Day 2, Noon (Open) - The Public Forum

"Your Majesty, if I may..." Tiarnan rises from the bench, bowing to the King before continuing. "I would like to voice a concern regarding the matter. While I agree that such action needs to be taken, I have to wonder at the practicality of it being our first move." The half elf motions to Lukas. "Your servant Fayden and I have been discussing possible avenues of inquiry in this line, and I cannot stop but to wonder if our investigation, seemingly so unprovoked to the Great Wrym, would in and of itself proceed to decay and destroy the delicate peace that we are seeking to preserve?"

A rough, ink-stained hand scratches at the his unkempt beard. "Not that I've much a suggestion elsewhere to investigate, but I fear we could easily be one misstep from scouring two whole kingdoms from this land should we accidentally bear insult to Bleiterghast."

Seeing that no one else was stepping forward, he recalled the Baroness' words from earlier. Sigismund found himself torn - torn between sharing what he knew, and trying to keep the public from becoming panicked.

Yet if the report from the north was to be believed, and if the findings of Bleiterghast were indeed true, they all deserved to know. This was, in fact, something far larger than just the fate of their two kingdoms. He approached the dais, stopping at the correct distance so that he could be heard.

"Your majesty, your grace," he addressed the leaders. "Though I have been here but a short time, and though I have only just recently been apprised of the situation, it occurs to me that we have another avenue to explore." He looks over to Lukas. "Your court mage stated that old records of the great wyrm's lair contained ancient artifacts from the Upheaval War. And according to King Steele's Will, the warlord Xyphon himself purports to number himself among the gods."

He turns back to face the leaders directly. "In my short time here, I have heard whispers that lord Poseidon may be missing, having been charmed or otherwise restrained from answering the calls of his faithful. If the enemy truly possesses the power that we believe them to, then it is also possible that they may seek a way to use our own gods against us. I have a difficult time believing that this is merely a coincidence, particularly when one considers how incredibly difficult it is to hide such a thing as the demon from the eyes of Paladins like myself. Such a thing requires divine influence in nearly all cases."

"Gods, no, not without a much larger team behind me than just you and me. I may be brave, but I'm not suicidal. Besides, that's more the work for heroes of legend and myth, not...well...a noble who is always an easy mark for a pretty face and who happens to know a thing or two about swords and sorcery. I'm probably thinking of tackling more local issues, for the moment. Like looking into this cult, for one. For some reason, their holy symbol makes me think that they aren't the sort of folks who are going to be good shepherds for the people who end up in their care," Siliani comments, running a hand through her white hair, "And if anything, I would think they would probably pose a more immediate threat than the dragon. Hopefully, someone will have some information we can use to track these...mm. Well, I can't think of a proper invictive at the moment. Karsan, one of the men from my old unit in the army, had a unique curse for every person who ever really pissed him off. He was a master of the art of cursing an opponent in a way that was just utterly demoralizing."

Tiarnan de Danann wrote:

"Your Majesty, if I may..." Tiarnan rises from the bench, bowing to the King before continuing. "I would like to voice a concern regarding the matter. While I agree that such action needs to be taken, I have to wonder at the practicality of it being our first move." The half elf motions to Lukas. "Your servant Fayden and I have been discussing possible avenues of inquiry in this line, and I cannot stop but to wonder if our investigation, seemingly so unprovoked to the Great Wrym, would in and of itself proceed to decay and destroy the delicate peace that we are seeking to preserve?"

A rough, ink-stained hand scratches at the his unkempt beard. "Not that I've much a suggestion elsewhere to investigate, but I fear we could easily be one misstep from scouring two whole kingdoms from this land should we accidentally bear insult to Bleiterghast."

King Steele nods, finding wisdom in the half elves words. If they were to intrude on the Red Dragon's abode, it would need to be in as secretive a manner as possible. This was certainly not a task for just anyone, but it was something to be considered rather than decided upon hastily.

Sigismund wrote:

Seeing that no one else was stepping forward, he recalled the Baroness' words from earlier. Sigismund found himself torn - torn between sharing what he knew, and trying to keep the public from becoming panicked.

Yet if the report from the north was to be believed, and if the findings of Bleiterghast were indeed true, they all deserved to know. This was, in fact, something far larger than just the fate of their two kingdoms. He approached the dais, stopping at the correct distance so that he could be heard.

