman and Muhan army were mustering after Marsha’s announcement, both nations knowing that the calling of two Consuls may as well have been considered an act of war, but what had surprised her foreign enemies was when two ambassadors visited both Olma and Muha, demanding them to meet with the Muoarmans in Aedeth Mar, who sent ambassadors of their own. While in route to Ok’va, the Muhan Ambassador was advised by his Muoarman peer to avoid the region, as the ever isolated Okan would just as much throw them into the sea then talk. Much to the reluctance of the elven diplomat, the ship carrying them sailed toward Aedeth Mar instead and both ambassadors arrived and met with Marsha during an arena event dubbed ‘The Coming Glory’, where three Okan gladiators fought two Muoarman knights to a cheering crowd.
Marsha took the ambassadors aside after an interlude of the event, asking their opinions on their alliance with Ok’va. The Olman ambassador spoke mildly of the Okan, with the elven ambassador showing more clear disgust. Marsha summoned an adviser from her merit council, Lorgan Burges, an older man with a white eyepatch which both ambassadors recognized, having appeared in their own courts as a spy in their ranks. Apparently, the man had been a double agent, and told Marsha of the economic troubles faced by Olma and Muha in general, the two talked in an insulting tone of the two nations. Olma felt isolated in both trade and diplomacy, causing a decline for years and constant stress of it’s nobles, and Muha had recently gone through a vicious cycle of crop failures of their wine industry, partially caused by incompetent elven master winemakers using outdated techniques. Both nations had tried to keep these issues secret, but with a double agent in their ranks, Marsha seemed to have known these issues for years.
The Olman ambassador demanded answers from Marsha and her agent, and Marsha had a weak grin, offering the ambassadors a number of lucrative deals. For Olma, a trade partnership to supply Olma with resources for it’s craftsman at a low price, paid for by the Muoarman treasury, and a more open trading policy with the nation along with a peace agreement. For Muha, Marsha offered a sizable bribe, thousands of coins to help in the recovery of the Muhan economy along with a similar peace deal. When the Olman ambassador then demanded to know what the Grand Duchess wanted, guessing that it was a break up of the coalition, Marsha surprised him by saying that she wanted to not touch the coalition, but rather, to just break off a ‘useless member’ of it. She debated that the Okan had a history of treachery and would at any opportunity try to betray their alliance. The Muhan ambassador was quick to agree with this, but it took a good deal of time for the Olman ambassador to agree. After some further debates and hammering out specifics, the two ambassadors were sent back home with Marsha’s deal; Prosperity for Ok’va. For the deal to work however, the betrayal of the small marshland backwater had to be kept secret.
Once Marsha was done with her external part of her plan, she became more dedicated to her internal part, choosing the Consuls who would lead the war against Ok’va. Marsha was confident of victory, but needed a victory that wouldn’t be costly and wanted only the best Consuls. However, her two best Dukes and military men were rivals who would do pretty much anything within the law, supposedly, to keep the other out of the prestigious position. Marsha was informed of Garlor paying a huge bribe in the city of Aedeth Mar to the local Guild of Law, allowing his son to also be in the election, and that Garlor had convinced both the dukes of Edgk and Tannis for partial support. The Guild of the Studded Collar also had high hopes for Garlor, as they were paying and supporting his campaign, due to Garlor’s history of putting down a slave revolt with relative ease. Marsha wanted both Garlor and Nausk as Consuls and set out to further manipulate events in her favor.
Marsha knew support for Nausk had lowered due to Garlor’s intrigues, but yet the man had endangered his own campaign by running his son, splitting his support. Marsha secretly met with a number of nobles of Moasmar during another gladiator event, but before the match had started, she had made a speech praising the Gotembaugs for their long standing support for the Grand Duchy and long standing loyalty, hinting to the nobles and others in the audience her support for him. However, of those in attendance were the nobles Nausk had met during the art showing, who left in a huff back to Tannis shortly there after. Marsha then met with representatives of the Guild of the Studded Collar, whom she had a previous negotiation with, and hinted strongly for them to back off their full support for Galor and leave the election to her. Getting the hint quickly, the guild abruptly ceased many of their political operations and handed much of their resources over to Marsha’s inner circle and agents.
Marsha sent Lorgan to deal with Garlor’s son and to convince him of reason, and warning of Nausk’s impending victory should his father remain politically foolish. Lorgan made his way to Edgk where he met with the impassioned and also very angry young lord who had been bickering with Edgk’s nobles. Edgk’s nobles wanted a lot in order to gain their support, and were always demanding more, especially coin and favors. One noble had come to Tanberg demanding her marry his daughter, a ugly and infirm girl, or he would withdraw his support. Lorgan was able to pull the lord aside and talk with him, and then inform him. Tanberg, at first reluctant and refused to go along with Marsha’s grand scheme, was eventually convinced when Lorgan drew on Tanberg’s young and impassioned heart for his family’s loyalty to the Penosbaugs, and that Consulship was not always a good idea for young and inexperienced lords. The next week, Tanberg met with his father and explained he had no wish for equal command, and understanding his son’s stress and hearing his stories of his failures to draw in Edgk’s nobles to his side, he agreed to allow his son to drop from the race, and took over the campaign and focused on getting his new found ally, the Duke of Tannis, as his co-Consul.
