Bay 12 Games Forum

You ponder whether to first visit Sir Elmhead or the Baron, and settle on the former after a moment.

In the meanwhile, you also ask the passerbies and citizens about the city, and they tell you of six districts: trade, scholar, noble, garrison and northern and southern quarters. The only buildings of note are the City Garrison, erected two hundred fifty years ago from thick stone and apparently with help of a Wizard. The Temple of the One is in the scholar district, and the majority of inns, workshops, brothels and shops are of course in the trade district.

Nobles have their estates in their own little district, in the east of the city. At this hour, you are told, Sir Elmhead is definitely seated in his office inside the city garrison, so that is where you go right away.

---

You walk all the way to the near-center of Marienburg, to the City Garrison. It is a thick, walled building with a narrow moat surrounding it, at it seems, from three sides, the drawbridge's side being the middle one. Crimson banners flutter from the three highest towers alongside the amber and white colored city banner and the blue crest with three golden lions sitting on a green field. Not skilled in heraldry, you can only assume it is the crest of Baron Thobing and his family.

A trio of swordsmen guard the garrison gate, and they watch you carefully as you cross the drawbridge with your horse in tow.

One of them, dressed in officer's cloak, steps forth to block your path. You do not recognize the insignia on his baldric.

"Stop, boy. You are armed, and with a horse, and I see you are no peasant. Must you be a Squire, then, or a messenger from abroad. Do tell what brings you here, but know that we do not offer alms, food or beds to strangers."

"Go back then! Tell the Zeelanders we shall accompany them!"

"Aye, Captain. Hermann, come with me."

"Of course, sir." And the duo sets off.

They arrive half an hour later, with two other men in tow.

One of them is certainly a captain, as he wears similar suit as yours. Some other man, in plain suit and trousers, is right behind him.

"Captain Finley, this is Captain Ernst Holders, and his Steward, Ian Guider." Captain Holders takes off his hat, as you do, and he shakes your hand vigorously.

"Gegroet, kapitein Finley! Het is mij een genoegen u te ontmoeten."

"Captain Holders does not speak Lusitanian, so I will translate, Captain Finley. Captain Holders greets you and expresses pleasure to have met you. Same goes for me." The Steward says, shaking your hand.

"Vertel hem waar we het eerder over hebben gehad." Captain Holders says a moment later.

"Natuurlijk. Captain Finley, my Captain is pleased that you've extended the offer to sail along with our ship, the Lion, because we've also heard the rumors of the Albionese pirates, those Palmster brothers, and were worried about our mission to Costas. We've been waiting for some good fortune since yesterday and were debating what to do if no other ships go that way."

"I'm pleased to meet your Captain. We were going to sail to Guidea but the circumstances, and the rumors, have pressed us to search for faster and safer way. When my First Mate and my Gunner told me about you, I've decided to follow along." Steward Guider turns to his Captain and translates.

"Kapitein Finley is blij u te ontmoeten. Zijn schip zou naar Guidea varen, maar de dreiging van piraten dwong hem ergens anders heen te gaan. Hij besloot met ons mee te gaan nadat zijn officieren hem over ons hadden verteld."

"Goed, zeg hem dat we morgenochtend vertrekken en dat we de leiding zullen nemen, tenzij hij bezwaren heeft." The Steward nods and turns to you.

"We will be leaving in the morning, and our ship will lead yours, unless you have objections to that, Captain Finley."

"I have none, really."

"Kapitein Finley gaat akkoord met uw plan, kapitein." Captain Holders nods to the words of his Steward.

"Ik ben blij dat te horen. Bedank hem nogmaals en wens hem een fijne avond en nacht. The Steward smiles and nods to that.

"Captain Finley, my Captain once again thanks you for your offer, and wishes you a good evening and a good night."

"Of course, and the same to him."

"Kapitein Finley wenst u hetzelfde, kapitein." Captain Holders nods to that. A round of hat-lifting and hand-shaking between you, your First Mate, your Gunner, and the two Zeelanders follows after, before Captain Holders and his Steward disembark.