"Your majesty, your grace," he addressed the leaders. "Though I have been here but a short time, and though I have only just recently been apprised of the situation, it occurs to me that we have another avenue to explore." He looks over to Lukas. "Your court mage stated that old records of the great wyrm's lair contained ancient artifacts from the Upheaval War. And according to King Steele's Will, the warlord Xyphon himself purports to number himself among the gods."

He turns back to face the leaders directly. "In my short time here, I have heard whispers that lord Poseidon may be missing, having been charmed or otherwise restrained from answering the calls of his faithful. If the enemy truly possesses the power that we believe them to, then it is also possible that they may seek a way to use our own gods against us. I have a difficult time believing that this is merely a coincidence, particularly  when one considers how incredibly difficult it is to hide such a thing as the demon from the eyes of Paladins like myself. Such a thing requires divine influence in nearly all cases."

The King looks to Wryn, then to a man in thick cream colored robes. The robed man gives the King an empty glance, before Steele turns his attention to the Paladin. "Whispers? From where have you heard these whispers, servant of Apollo?"

"A strange tale from a sailor I had met just yesterday, recently arrived in the capital. According to his tale, when giving thanks at Poseidon's temple, he was besought upon a vision of a servant of Poseidon, requesting that he visit other temples to find what may have happened to the god."

Part of him hoped that Kragg was here in the audience, or that he might be possessed of enough will to corroborate the story. But another part knew that he was likely to stand alone here, and if he should be considered some kind of pariah, so be it. Better to warn and be ignored than to say nothing.

Giorg recognizes Sigismund as the man in shiny armor. However, the dwarf doesn't make any moves. For now, he is content to sit on the sidelines and just listen to what is being said.

Kragg sat in his seat quietly, stroking his short well-kept beard. The discussion had turned out a little more exciting than he thought it would go. A dead prince, a barbarian horde, red dragons, and returned old gods? Sounds like opportunity for more work and more money! His thoughts on whether he might earn enough to finally own his own ship was cut short when he heard the shiny paladin speak. His eyes narrowed a little, then he sighed. Not one to leave a crewman hanging for something he did, Kragg stood up with his arms crossed. "Aye, he heard it from me. It be what I saw and heard."

Siliani, hearing the commotion caused by the paladin and the pirate, pauses and makes a motion to Moira, "One moment, Moira. I suspect that I have an opportunity here. One that will prove beneficial if it works out, for the both of us if you take the job."

The drow, shifting from her previously very friendly and flirty demeanor, turns to the forum, raising her voice so she might be heard clearly, "Your majesty, I am Siliani d'Ivoreth, first daughter of House d'Ivoreth and a devoted servant to the Crown. If what these two men, a noble paladin and a common sea dog, are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder to say that it is possible that Poseidon himself has been imprisoned, then we must allow that it must be possible, as I find it doubtful that two such men with such different backgrounds would be in some sort of plot together to waste the Kingdom's time and effort. As such, as the eldest daughter of House d'Ivoreth, in service to the Crown and People of Llandrea, I offer my aid and of whatever aid my house can muster in assisting the noble Paladin with his task!"

Moira nods and follows Siliani’s lead, waiting quietly as she addresses the assembly.

When she finishes, Moira adds in a softer tone so her voice does not carry in disruption to the course of the primary discourse, “That is Sigismund an’ Kraag. Two I met las’ night.”

While she expects no reply, she assumes such information might be relevant to the drow and perhaps continue to secure her employment opportunity.

Giorg laughs. He did say he'd help Sigismund if needed and this seemed like a good opportunity to get work. Not the kind of work he hoped for at first, but still work. He makes his way through the crowd, using his voluminous gut as a drum.

"If'n ye be thinkin' you're going anywhere without me, Sigismund, fie to that," he says with a playful smirk. "This'n be the sort'f insanity I can get b'hind."

Astra finally makes it to the amphitheater, her hair oiled and braided back gleaming with pride in her new tailored dress. Close behind her is a young commoner lad about 17 in age, carrying Astra's bag, spear and her enchanted shield Randale. "Hope I didn't miss anything, Stay close Gran".

