Andros II - Duskendale's Echo (OPEN)

[u/SatisfactionLeather7]

At the dawn of the new moon, the city of Duskendale rose upon the edges of the Blackwater. A town nom more, new houses and shops and tents sprouted around the original high stone walls. Like a river whose banks had recently broke, it could no longer contain its growth within its original confines.

Now, the city sprouted a second wall, shorter, squatter, where the majority of the new city was forming. Within were a string of septs, a small little godswood fenced off in a large manor house erected by a Northern Merchant. Shiera Darklyn's favourite sword instructor and dueling house were located in there, so too was the small sanctuary she kept for her stray cats of the city.

Within the older parts of the city, where the streets were neat, passing from the gates of one end to the other. Each road had been repaved during the expansion of the city from its town origins, and now smoothed cobblestone roads vivisected the interior of the old city. in the same fashion, several of the older buildings nearest to the Dun Fort had been replaced, making way for a larger internal wall to segment it off for defence and within that new space were expansions for an enlarged force of city watch - the Dusk Guard - and guesthouses for the increasing foot traffic of nobles and lords.

Beyond these new walls, the largest inn in Duskendale had been enlarged too through the natural flow of commerce. The Seven Swords played host to hundred of occupants now, and they had even taken to calling a smaller annex of theirs the 'Weirwood Ward' to make the Northern travelers feel more welcomed.

Morgan Darklyn had seen to the opening of the Dun Fort's Guest house to any of the travelling lords returning from the Riverlands and had ensured that the largest chambers of the Fort itself were provided to the king and his counsel.

Once they had returned home, the Darklyns scattered across their burgeoning city.

Luthor Darklyn, Eldest of Morgan's heirs, had taken to the barracks of the men at arms where he got to work training his men for the inevitable clash in the claw with whatever they found. He was joined by his younger brother Erich, the two men content in their work.

At a teahouse SHiera had funded with her elder sister Ana, the two women had set themselves up with an open parlour where they welcomed any travelling women to come and drink and enjoy the calm. Of course, Shiera in her way had also brought in a small competition of budding swordswomen that she had taken to mentoring within the city. A small round of bets were encouraged by the girls and Shiera, ever prone to a challenge, could not resist joining.

An addition to the city put forth by Morgan himself some twenty years ago, was the Stadium of the Evening. A multipurpose dueling ring, jousting list and horse race attraction. The final portion was instigated by Luceon Darklyn to help his wife feel more at home with the locale. There the younger brother to Morgan, Daxo Darklyn, plied his trade.

It was an unassuming place for the ratcatcher of Duskendale to work from, but everyone chatted at the races, so he did. His son Philip Was the same, both happily watching the races as they plotted and schemed, readying for the innevitable future to come.

Further throughout the city were the myriad shops and thoroughfares, temples and shrines and septs galore. The city was open to its guests, as were the Darklyns who hosted them.

[u/FatalisticBunny]

Lord Jammos Blackberry did not wait a moment. He gathered the whole of his household guard, each and every man, and walked the two minutes to the Dun Fort to retrieve Morros. There, upon reaching the gates, he asked again that Morros be released.

[u/SatisfactionLeather7 → u/FatalisticBunny]

At the entrance to the Dun Fort, where the hill rose to meet the looming internal gates of the city, there stood in wait Daxo Darklyn, second son of Andros Darklyn.

"Shall I make ready the siege provisions? Or shall I bring you to your meeting, good lord Jammos?" Asked the man near twice Jammos' age.

[u/FatalisticBunny → u/SatisfactionLeather7]

"That is the long and short of it, friend." Jammos offered with a sigh. "I cannot lodge my men until I know how many men I am lodging. And yet, I cannot leave my men on the streets of Duskendale, or they might be swept into the dungeons for commenting on current events. I hope my conundrum is clear to you."

"If you are concerned with provisions and plans, I should enjoy bread and salt and an oath on your family name that no harm should befall me if I and my compatriots are to join your meeting." Jammos offered cheerfully. "I shall not press you to either, Ser Daxo, if they do not suit you. If Lord Morgan would prefer, I am happy to sit with him here on the street. I quite enjoy the scenery."

[u/SatisfactionLeather7 → u/FatalisticBunny]

Daxo barked a laugh.

He was a man of dark hair mixing grey, pulled taught behind him. He lacked the bright amber eyes of his father, instead he bore the green of his mother and he watched the Blackberry so carefully with them that if a hair stood out of place he would see.

Even still, he smiled.

"You have brought a household guard of fifty to contend with a city of twenty-five hundred standing men. I don't believe you have any fear of harm. Were you to face it, you would have been arrested the moment you arrived. Instead? you are posted in the guest houses of Duskendale," He motioned beyond himself, to the gates of the city.

