The Barony of Silverthorn, Rural Deci Options

[Will]

The small handful of mercenaries numbering no more than five and accompanied by one of the Baron’s men, Aelric, returned after sunset to the well-established if crude camp that was the seat of the Barony in the walls of the Rose Keep.

Surprisingly good wine was on offer and freshly roasted boar was laid before them as they sat to dine with the Baron alongside Aelric and another of his men, Quiet Fred. Loxley was doing his Noble best to turn the discussions into the pomp and ceremony of the highest tables in Halgar but it was much more to the liking of Lieutenant Ford with the feel of a Bastion Held Camp and despite his title the Baron and his men had a unity and camaraderie that only men who had fought side by side in the darkest and grimmest battles and somehow managed to survive had.

As the meal and discussions continued Okkram revealed that negotiations with the Ratfolk “King” Sharptooth had been entered into and informally sealed, they would open the Barony’s only town once more and accept and understand the Baron’s position, with Sharptooth remaining “King” of the town, though the Baron may deem him actually a Mayor. More so they were only too happy to provide some of their own to help learn to work the Silver Mine and ensure its success in exchange for a small stipend of bundle profits to support the town directly.

Next Loxley told of the Wither Tree the last Baron had sealed away and how they weren’t equipped to deal with it directly they had stopped a group of Svart Alfar that had seemingly come to the Barony and brought violence with them, having attacked and killed some of the Black Rain in the Barons employ. There were many pieces on the board and it was not fully clear if they were all on the same game board or not, but what was certain was the Alfari were part of the Shadowed Bough a Conclave that dwell upon the World Tree were on a purge of some description, there were some Wights from the Citadel of Evil that would be keen to assist in removing the danger of the Wither Tree from the Barony and Primus and that the first need was ritualism that could oppose decay, hunger and effectively the withering of the primal world.

Finally it was Mason who spoke of the figures in the haunted marsh and a hidden temple dedicated to the Destroyer. The cultist within had been killed, the two altar spirits destroyed and the faith welling there had been very swiftly dealt with by Jailan. But the temple had certainly stood there for a long time even if it had only recently been inhabited once more, although they realised they didn’t know what they were up to specifically but the task of find them and stop them had been accomplished and the Baron’s hunch that they were indeed unwelcome guests in the Barony was spot on.

Throughout Jailan referred to his leather bound tomb and added and clarified information so benevolently provided by his own Lord, Istarius while Benjamin added his own recall from that which the spirts of the Empire had kindly answered.

The Baron was grateful for the continued efforts and successes of the collected members of the Order of Mercenaries, but he did press upon the fact he expected to employ greater numbers later in the season, as one the assembled men and guests moved to gather around a leather hide map that was rolled out before them and plans for the next steps were made.