Pages

The World of Georic 1989-Present

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #91 - Captain Vandevelde and the Council of Elders

1st of SepDec, 1061 - Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
It's been nearly a month since the goblins of G'ba poured out of the Nightwood and destroyed my idyllic life in Eding, but tragedy and disgust from it continue to surprise me with each passing today.

My "civilian" hours are spent finishing up a temporary one-room cottage on the foundation of my old one, and helping Angus and Barrak rebuild the Blue Wizard Inn.  Regardless of whether Eding will recover, the need for an inn on this stretch of road is undeniable.  Supplies have arrived from Omsjik and we've completed the kitchen, the common room, and have had a few militia volunteers learn the art of raising a roof.   A few survivors still spend the night in the common room, but most have done their best to rebuild their lives in their new homes.

Today was the arrival of the first patrol by the 3rd Crosedean Medium Cavalry, as promised by Lord Athelstane.  Captain Benjamin Vandevelde appears to be fine commander, compared to others.  He did delay his arrival by a day to personally escort another two wagons of supplies into town, and with it a host of information.

Besides another shipment of food, tools, and other supplies, he presented two young girls to Barrak, his daughter Emeretta and Fayette.  Alas, when he sent them and their mother off prior to the goblin attack, they were caught by a lost element of goblins.  Barrak's wife was killed in the ambush, but the girls were rescued by an eclectic combination of woodsmen, retired brigands, and cultists from Lake Apotheosis would could hide no more with the tragedy right before their eyes.

The girls did not leave Barrak's side the entire day, not that I blame them one moment.  However, he did manage to get them to do some chores at just beyond arm's reach by evening.

Captain Vandevelde was also the first person to inadvertently confirm the location of our former "Heroes" now infamous cowards, of Eding, Krull & Company.

While regaling the tales of the "World Gladiatorial Championships", Vandevelde casually mentioned the new champion as "The Conquering Krull."
That rat bastard left his post, his assigned duties, largely caused by his own psychotic tendencies, and ran off for his own personal glory and fortune.  I can only assume the others in his cohort (including his father on house arrest) supported his actions in full.   They are all traitors and criminals and should hang for their actions! 

2nd of SepDec, 1061 - Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
Even with the disaster and destruction of the past month, I'm still emitting an occasional giggle at the thought of me being invited to the "Council of Elders" to confer with Lord Athelstane.  As Barrak, Angus, and I appear to be the only adults conveying any sense of authority in rebuilding anything around the village, Lady Iris thought it best if we would consult Athelstane on the what was occurring.

The meeting was a joke.  Athelstane's manor was far enough outside the village to only receive minor damage, and he barely set foot outside of it over the last week.  He seemed uninterested in any reports or even requests for guidance.

I may have complained that Iris' time at the capital was worthless, but she has learned the ways of the world.  As the three of us brought up the topic of Krull and his cohort's dereliction of duty, she promptly cut us off.  Any crimes they committed were not to the crown, only to the domain of Lord Athelstane. If any of the party returned back to Eding, they could be judged by an acting magistrate, following residual interpretation of royal law.  Even at mention that Iris would act as magistrate in the Lord's stead, Athelstane was preoccupied with his early dinner that was served to just him.

Although we had credible leads to his location, any attempt to return the adventurers to Eding without their consent would need to be considered kidnapping, and would be reviewed in the full Royal purview of the law.

Iris was actively sending recruiting others, peasant farmers, lesser craftsmen, to relocate to Eding. With the continued help from the Halfling villages, late crops could still be planted, and the Eding could make it through next winter and be in the position to thrive by 1062.

The rotation of halfing militia and volunteers would end in OctDec, so we had to the same time to plant crops as we had to reassemble the pieces of the militia.  Iris 'anointed' herself Commander of the militia, I was offered the Captaincy, with Barrak and Angus positions as sergeants.

I immediately declined the title, offering my services as an old man serving as base militia fighter and occasional instructor.  If anyone needed a title and paid position, it was Barrak Tenslow.  Angus would have the Blue Wizard back up and running, and that would serve as the meeting place for the unit, and he was a far better recruiter for the unit than a trainer.

It was agreed upon, and formally decreed that Barrak would serve as Lieutenant, Angus as Sergeant, the Blue Wizard could be used for the militia to meet (members were responsible to pay their own drinks, food, and gambling debts), and I would formerly go back to being Elsderth of Eding, regular citizen of Crosedes.

Next: #92 - Stealing Oneself Away

No comments:

Post a Comment