Session 06 - The Baroness and Her Two Daughters

General Summary

After a fairly detailed recap, the party entered into an evening celebration being held at Roanberg Castle. The castle itself was built centuries ago by human hands to a dwarven design made "for humans." Compared to other castles within the Free Realms, it is relatively small though it is quite robust as a working fortress. At least, it was quite robust since the current occupiers of the castle have altered the structures in such a way to make it less of a fortress and more of a sprawling barracks. As the characters entered, they take note of a pair of religious effigies in a niche just off of the main doorway. The first is a familiar-looking War Goddess, some differentiation is there but it looks quite like the noted warrior-queen Ashnod the Grim in an almost-dwarven carving style with inlaid bronze and gold. The second being a beautiful depiction of Arma in a classic high elven style -- in the Old Faith, Arma is the Goddess of the Life and Death in Nature (often just shorted to Goddess of the Hunt). Upon the surface of the niche at the feet of the two statues are offerings of a particularly martial nature -- weapons, shields, helmets, and skulls.
Just passed the entranceway and the receiving hall is the Great Hall, which doubles as a Court in less festive times. Filled with dozens of local warriors in various stages of inebriation, the room is alive with the chatter and cavorting familiar to anyone who has spent time with soldiers. The room is roughly sixty deep by ninety feet wide. A great brown and grey rug roughly forty feet by thirty feet sits in the center, with three stout wooden tables on either side and another six tables between the rug and the main entranceway. At the far end, raised upon a wooden dais about three feet high, sits a large and long table with six seats along the wall and ten more with their backs toward the rest of the Great Hall. On either end, stand servants ready with food and drink.
In the baronial seats, the central two seats at the high table, sit two younger human women. One dressed in armour, furs and with her face painted to darken her eyes and lessen glare in the field. Her hair is dark brown, her complexion originally fair but tanned from weeks spent outside. This is Radha, the fierce daughter of the Baroness of Roanberg. Next to her sits the young and proper noblewoman Tania, almost the exact opposite in appearance and demeanour to her sister. Sitting opposite to them is a group of five dwarves -- mostly mountain dwarves, but at least one hill dwarf from Imperial territory. They are discussing the details of a prospective mining operation in one of the connected valley-passes that connects Roanberg's main holdings to another territory held by a foreign power. The pitch seems to have convinced Radha quite obviously, but Tania appears to be unmoved by the idea.
At that point, a louder commotion can be heard at the entranceway. The Baroness and a complement of her Chosen Warriors have returned back from a minor campaign. In her hands, the tall and proud Baroness carries two severed human heads -- those of her enemies from the battlefield. She places them before the effigies and recites a prayer to the war goddess in celestial, and another to Arma in (high) elven. The Chosen Warriors and their men look exhausted, but the Baroness looks boundless as she enters the main hall still clad in her field harness covered in the blood and detritus of the battlefield. After some immediate greetings to other Chosen of high standing and notable locals, she immediately zeroes in on the curious group standing just off center near the front. Her attention is particular to the half-orc woman standing tall, and looking like she knows how to handle herself.
Introductions are made, the Baroness is charming and, honestly, a bit much for a lot of people. The party is well-received, and granted full hospitality. Like most of her line, Lovisa Daradana eschews the title "Lady" before her name, and prefers to be called by her title rather than an honourific. She earned the monicre "Cold Eyes" when, as a twenty-something heiress, she ordered the execution of her would-be husband and his three sons when the former was proven to be harbouring ill will for her people and their ways. From that relationship, she only took away a pregnancy that bore her twin daughters. She raised them well, though it seems the two took very different paths into womanhood.
Called Fierce Radha and Gentle Tania after the Twin Earth Goddesses of the Old Faith, the twins are in their early twenties and definitely look like sisters. The eldest, Radha, however, is dressed as a rough and tumble warrior's warrior. Her rank only signified by some subtle (and grimey) gold jewelry and a fine cloak lined with rare fur. The younger of the twins, Tania, is dressed in a reasonably fashionable evening gown more at home in the salons of Brigden Ford or Istvan's Reach than this far northwest. Of the two, Radha is in her glory and Tania seems somewhat distracted. Where Radha is completely taken in by the dwarves' pitch, Tania was very much skeptical, but despite that, when the Baroness finally addresses the dwarven decision, she immediately agrees to do so. The dwarves nod at one another and make a hasty, but victorious retreat. After some reveling and socializing, the Baroness asked the party to follow her to her chambers so her attendants could remove her armour. Tentatively, they agreed.