As Astra gets closer she realizes what that shiny thing that has the crowds attention. "Sigismund? what did I miss?" Astra picks up her pace, parting the crowd as she pushes her way through. "Pardon me, excuse me,..." Astra sees a half-orc stand, "Aye, he heard it from me. It be what I saw and heard.".

"Kragg is here aswell." Astra continues to make here way toward the center earning some sharp looks along the way, Making sure Gran is close behind her. She sees the drow speak her piece. The drow had met at the pub her first night in the capital. "Sili.. I don't remember that night too clearly." Astra thinks to herself. "But what about poiseidon being trapped?" Astra sees Moira next to the drow, making it to the front of the crowd and sees the group assembling around Sigismund.

King Steele and the Dionans both take in the testimony given from everyone, looking to each other. Lord Dorsei seems like he is about to say something for a moment, but gives the Larendarian monarch a small nod of consent. He looks to each person who came forward to support Sigismund and Kraag- Siliani, Giorg, Moira, and Astra.

"With so many willing to stake their word, it seems this is a problem that cannot go ignored. I fear the disappearance of the lord of the seas may somehow be connected. I will send word to Poseidon's head priest... in the meantime, I would like you three to look into this matter further," King Steele says to the paladin, the sailor, and the drow. "Let us hope Poseidon has not met some unjust end at the hands of these defeated gods. Take anyone you trust in the matter, as you may meet some danger if worse comes to worse."

Lord Dorsei looks to Astra. "You, daughter of House Lykos. Is a she-wolf of the Endless Vale willing to represent our noble Empire in this matter?"

While waiting for a response from the Dionan, King Steele motions back towards some of the onlookers. "I will dispatch my Will to the Badlands to investigate the matter of our friend to the east. That leaves Xyphon, the barbarian warlord of the North. We need to find the connection there as well. Perhaps fortify some of our holdings to the north, in case of invasion. My court mage Lukas is of their people, so I believe he would be well suited to the task. Are there any others who would volunteer their services?"

Alex cast his eyes over the assembled people with a not small amount of anxiety slowly rising in his gullet. He knew if he was going to interject himself in this situation now would be the best time. Looking down at the Drow he assessed her disposition. He was here to ingratiate himself with the nobility, and here was a potential lead to pursue. Bolstering his courage with the thought that he would have some time away from the crowds of the city, Alex stood whilst tugging at his clothes.

With a slight cough to clear his throat, he projected his voice towards assembly. "My lords and ladies," adding a deep bow before continuing "Although I am no scholar of great works, it would be remiss for the events unfolding to go undocumented. I offer my services as a scribe to ensure that any events that transpire do not go unrecorded. Should anything go awry, there would need to be an accurate account of the events that led to such a occurrence. In which, anyone, could return the full details to the capitol."

He dipped his head in reverence, allowing him to cast his gaze towards the Drow to gauge her reaction.

"You, daughter of House Lykos. Is a she-wolf of the Endless Vale willing to represent our noble Empire in this matter?"
As Astra gets addressed by Lord Dorsei she turns and takes her spear and shield, And she breaks from the crowd into the clearing. "I, Astra Lykos am honored to represent the Empire. Even though I'm far from my home of ice and blood this she-wolf always hungers for the hunt of any foe of the realm." Astra takes a knee facing Lord Dorsei as Randale makes a triumphant howl.

Sigismund nods. "As you command." That was now two investigations he had been tasked with - not what he had intended, but it could be far worse he supposed. There was a good chance that these two events also were not as disparate as they might seem - but neither could he rule out coincidence either.

Just because something was implausible, that did not make it impossible.

He looked behind to see the allies gathering around him. This was also not what he had intended - but to see so many people from so many walks of life giving their public support in these endeavors would surely be a great comfort to the public. Sigismund was thankful for this.

The Drow, this daughter of d'Ivoreth, was unknown to him. But now he would need to get to know her, and to find out what precisely she expected in return for the help she had pledged.

After all, even more rare than a Paladin such as himself was a noble granting assistance with no expectations of reciprocation.