In the morning, you rouse the crew to prepare for leaving.

The First Mate directs the Navigator to follow a ship that is setting sails, with the blue-orange flag of Zeelandia fluttering on its middlemast.

Soon, your ship leaves the harbor of Copana and goes out into the Karib Sea!


It was going to be another, pleasant, calm day of sailing. Communications with the Lion are sparse, and totally normal and mundane.

Until someone knocked on your door.

"Yes?" The Gunner quickly enters your cabin.

"Communication from the Lion, sir!" You leave your seat and put your hat on, leaving the cabin.

"What is it?" You ask, walking forward to the forecastle of your Ship, where the First Mate and few others are watching the flag- and the torch-waving coming from the other ship.

"Captain, the Lion has spotted two ships to port, on the line of horizon!" The Gunner grits his teeth as you yell orders.

"Topmen! Check for ships to the port side!" The First Mate repeats your orders to the quartet of nearby topmen. One of them takes a telescope from the First Mate, and they all begin to climb the rigging, all the way to the top of the middle mast.

"What do you see!?" The First Mate yells upwards after a while.

^{"Two ships!! To port! On the horizon line!"} The reply comes, confirming the sighting by the Lion.

"What are their flags!?" The First Mate asks and you feel that the air suddenly seems to have gotten much hotter than it was a moment before.

The topmen squint, bring their palms to their eyes, and use the telescope between themselves to be sure they all see the same. Then, one of them yells:

^{"Black! Black flags! White palms on black! Pirates!! Pirates to port side!!"}

"Verdammt!" The Gunner cruses before quickly venturing below deck to prepare the crew for possible confrontation as the sailors yell from the forecastle.

"Captain! Another communication from the Lion! They're changing heading, north-northwest!"

A) "And we do the same! Navigator! Change heading, north-northwest! Quick!"
B) (insert other ideas here?)

Maia Sanders: I will have Marie Coutebleu, Erika Hildegard Baumgartner, Menetfer Newy and Asrael Istafan marked for recruitment into Starlight Mechanized Corps, Commander Shiek. As these four will form a new team, you need to assign a Name for it, as well as the Subcommander in charge of it.

Maia Sanders: Also, I have discussed the situation with Mrs.Ester, the administrator of the SMC Integration Camp. Now that we have two prior Teams, she believes that it might be a good idea to send a representative or two of SMC pilot roster, perhaps one from Team Shield and Team Sword each, to help integrate the newcomers better. They could leave tonight and arrive tomorrow at the intergration camp. This is of course, a suggestion from Mrs.Ester, not a requirement. What should we do, Commander Shiek?

You decide that people's happiness and full stomaches are more important than your Treasury. The Advisor rejoices, the Treasurer does not.


You soldiers have return in nearly full complement, with only a dozen unlucky ones having fallen to disease or elements in Rycht. They bring enough money to fill your abyssmally empty Treasury to some degree. The letter of thanks is written in flowery terms, and you wonder if your father-in-law had a poet write it.

2

Your youngest son, Vati, has perished of fever a few days ago. Your wife has been bawling her eyes since then and you feel a terrible pit in your stomach that will take months if not years to fill.

But such is life: oft fragile and short.


It has taken a year to replace the old stones and put in new ones and clear up the ground and adjust the monoliths, but the Great Stone Circle is complete.

On a chilly, but sunny, day, the Archdruid leads a procession of horn-players and chanting, nubile women in a circle around the Circle, with you in attendance as the honored sponsor. The stones look as majestic as they are foreboding. No matter where you go, the sun is obscured and its sunlight causes the otherwise ordinary grey rock look like blackest of pitch. The stone gates and columns play tricks on your eyes and you cannot fathom how many circles are there - five, or nine, or thirteen?

The Archdruid concludes the ceremony in the evening, right before the sunset; it is then that a young goat is cut open upon the altar whilst still alive and bleating for mercy. Its blood and innards are left sacrificed on the dark slab, while the remainder of the animal is roasted and each of the attendees, including you, eats a thumb-sized piece of its meat. It was sweet, crumbly and you wish you could gorge yourself upon more of it.