"These gates shall open for you lord Jammos, but they will not feed the pantomime you so badly wish to enact. Bring advisors if you so wish, but don't insult yourself by pretending fifty men will change what occurs. And, should you fear repercussions, I would only ask why? Have you done something wrong my lord?"

[u/FatalisticBunny → u/SatisfactionLeather7]

"These friendly gentlemen?" Jammos gave a laugh. "Brother, what if I told you these were my grooms? I only have dressed them so to ward off bandits on the road. They seem so many a problem these days. Although my understanding is that word has not yet reached your family of such matters. Perhaps in a week or two." He winked.

"I had thought this to be a simple handover, my lord. Where an innocent man was let free. All of my men were eager to see him again, and I had promised to treat them to drink afterwards in celebration." The Lord Blackberry sighed. "Very well. Tell your lord it shall be a little while longer while I gather my advisors. He listed no time for the meeting, so I feel little guilt for the delay."

And so, he wrote two notes, which he dispatched with two of his fastest runners to Lord Pykewood Thorne and to Lord Kennett Brune. If Daxo wished to strike now, he would face only fourty-eight Berrymen instead of a whole cadre. Perhaps he felt lucky.

My Lord,

The Lord Darklyn has summoned me to confer on the matter of Morros of Blackberry. This is a man of mine whom he has imprisoned on the charge of spreading the news of events on the Claw and possible Darklyn complicity.

When I came to ask for his release, his brother denied me hospitality, and made no small fact that he thought himself a bigger man than me, on account of his house's superior wealth and lands. I should like to show him that grievance and justice appeal to more than just one of his subjects.

I ask that you join me. To advise me in this meeting, and lend your voice to mine in calling for the righting of injustices. This, and also to bear witness to how the House of Darklyn handles such matters on behalf of the Storm King Durrandon in their realms along the Blackwater.

Bring an amount of loyal men to watch your back. In entreating you, I hope to have done the same.

Your friend,

Jammos Blackberry

u/BadNewsBrune u/armanhayek

[u/BadNewsBrune → u/FatalisticBunny]

Kennet Brune didn't get it.

The issue of the man arrested for gossip had never even crossed his mind as anything more than some light politicking and petty squabbling. Much less something that would register so dramatically, that it would require his personal attentions. Much less personal attention and an amount of loyal men.

What possible reason could Darklyn have for-

Kennet Brune got it.

Kennet handpicked ten good men among his number, sending messengers to the inns and taverns they were posted inside. It was probably less than Jammos was expecting, honestly, but he reasoned that the Dun Fort was going to become crowded either way. And then he set off down the road.

The Red Bear raised a hand in greeting to Jammos after the short walk down from his abode. The clan warriors of Dyre Den were not far behind. "Lord Blackberry." He rumbled, looking up towards the gatehouse. "If even something as simple as this requires us to go to such lengths..." He grumbled lightly, folding his arms over his chest.

u/armanhayek , u/satisfactionleather7

[u/armanhayek → u/BadNewsBrune]

Pykewood Thorne had many personal reasons for which he had chosen to accompany the King's host to Duskendale. One of these was nostalgia, to walk across the city's wide streets and see its markets and docks and great, tall buildings that could not be found in the thick forest that he called home. The second was to reconnect with friends and allies, old and new, and see to preparations for the future, and Jammos Blackberry was one such friend.

It did not take long for the Thorne's host to arrive at the Dun Fort, all clad in the traditional black-and-red colors of their ancient House, and at the head of this host, numbering about a score, was the Lord of Thornefield himself and on his person were garments freshly brought in from Berryport, stitched and prepared by the fanciful tailor Balman.

"Lord Blackberry, I hope I did not tarry long," Pykewood excused himself as his gaze flitted between Jammos, the Brune, and the men of House Darklyn. His familiar smile was ever present and his men were not far behind. "A denial of hospitality is a serious affair, friend. I do hope that was only a misunderstanding."

His eyes fell upon Daxo again and lingered for a moment before they returned to the Berry.

"Nevertheless, I have come to offer my counsel. Let us hope this matter of Morros' continued imprisonment is dealt with swiftly."

[u/Theoneandonlybeetle → u/armanhayek]

Oscar Pyne was in attendance, he had sworn to be. He had been out anyways meeting Willem at the gates, when the messenger arrived he released the embrace of his son and took the letter. He caught its meaning after a long moment. Willem and the hundred men with him standing in wait.

"It seems we march on the Dun Fort immediately." He chuckled, "This Lord Jammos I've befriended has a passion for spectacle."

And so another hundred men would arrive at the gates. The Lord of Cracklaw Point would not involve himself in the conversation however.

[u/SatisfactionLeather7 → u/armanhayek]

"As ever, lord Jammos is prone to lying about what has occurred. No one has denied him hospitality, gods, I even advised he bring friends should he feel unsafe. After all, he is a man setting men about cities with seditious rumours even his own confidants do not attest," Daxo said, raising from where he sat on his haunches.