Ares wrote:

While waiting for a response from the Dionan, King Steele motions back towards some of the onlookers. "I will dispatch my Will to the Badlands to investigate the matter of our friend to the east. That leaves Xyphon, the barbarian warlord of the North. We need to find the connection there as well. Perhaps fortify some of our holdings to the north, in case of invasion. My court mage Lukas is of their people, so I believe he would be well suited to the task. Are there any others who would volunteer their services?"

I suppose someone should keep an eye on Lukas. Zaril thinks before moving in from the sidelines making his presences know. "Your Grace, I am Zaril Erimos of the Merchant Guild." The tiefling says bowing to the king. "I have been trained somewhat in the ways of the northern tribes and have traveled through out the northern lands on assignment for the Guild. Lukas can attest to these facts." He raises a hand and gestures toward the mage. "I would offer myself to this endeavor however my talents would be of use."

"If no one else would join, I too would like to offer my services to the diplomatic journey north." Tiarnan adds. "As a representative of the Scholar's Guild, I would like to see for myself these esoteric sigils. If they are indeed iconic of deities long passed, it would be best to know which and of what domains they claim to hold sway over." He motions towards Morton. "We've already identified one as Hextor, a so called god of war. Lukas mentioned an additional three, though their domains remain unknown, very possibly allied with the Great Wyrm. Who knows what others Xyphon may claim allegiance to within his blasphemous compound?"

King Steele looks over the half elf and the tiefling, giving a nod of approval to both.

"That is what I would like for the both of you to help young Lukas find out. If we are to fight a common enemy then we must first understand them." He looks back towards the crowd, looking to see if any others will step forward and side with either of the groups.

Moira watches as others step forward she knows, listening to Alex pledge his services, seemingly another person she had met would be soon joining them, as she spoke softly again to Sliiani, "Gormadin.  A merchant."

Then as Astra steps forward, her elegant black dress embroidered with her house symbol worn proudly upon her breast, Moira smiles a little to herself, happy to see the young lady take pride in her conversation with the king.  She chuckles a little to herself as Rondale howls from the shield born by the young boy, "Always has ta getta word in somehow." she whispers to herself.

Moira notes Zaril's emergence from the sidelines, his telltale physical features indicating he is of the same race as she, something to this day she had never born witness to prior.

She watches him rather intently, taking in his words and grace of the language that she had never come to master.  "Zaril..." she says softly to herself in a bit of a perplexed tone.  She would need to be quick if she wanted to locate him when the proceedings finished as it sounded like he was departing for the north.  Were there other tieflings nearby?  What did he know of them?  These questions occupied her thoughts, separating her attention from reality for a few moments as she stared off towards the dais.

Siliani wrote:

Siliani, hearing the commotion caused by the paladin and the pirate, pauses and makes a motion to Moira, "One moment, Moira. I suspect that I have an opportunity here. One that will prove beneficial if it works out, for the both of us if you take the job."

The drow, shifting from her previously very friendly and flirty demeanor, turns to the forum, raising her voice so she might be heard clearly, "Your majesty, I am Siliani d'Ivoreth, first daughter of House d'Ivoreth and a devoted servant to the Crown. If what these two men, a noble paladin and a common sea dog, are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder to say that it is possible that Poseidon himself has been imprisoned, then we must allow that it must be possible, as I find it doubtful that two such men with such different backgrounds would be in some sort of plot together to waste the Kingdom's time and effort. As such, as the eldest daughter of House d'Ivoreth, in service to the Crown and People of Llandrea, I offer my aid and of whatever aid my house can muster in assisting the noble Paladin with his task!"

After Siliani was recognized by the King and was at a point where she could be approached, a low and soft voice would catch her unawares from a few feet behind her. Its owner was skilled enough to not be noticed by Moira as well.

"Lady d'Ivoreth," it greeted, the form of a cloaked and cowled dark elf behind her to keep out as much of the sun as possible. He was tall and slender, dressed in black studded leather and armed with an exquisite longbow and two long daggers on his hip. His long white hair spilled out from either end of his hood, two dark red eyes looking back at her from the near darkness of his face. He gave her a respectful nod - after all, she was a high born lady of a noble drow house and he wore no sigils. His words were soft for they were secretive, as he had approached her very stealthily.

"I am Nalfein Nirinath. May I have a moment of your time after the forum commences? It involves a matter that concerns our people I feel you should be aware of."