When the night comes, the Archdruid leads you out of the circle in the same spin, accompanied by wolves, owls, and some less natural beings howling, booing and shrieking amidst the darkness of the forest trees.

You return home, humbled by the majesty of the Creator and the spirits of the Circle.


"What we need is not taxes, sire, but some proper mineral wealth." Says the Treasurer to the other courtiers of importance.

"There are the mountains in the east, and rarely has anyone prospected them. Sure, some villages dig out iron ore to make tools out of it, but suredly the bounty of the rock and earth ought to be greater? We need to send an expedition then, my lord, and find copper, or silver, or maybe even lead or tin."

"The profits from raw lumber do not satisfy you?" The Advisor asks, and the Treasurer scoffs.

"Bah! These are enough to cover any great expense or mitigate a disaster, leaving us with not much of spare coin. And we cannot burden the people with heavy taxation year by year either, or our great King Cyrus will end like the Usurper did." Courtiers murmur and seem to agree with the Treasurer.

But do you?

A) "Agreed, we need precious or useful metals! Find some miners and prospectors and have them scour the eastern mountains for wealth!"
B) "We might have received some cash from King Herykk, but I would rather spend it somewhere else."

You're a boisterous Adventurer, yet also a True Noble at heart. You excel in horse-riding, and are able to tame many wild and fierce steeds, whilst waking up potential in the timid and lazy ones. You are quite decent in combat and your health is also good. You have some minor skill in shooting from a bow. However, Abbot Conorius once called you a dim-wit; you are absolutely unlearned in ways of courtship as well as religious psalms. You barely recognize your coat of arms and few others, and your reading skills are that of a child few years younger than you. You once wrote a letter to your father and he was ashamed reading it.

Archery (2)
Combat (3)
Courtship (0)
Health (3)
Heraldry (1)
Horse-riding (4)
Theology (0)
Writing&Reading (1)

---

Griff Let, you have finally arrived in the city of Marienburg. It is a thriving trading hub in the Highlands, in the southern province of Aken. Albrecht IV once conquered this land, and since then it stayed  under the Crimson Banner.

You are tired from journey, but in good shape otherwise. Your clothing speaks of your status but you wish you could afford the expensive clothes of the noblemen. Your pouch has 27 Ducats and 3 Crowns in it; this should be enough to rent a humble room in an inn and eat three meals a day for the next two weeks or so.

Your are standing at the end of the Gilding Road; behind you is the iron gate amidst the tall walls separating the city from the countryside. To your left and right are various inns, shops and establishments, for the Gilding Road slices right through the Merchant District like a knife through two halves of a bread.

In a city as big as this, there could be plenty of work for you, be it noble or mundane. Few minor noble houses mark Marienburg as their residence, and Sir Elmhead, a stern and unforgiving man, is in charge of the city guard. Sir Andaron, an elderly and unscrupulous man, helps the noble administrator, Baron Dux Thobing, run the city efficiently and prosperously. Or so you are told.

What do you do, freshly arrived Squire?

"Greetings as well." Mayako shoots you a stare, nods, and then resumes sipping her Ribesnero.

The Duchess rolls her eyes, and sips her drink too.

It doesn't seem that the android is in mood for, or interested in, a chat.

A) CHATTY: "Duchess, you were talking about Vanessa and your plans for the future?"
B) Idle bartender time, then?

Your name is Griff Let.

It is obvious that your father is Saun Let. He is a succesful but poor noble who managed to live comfortably thanks to his heritage and skill at managing the few villages and forests under his thumb.
Your mother was Marieta Aquarus. She was sixteen when she married your father, and twenty-seven when she died giving birth to your only sister, and youngest sibling.
Your eldest brother, Marius, has died as a Squire at young age of 15, fighting bandits alongside his fellow Squires at the House he was squiring at, a tragic but sadly not uncommon fate for Squires.
Your elder brother, Damin, has dissappeared at age of 18, alongside his best friend, during a voyage to your granduncle living in the northwest, after entering a treacherous mountain pass. No body was ever found but your father has gave up hope long ago.
Your elder sister, Frida, grew up very religious and ultimately, at age 16, joined the convent of nuns dedicated to Blessed Anne. You haven't seen her since her departure.
Your younger sister, Ivonna, is eleven and is growing into a fine young lady with great interest in archery and poetry, but has always been of weak health and more often than not had to stay in bed recuperating from her fever fits. She is not bethrothed to anyone but you are sure she will make your father proud, if she lives long enough to marry.

