Session 43
OOC: Note from last session that I forgot to add: Galswintha levels. Everyone is now at maximum level (13th for the werefox and elf, 14th for the humans). Also, this session reads short, because I’m skipping a lot of details that I couldn’t make sound interesting: most of what happened this session was consolidation and accounting.
Year 1309, Spring, Month 4
Thervingi falls apart at the seams.
Galaufabonne has invaded two-thirds of the lands (the eastmost third is still held by King Dagobert III and remains uninvaded), but only at the Duke level and above, and a horde of counts, marquis, and barons declare their independence and hole up in their forts.
Half of those invaded lands consist of the lands owned by the Church of the Lady, originally split between the Grand Patriarch and five Patriarchs … and now a big old mess of Grand Knights, High Priests, and more squabbling and fighting. Two realms within the Church remain fairly steadfast: the two Patriarchs who were both loyal to Grand Matriarch Merideth and survived the war. One realm - led by the False Grand Patriarch and now overtaken by his foremost vassal - remains cohesive enough to declare its independence and hole up with intent to regain their former glory.
The Duke of the Orléans region is dead and his vassals have declared their independence, but the 24-mile hex surrounding Orléans itself is fully invaded and conquered.
In all, Galaufabonne has acquired almost twice its size in lands, and Thervingi has fractured into a pile of tiny holdings.
Vulfelind
The werefox continues to aggressively extend her grip over the syndicates of nearby cities, and by the end of the month, her takeover is complete. Bone Temple forms the center of the new Beggars' Guild, where she rules as Governor, Baron, and Beggar Queen; and styles herself the Beggar Empress where other syndicates are concerned.
Chlodomer gives her Orléans and the six-mile hex surrounding it, and she assigns Grizzba as the Governor, Baron, and Beggar Queen of Orléans: possibly the first goblin baron in history, and definitely the first goblin governor.
In Paris, she gives the Governor and Marquis of Paris a choice: retire peacefully to the coast, or retire forcefully as an example to others. He retires peacefully, and Chadalinda is given the role of Governor, Marquis, and Beggar Queen of Paris.
In Atanung, Ustitia becomes the Beggar Queen of Atanung, but not any other form of rulership: Vulfelind has plans, however, and the Grim Fist wants those lands, as well.
Merideth
Merideth finishes building the new Grand Temple of the Church of the Lady in Utena's Shadow, and uses up the last of the rubble of the fallen cloud giant castle. Utena's Shadow becomes the new center of the Church.
She adds the two loyal Patriarchs as vassals, and leaves them in charge of their lands, bringing her hench/vassal number up to eight, her maximum.
She promotes her two most charismatic knights to Matriarch, and sends them to the lands where two of her loyal Patriarchs died, to attempt to heal the rift within the Church and bring the vassals under the central authority again.
Her strongest knight, she lends the majority of her forces to, promotes to Matriarch, and sends to take the lands of the False Grand Patriarch by force, one temple at a time.
Then she takes her remaining knights, and goes to the former Grand Patriarch’s lands to talk sense into them. Some declare their loyalty to her and return to the fold; the remainder … she leaves alone for now.
Chlodomer
Chlodomer consolidates those lands he can in Thervingi, spends money like a madman trying to rebuild his badly damaged military machine, and commissions additional fortresses throughout Galaufabonne.
A few small clashes with King Dagobert III’s forces also make one decision easier: he withdraws his forces from the majority of the invaded lands … and lets Dagobert deal with them.
Galswintha
Galswintha hands over control of most of her personal lands to her apprentices.
Over the prior four months, Galswintha has focused on a dangerous bit of research, with a bit of time “off” spent visiting the efreet city and making contacts there, and a brief diversion when the King of Thervingi thought to invade her homeland and she was forced to take a few days to send him away.
The mad, elemental whispers in her head guide her path somewhat, and she makes significant inroads in trade—enough so that she ends up funding her own caravan fleet.
But her primary focus is the research: pursuing lesser wish with dangerously pioneering research methods.
The research succeeds, but not sufficiently for her purposes … and she begins again!
It’s a relief to hear he got better.