Alexander \"Gormadin" Fare wrote:

Alex cast his eyes over the assembled people with a not small amount of anxiety slowly rising in his gullet. He knew if he was going to interject himself in this situation now would be the best time. Looking down at the Drow he assessed her disposition. He was here to ingratiate himself with the nobility, and here was a potential lead to pursue. Bolstering his courage with the thought that he would have some time away from the crowds of the city, Alex stood whilst tugging at his clothes.

With a slight cough to clear his throat, he projected his voice towards assembly. "My lords and ladies," adding a deep bow before continuing "Although I am no scholar of great works, it would be remiss for the events unfolding to go undocumented. I offer my services as a scribe to ensure that any events that transpire do not go unrecorded. Should anything go awry, there would need to be an accurate account of the events that led to such a occurrence. In which, anyone, could return the full details to the capitol."

He dipped his head in reverence, allowing him to cast his gaze towards the Drow to gauge her reaction.

Siliani makes note of the offer for the moment, knowing scribes and the like would be excellent for taking notes during any such investigations, which make for wonderful research material later, as well as having good access to libraries and the like that might have hidden tomes that would shed light on the issue. She would have to check with her new companions, such as Sigismund, if they should acquire the services of such a man, but for now, she keeps her face relatively neutral. She listens to the advice of her new companion, pleasantly surprised by the depths of her knowledge of the local names and faces, glad that she had acquired her services. She smiles faintly as she whispers sidelong to Moira.

"And here I thought you were new in town, Moira. If you are this quick at finding information about people within a few days, I'm surprised you haven't been scooped up by the King's Will."

Ares wrote:

After Siliani was recognized by the King and was at a point where she could be approached, a low and soft voice would catch her unawares from a few feet behind her. Its owner was skilled enough to not be noticed by Moira as well.

"Lady d'Ivoreth," it greeted, the form of a cloaked and cowled dark elf behind her to keep out as much of the sun as possible. He was tall and slender, dressed in black studded leather and armed with an exquisite longbow and two long daggers on his hip. His long white hair spilled out from either end of his hood, two date drow house and he wore no sigils. His words were soft for they were secretive, as he had approached her very stealthily.

"I am Nalfein Nirinath. May I have a moment of your time after the forum commences? It involves a matter that concerns our people I feel you should be aware of."

She turns her attention to the other drow, "If it concerns my people, then don't ask for my time. Just say you need it. House d'Ivoreth is always at the service of the Crown and her people."

"Somewhere quiet," his eyes dart over her, through the crowd, and back to Siliani. "The docks, if it suits you. Feel free to bring your accomplice as well, if you trust her."

"My assistant, not accomplice, though I'm afraid she will have other duties, even though I do trust her," Siliani replies, before turning to Moira, looking at the Tiefling.

"Moira, if you accept the job, I'm going to have you handle the initial coordination with Sigismund and his party. You will let him know you are speaking as my personal representative, and that if he has any reasonable requests regarding what support to ask of my house or myself, you are to accept them. Anything that would cost my family prestige or require an investment more than just ten or twenty gold pieces, you will tell him you must consult me for further guidance. If he asks what I expect from him, tell him the truth. That I want him to get to the bottom of this for the sake of the Crown and the people who serve it. The fact that such endeavors bring honor to my house are just an added bonus. And see if he can't be convinced to welcome along that scribe who stood up and made the offer of recording things. We can always use resources like that in an investigation."

The drow reaches into the folds of her outfit, taking out her signet ring, "I expect you to return this when the negotiations are done, but while you are carrying this, it is a sign that you are speaking with my authority, Moira. Take good care of it." She hands the ring to the tiefling.

Moira turns her attention back to Siliani, suddenly noticing the drow beside her speaking with her. She nods in acceptance as Siliani offers the job, listening now intently to the conversation at hand.

"O' course." she responds, taking the ring from her employer, "I wills do mah best. Where shall I meets ya next?" she inquires, not wanting to be left without that crucial piece of information.

"Mm. My family has a small house in the Noble District that we maintain in order to keep an eye on things here. We will meet there. And suggest to Sigismund and any others who are going to join the party that they would be welcome to join if they wish to speak to me directly. It would probably be best to join about supper time, I think."