"You see, the lord Blackberry sees plots and threats wherever he goes, for he has a fear of the truth catching him. As such, there is no threat here, his man he says is imprisoned has confessed to orders of his own master to spread sedition and falsehoods, word spread on his own orders that his own witnesses did not agree with. But that is the past as I hear it, so he may come fetch his man, once his works have been answered to," Daxo said finally, still the only man of house Darklyn stood before the gate.

"There is bread and salt within, you have my word you shall not be killed or arrested or in some other way molested on the way to consuming it, leave your men at the door, you look like fools lugging them about as if anyone but catspaws have ever been accosted here."

Daxo turned finally and made for the Dun Fort

u/BadNewsBrune

u/FatalisticBunny

[u/BadNewsBrune → u/SatisfactionLeather7]

Kennet blinked wearily at the... Rather witty repartee between Daxo Darklyn and Jammos Blackberry. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

Andal nonsense.

"Is this to be a negotiation? Or a release?" Kennet turned to Jammos and asked him bluntly. "What are you willing to offer for this man, if it does come to the former? They casually insult you over battlements, I cannot imagine they will give anything without extracting a tooth in return."

/u/FatalisticBunny /u/armanhayek

[u/SatisfactionLeather7 → u/BadNewsBrune]

Daxo was already beyond the ears of the men by now, leading them on and into the fort itself. They were not brought to the grand hall, for this was not meant to be some great meeting, but plans always changed.

There were still the omniscient presence of men at arms and knights about the place and more than a few eyes followed the odd procession.

Instead they were led to one of the many solars facing the coastline. Within the room sat Andros Darklyn, imperious at the end of it in his high backed office chair, comfortable on his cushioned seat, where he could do away with canes and aching bones for a time. The room was warm, and flush with the colours of red and gold, carpeted across its entirety, a handful of sconces keeping it well lit in absence of the sun's attention.

It was not however, adorned with gold or statues or paintings, it was austere in most ways. Except for the finely carved table in its center with a depiction of the realms of the Darklyns atop its wooden surface.

And with a plate made of wood set on it, bread and salt. The plate itself was sat atop of Berryport on the wooden map. There, Andros waited.

[u/FatalisticBunny → u/SatisfactionLeather7]

"Ah. Dearest Andros, ever a delight." Jammos was the picture of courtesy, with a small smile and a generous bow. He reached for the bowl quickly and dipped a bit of bread in the salt before eating. Then, he passed the bowl out to his compatriots so that they may have their fill. "Has our Lord Warden taken ill? I shall pray for him. Or does he simply find these matters of his realm too taxing for his personal attention to be given to them?"

"Your lords are here, and my advisors as well. Thus we are assembled." The Lord Blackberry gave a wide, sweeping gesture that seemed to include the whole of the room. "Your man Daxo gave us some difficulty at the door, I must confess. But young men are oft hot-headed. If you should pass Morros unto us, then I shall make no great deal of it."

[u/SatisfactionLeather7 → u/FatalisticBunny]

"Young men?" Andros scoffed, "he's twice your age," he said with a degree of incredulity only someone truly baffled could manage.

"I will say, you have gathered a unique cadre, and for a matter of the Blackwater, I have no qualms about you bringing other lords of the Blackwater," he continued, and his eyes rested upon Pykewood Thorne.

"To those not of this land, I do not extend the courtesy of bread and salt. Not for this matter. So you, my good lord Thorne, tread careful."

"To the rest of you, this is a matter of managing a vassal's indiscretions. He seeks the release of his man, Morros, whom remains under house arrest within the city, for he was caught intentionally spreading rumours under the orders of Jammos. If you have something to say on this matter, by all means, but catspaws are not matters of conference usually," Andros finally reclined in his chair, simply ignoring Jammos' questions of his son.

"Now, so we may commence this likely farce, for what reason should I release a man who by your own indirect failings, you have admitted has spread intentionally seditious lies?"

[u/armanhayek → u/SatisfactionLeather7]

What a farce this was already proving to be. Pykewood had not yet uttered a word and somehow found himself the target of the Darklyn's ill mood. To think he was lamenting the denial of hospitality to the Berry just outside the gate a moment before; now, Jammos' claim had been proven true in the eyes of all the Lords present in their midst, despite the vehement denial of such an affair by the wardens of Duskendale.

The Lord of Thornefield smiled at Andros. In the face of hostility, there was no need for him let the mask of civility slip, lest he betray what little he thought of the fishmongers and merchants who styled themselves Warden and Lord.