Truly, a tragic family life like this befits a fine, young squire like yourself.

Your horse is a swift and loyal breed from the westlands. It is chestnut-skinned with mane of the same color.

---

Currently you serve no one else but King Albrecht VIII on the throne and the God in the Sky. This is what the wise men call 'the Age of Freedom', a period when every young Squire leaves the safety of the castle he was taught this fine profession at, and seeks their own Lord.

Few lucky and able ones end up serving Knights or Lords before being Knighted themselves.

Most become guards for important personages or even royalty, whilst some become ranking officers in the armies of feudal lords. This allows them all to one day to aspire to rank of Knight or even obtain an artistocratic title, if they haven't had one before.

The few lazy, unlucky or unskilled ones will end as common soldiers, or even worse, honorless mercenaries. For a Squire from a noble family like yours, this is a stain on family honor and your father would have a legal reason to disown you for this.

And if you pass your sixteenth birthday without finding a viable career, by the law of the country, you will be fated to become a common soldier as well.

---

Every Squire has learned lots during their young age. Combat, horse-riding, courtship and all other skills a young Knight might require in his life.

These Skills are going to have an impact when you perform actions, but without anything 'set in stone'.

So for example, a Squire with high Courtship will have easier time wooing ladies, while high Combat will ensure that a mere thug won't murder you horribly.

You have 10 Skill Points to spend. Each Skill can have 4 points maximum allocated at the moment:

Archery (0)
Combat (0)
Courtship (0)
Health (0)
Heraldry (0)
Horse-riding (0)
Theology (0)
Writing&Reading (0)

---

You can choose 2 special Traits. These provide bonuses to the Skills listed in the previous table and can push them over the 4 point limit.

Adventurer: +1 Archery, +1 Horse-riding
Depraved: +1 Courtship, male-preference
Fighter: +1 Combat, +1 Archery
Healthy: +2 Health
Lecherous: +2 Courtship
Poet: +1 Courtship, +1 Writing&Reading
Religious: +1 Theology, +1 Writing&Reading
Sage: +1 Theology, +1 Heraldry
True Noble: +1 Heraldry, +1 Horse-riding
True Knight: +1 Combat, +1 Horse-riding
Warrior: +2 Combat

Do note that few of these will have special consequences if taken. I'm sure you can guess which ones.

Shintoist Mino
Mino invests 8 in Mino.

Shintoist Noto
Noto merchants establish trade with Echigo and Wakasa!
Lord of Noto sets gifts to the distant lands of Silla.

Shintoist Bungo
Bungo warriors attempt to conquer Iyo! 10+7 vs 10+3 = 17 > 13
Bungo conquers Iyo! Iyo pillaged for 5.
Bungo merchants establish trade with Nagato!

Buddhist Wakasa
Wakasa merchants establish trade with Noto and Echigo!
Lord of Wakasa sends gifts to the distant lands of Silla.

Shintoist Echigo
Echigo merchants establish trade with Wakasa and Noto!
Lord of Echigo sends gifts to the distant lands of Tang.

Shintoist Nagato
Nagato warriors attempt to conquer Iwami! 5+9 vs 10+3 = 14 > 13
Nagato conquers Iwami! Iwami pillaged for 5.

Noto: 4
Wakasa: 2+2 = 4
Echigo: 2

Noto and Wakasa merchants establish exchange of goods with Silla for equivalent of 4 Rice both, while Echigo merchants establish exchange of goods with Tang for equivalent of 2 Rice.



Moves needed: notquitethere, a1s, The Canadian Kitten, TricMagic, zemaj, Magmacube_tr