While Morrus, Oswyn, and Brongar were in the main hall, Elendros had peeled off and took on the form of a cat. From there, he explored the rest of the castle. He noted the Map Room, the Baroness' personal chambers, those that belonged to her daughters, a whole wing devoted to housing the elderly, and several other minor rooms. While the player-characters were inside, Erinna the Battlemage and "Sir" Torra the Chosen Warrior stayed with the wagon and prisoners.
As Elendros explored, and found that after a certain amount of time, the two daughters retired from the party for very different reasons. Tania follows the group of dwarven merchants and tells them that while her mother may have agreed to the proposition, it will be her who will preside over the transaction and governance from here onwards. She imposes an annual tax of <> per foreign worker and requires that the dwarves employ locals. In addition, the security for the operation will be provided by the Baroness, not foreign mercenaries, but also that Tania is open to being involved in incorporating dwarven mercenaries into the Baroness' forces if they so choose. The lead dwarf speaks with his fellows for a few moments, then reaches into his money belt and produces a large bag of coins. In heavily accented Common, "This should cover the first season." Tania takes it, realizes its heft, and quickly nods her head which the dwarves return with a degree of renewed respect. The dwarves exit with as much vim as before. Shortly afterwards, Radha emerges from the party with several others and brings them into her chambers.
By that time, Tania had retired to the Map Room rather than her own chambers. Ever the feline creeper, Elendros watched for a while as she began filling in details on some accurate and well-made maps that must have cost a lot of money to make. He made note of the fact that while there weren't many books, there were some, but the room was filled with drawers and hangers of maps, and maps, and more maps. On the far wall, there was a large tapestry of burgundy with wolves' heads and ravens in flight upon it. Ribbons of gold, silver, black, red and navy blue are tied into the holes and tears that dot the old banner -- it may draw the eyes, but the baskets sitting atop three shelves are the real curiosity. Roughly three feet high, the baskets number seven each, and each row corresponds to copper, silver and gold coins. Not only is the Map Room filled with expensive maps, but also the entire treasury of the Baroness.
Before going into the Baroness' chambers, Morrus decides to avoid the awkwardness and head outside to wake Erinna, and have Torra prepare the captives. Upon returning to the castle, he bumps into Elendros, who had turned back from a cat. After discussion, they decide it would be better if the women attend to the Baroness and they go to visit Tania in the Map Room. She is still working away at a detailed map of the area around Tannith Vale. She opens with a few comments about the dwarven situation, mostly to show her position as the one who attends to the issues of governance rather than warfare or socializing. She continues with some pointed questions about their intention as agents of the Throne, but also signals her interest and willingness to help her mother and sister by cooperating and actively negotiating. She predicts that her mother will want the two rival barons removed from power, and that both Radha and Tania would be installed in their places. Tania tells Morrus that the King should do no such thing, but perhaps remove the two barons as they will always be trouble for both the Countess of Tannith Vale and her mother, the Baroness. Tania goes on to wax about the energy and charisma possessed by her mother and sister, but that they're not prepared to be without the support and advice that she gives the two of them. No, Tania's place is here.
The Baroness has her harness removed by her attendants while speaking candidly with Oswyn and Brongar about her problems with the other Barons, and her own empathy for the situation that the Countess finds herself in. She states outright that she's willing to contemplate an alliance with the Countess, but that part of this requires direct support from the Throne. At this point, Erinna and Torra bring in the two captives. Who aren't interrogated, but rather they are summarily executed by the Baroness in her quarters. Lovisa states that she's willing to enter into the alliance, but requries the two offending barons be removed and her daughters be installed in their place. She gathers herself up, then decides to head back downstairs to continue the party. She leaves the player-characters in her chambers with blanket hospitality.
The PCs end up leaving pretty shortly after day break the next day, and I assume will chat with one-another about next steps en route back to Tannith Vale.

Report Date

25 Feb 2021