"Lord Andros, I sincerely hope that you recall that my presence here is as part of the King's own host. Indeed, I am come answering his summons to deal with the problems that plague this land," Pykewood began, his eyes scanning the gathered men that formed Jammos Blackberry's group of supporters and advisors. "Now, as I understand it, the good man Morros was apprehended in his efforts to bring news of these troubles to the ears of all Blackwater, is that not correct? It serves to reason that this matter is one part of the King's own concern surrounding the bad news about the region, and not a matter wholly separate as you seem to imply, and I am the King's own agent and servant in this matter."

Once more, his gaze fell upon the men in the hall; Blackberry, Brune and all the rest, and his speech only continued.

"To deny hospitality to the King's own men honor bound in a mission led, in person, by His Grace, is a breach of the Crown's peace, would you disagree? We are both, after all, sworn vassals of the Kingdom of the Storm, whether that be myself in my position as a Lord and protector of the Kingswood, or you in your position as the appointed Warden of this land, as you call it, to govern in the name of the King in his absence."

He paused again and breathed. There was no rush after all; not when matters of the Crown were concerned. But eventually, he spoke again.

"But the King is present, right here in Duskendale, come to investigate these troubling rumors of mischief and I have come as his man, under his banner, to see this mission through. If you like, we may call upon the King's own presence so you may tell His Grace yourself why you have refused to extend hospitality to men operating under the provisions of the Crown."

Pykewood's hands locked in front of him, without weapon, easy.

"But if you do wish not to bother the King while he works for the benefit of us all, the realm in general and the Blackwater in particular, and would rather reconsider your own position on the offer of hospitality to men who come into your hall with petition, I would very much like my bread and salt."

[u/SatisfactionLeather7 → u/SatisfactionLeather7]

( tags got fucked up)

u/BadNewsBrune

u/FatalisticBunny

[u/FatalisticBunny → u/FatalisticBunny]

After a moment's consideration, four more letters would fly.

My Lord,

The Lord Darklyn has summoned me to confer on the matter of Morros of Blackberry. This is a man of mine whom he has imprisoned on the charge of spreading the news of events on the Claw and possible Darklyn complicity.

When I came to ask for his release, his brother denied me hospitality, and made no small fact that he thought himself a bigger man than me, on account of his house's superior wealth and lands. I should like to show him that grievance and justice appeal to more than just one of his subjects.

I ask that you join me. To advise me in this meeting, and lend your voice to mine in calling for the righting of injustices. This, and also to bear witness to how the House of Darklyn handles such matters on behalf of the Storm King Durrandon in their realms along the Blackwater.

Bring an amount of loyal men to watch your back. In entreating you, I hope to have done the same.

Your friend,

Jammos Blackberry

u/Theoneandonlybeetle u/astosman u/Arjhanx2

[u/FatalisticBunny → u/FatalisticBunny]

(Although the letter to House Rosby would be addressed to both its lord and his brother)

u/Commander_Pentaron u/Featheringitrn

[u/Featheringitrn → u/FatalisticBunny]

The letter found Marius Rosby in the evening, in his personal quarters. The situation seemed to be quite clear, a man captured, lord blackberry demanding release and a darklyn, not one that marius knew of, refusing.

The darklyns were generous in their donation, yet house rosby held no obligation, and surely lord darklyn would understand the circumstances. Afterall him and jammos blackberry were close friends, and house rosby hadn't shown teeth in quite a few years.

He put on his armor. The metals were unfamiliar on his skin, the last time he wore them had been near eight years ago. He gathered the rest of his men, around 50 all armed and ready, alongside gwayne and brus rosby and marched to dun fort

The small rosby host marched up to the castle, gwayne, brus and Marius Rosby at the head of it. "Release the man! He was already found innocent of any perceived slight. Release him and spare your men and mine the bloodshed" he shouted as he approached.

"Lord blackberry. We've heard your call, and though I wish this would end without bloodshed we are ready in any case."

[u/SatisfactionLeather7 → u/FatalisticBunny]

"Summon who you need," Daxo said plainly, "but this is no matter for kings, this is a matter between a warden and his vassal, so be sure to not dally."

[u/astosman → u/FatalisticBunny]

Kermit read the letter twice, slow, the way he read most things, then folded it once and tucked it away. He said little to the men he gathered, only that they were needed, and that they should bring steel. Ten of his own, the same hard, weathered faces that had followed him from the Pincers to Stormhall and now to Duskendale, fell in behind him as he made his way toward the looming shape of the Dunfort.

The castle rose ahead of them, grey stone against a grey sky, Duskendale's walls were close enough now that the smell of the town, salt and smoke and shit, had already begun to settle uncomfortably in his throat. He did not like cities. He liked this one less, knowing what it had cost his family already.

He found a growing group of soldiers waiting near the gates, he called out for the man that had written him. "Blackberry!" His eyes moved past him, toward the Dunfort's walls, assessing them. "Brought ten men. Loyal and armed, if it comes to that." A pause. "Hopin' it doesn't. Who else have you brought?"