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Ok’va was celebrating a wedding, and all the southern and coastal noble heads of the country were busy celebrating in the halls of the wooden and creaking palace of Cousberg. King Toag Flekbatter had hosted the wedding for his son and heir, Mungan Flekbatter. Mungan had been visiting the lands of the powerful nobleman, Bran Gray, and had married his eldest daughter, Senga Gray. Mungan and Senga had been romantically involved for a few years, but it was Toag who had suggested the marriage, since the Flekbatters and Grays were both powerful families, and the act would promote stability. Mungan agreed at once, and had taken his would be wife to the capital and had both a Cesavii priest and a druid of the old faith consummate their marriage. Now fully husband and wife by the grace of the faith and old traditions did the Grays realize one of their own was missing, and went to the capital to celebrate the marriage. Bran and Toag watched from a high table in the palace’s wooden dining hall, as Okan nobles and youngsters danced to the music of the wedding.
As Toag watched his son and wife dance to their heart's content amongst the happy squeaks and cheers, Bran and another coastal noble named Corc Wiagman pulled Toag aside. Bran was an elderly and gray creature, a veteran of many clan conflicts and one of the most powerful nobles in Ok’va alongside his equal Corc, a rich Ok’van nobleman with a sizable army and owner of a sizable chunk of peak quarries which made the Wiagmans very rich by Okan standards. Bran consulted his king, personally scolding him on recent events, specifically the raised taxes which had drawn grave anger from other nobles.
“Toag, you and I both know that the others are still unhappy about all this, we are neither rival or enemy, but I must question as to why we must pay more to the cr---” Bran had started, gripping a wooden cup more hard then one normally would. Toag reacted in his ever poor mood.
“Bran, this is a weddin’, a union between our two houses, why get your knickers in a twist over such stupid things like money?”
‘Because my king, we need that money, and you have no told us why you need more of our hard earned income.” Corc replied harshly. Toag grunted at the comment, insulted. “Ye best keep your mouth with good words, Lord Wiagman, or I have all means to call you a traitor here an’ now.”
“I meant no offense my lord!” Corc quickly exclaimed, he shook a bit but eventually calmed. Toag shook his head “I’ll hear no more of this, from either of ya, here and now. If ya have an issue for me bein king and doing what I do in Ok’va, ya can explain it to me when I am on my throne. We aren’t those wretches in Muoarma, speakin all informal like on politics behind some scene.” Toag returned to the party, happily embracing the mood. Bran and Corc silently returned, although neither were happy.
Bran eventually was able to pull Mungan to the side later during the feast, he and his son-in-law had a heart to heart, but despite having many agreements, Mungan proved as rash and arrogant as his father, much to Bran’s personal distaste, which he hid well from the young Okan. Mungan was oblivious to Bran’s spite, and it seemed to break the elder noble’s heart. After some final farewells between Bran and his daughter, he and Corc left for their own lands once again.
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The rivalry between the Soukian Trader’s Coalition and the Guild of the Studded Collar had flared up again, but in a much more deadly way. A trader and agent of the Trader’s Coalition had been trying to open the Ok’van markets of Peat and Marsh Herbs, with the herbs being a well sought ingredient amongst Muoarman alchemists and brewers for both it’s soothing spicy taste and it’s partial healing properties. The market had been closed for generations since the invasion of Edgk, the Ok’van traders refusing to go outside their own borders, even in friendly territory. The agent had been able to secure a partial route from some smugglers, who operated out of a bordering fishing community. However, this community was attacked as the agent pulled into it’s dock by the Guild of the Studded Collar’s well paid professional hunters, who had been eyeing the community for awhile.
Much of the community had been rounded up and shipped off to the market at Aedeth Mar, and the hunters had not only bullied the Trader Coalition’s agent, but had also burned all of his wares, which gravely insulted the traders amongst Souk Mar. In response, the Souk Mar traders protested the slave market in the city, and then rushed it’s podium. A guild paid auctioneer was pulled aside by armed thugs and was lynched in a back alley as the traders tore the stand apart and then killed some of the slaves it had been holding for sale. The guild demanded retribution, and other factions began to hound both sides to escalate.
However, much to the surprise of the leaders within the Trader’s Coalition, the Guild had not sent normal responses, as in, their responses seemed cheap and non-confrontational. The guild appealed to the Guild of Law in Souk Mar through official channels, and then tried to demand compensation for losses. When the traders refused, the guild sent young bandits and thugs to harass the trader’s families, especially ones who were usually very cheap dock workers rather than well armed mercenaries or a team of gladiators. The traders did not know what to make of this, but did push back further seeing how well things had gone. The traders demanded huge compensation from the guild for the loss of their possible smuggling node, which after some time and debate, the guild relented, but promised to pay back the traders in time. The suspicions began to rise swiftly amongst the coalition’s leaders, who had been wondering if the guild had some kind of well hidden financial problems.
The attack had also infuriated other parties, as the hunters who had carried out of the attacks were summoned to private meeting within Aedeth Mar’s court, and were then never seen alive again. Two bodies, eyeless and noseless were dropped partially naked into the sea and were fished out by some fishermen, the murders had remained unsolved. When the trading coalition leaders went to Aedeth Mar for their first payment, they were received by Tannis guards who paid them in the full amount rather then over time as was agreed. The Tannis guards made it strictly clear that the traders were never to mention the previous events, and doing so was against the wishes of the Penosbaugs. Properly spooked, the traders left with their coin.
