Family Quarrels or "Did you hear what he said about our Ada?"

After some years of mourning for his wife, who died in the plagues years, Arthfael has taken and married a new, younger wife (Blejan). This has not been met with universal approval by his daughters, particularly the older two (Nuallán and Fedelmid) who harboured thoughts of additional lands from their father for their husbands. The wedding ceremony barely papered over the cracks of strained family relationships between father and daughters and between the three sisters themselves. Maela the youngest defends her father’s right to happiness and is pitched against her older sisters who believe that Blejan is merely seeking wealth at the cost of their inheritance. To complicate both Nuallán and Fedelmid accuse each other of trying to curry favour with their father in order to secure a greater slice of lands. In the process of doing this they accuse each other of slights to family honour (both real and imagined). The final straw was the death of Arthfael’s prized hunting dog, which now lies at the feet of his master in the great hall. A hall that is now besieged by the two older daughters who hold each other at bay with their household retainers. In the clan hold, three branches are now engaged in haranguing of each party from each house and none may leave for fear of injury from rocks or arrows.

Structure

Exposition

Trouble at the farm

The deputy Shirriffs are relaxing at the inn/shirriff house when a young Dunlending boy rushes in through the door. “Oh sirs you must come quick, it is terrible an my mother says there will be bloodshed before nightfall. Quick, quick you must hurry.” The young lad will reveal that he is one of the children of the Durotiges clan’s servants and has run from the clan hold to the west. He will breathlessly explain about Arthfael’s wedding day and the discovery of his favourite hunting hound being found poisoned during the night of the wedding. How the three daughters have blamed each other or the new wife and how a scuffle broke out in the courtyard this morning. Now they are barricaded into their houses with arrows drawn and shouting taunts across the yard. He will explain that his mother has said it is only a matter of time before one or other of the warring factions attacks filled with wedding ale and meads as the warriors are.

Conflict

At the clan hold

The clan hold of the Durotiges is some 5 miles west of their current location and can be reached in a few hours. The hold sits on a defensible hill surrounded by deep wooded valleys but a clear road leads through and up the side of the hill to the entrance. Inside the banked walls are a number of small dwellings made in the usual Dunlending roundhouse style. Four larger buildings dominate the rest of the village. Two look like no more than larger round houses although one does possess carvings of strange beasts and symbols to mark it out as more than the barn that is the other. To the left and the right of the “road” from the gate are the other two larger dwellings separated from the main hall by a large open space.
The hold is silent apart from the occasional cat call and taunt from one of the three large dwellings which are all barred and shuttered. Otherwise the hold would be considered normal, chickens scratch and livestock stare trustingly from inside the pens.
At this point the Shirriffs will need to decide what to do next. Each house will warily let the shirriffs in and the general disposition of the occupants is laid out below. At some point, one of the factions will attempt to send out a servant to fetch ale of food. Fearing an attack several heavily armed members of one of the daughters houses’ will rush out to attack the poor servant, who of course will run. The shirriffs will need to chase down the warriors and neutralise them/protect the servant. Seeing the warriors the other houses will also mobilise warriors and a rather nasty standoff in the square will need to be calmed down. If the investigations go on long into the afternoon have a young warrior who loves a girl in the other camp try to sneak her out of the hall and then be attacked by her brother. These minor scuffles should never result in more than minor injuries.

Rising Action

Main hall

The main hall of the clan hold is a well-weathered glorified barn. Carvings have been made of reasonable quality on the wooden frame and door and the thatched roof is secure and well maintained. However, it is clear to any onlooker that this is not the great hall of a warrior hero or king. Inside the hall is hushed, servants move about the hall with the air of those who are frightened to break the hallowed silence. A few warriors are gathered by the main hall door staring out in grim silence, others a dotted around the hall. Window coverings remain in place despite it being day and the over all gloom sits like a dark blanket over the high table where Arthfael sits with a hunting dog held in his arms. By his side a young woman with red hair entwined with wild flowers (Maela) sits comforting him. Moving into the hall you are greeted by a petite woman with hair that falls like midnight around her shoulders.
“The Shirriffs I presume. Well this is a sorry state of affairs and needs sorting before there is bloodshed caused by those harpy daughters of Arthfael. We cannot afford to sit and stare out of hall doors when there are flocks to be tended and homes to be returned to. But I will not let either of those two crones steal away the happiness of my wedding day.” she begins.
Arthfael will be sat in maudlin silence cradling his beloved dog. Blejan is organising the defence of the hall and the feeding of those within the walls - she will explain that those harpy daughters of Arthfael have stirred up trouble by poisoning the dog. She is convinced one of the daughters has done it but cannot say for sure which. Maela is by her father’s side attempting to console him. She will also be convinced one of the evil witches of her sister’s has done this. She will describe some events at the wedding that indicate the each of the sisters plans to take control of the clan deposing her father. will point out that it would not be beyond Nuallán to have poisoned the hound to draw the life out of her dear father and so force him to gift the lands to Nuallán and her husband.

Áedán and Nuallán’s hall

To the right of the main hall as you enter from the main gate is a one story thatched house with wattle and daub walls. Windows are cut into the side and an upper sun balcony has been added. From the windows angry Dunlending faces peer suspiciously from behind hastily erected barricades. On the sun balcony three Dunlendings with bows stand watch and glare across the empty square at a second and slight grander house to the left of the hall.
Upon being allowed to enter the hall you are greeted by a tall war-like Dunlending. “What you will do about this intolerable situation?” he demands aggressively, “It is bad enough having that gold digger marry Arthfael, but then for that woman and her excuse for a husband to accuse us of poisoning the dog. Well, ridiculous!”
Nuallán will blame Fedelmid for the poisoning. “It is just what that pinch-faced spiteful witch would do.” Áedán will explain how he saw Brennus slip out with some meat during the wedding feast and how he must have poisoned the hound.

Brennus and Fedelmid’s hall

To the left of the main as you enter the main gate is a two story thatched house with a lower stone wall base and wattle and daub upper floors. The roof shows that it has recently been thatched, decorations on wooden posts are generally of better quality than the other two main houses. Shutters across the windows are barred, but between convenient arrow slits eyes glare out watchfully.
When allowed access to the house you are greeted by a portly man and his thin wife. She launches into speech, while her husband opens his mouth to speak, “My husband will not stand for this! When will you arrest that woman and remove her from this house. It is quite wrong that she should be here. She has caused nothing but trouble the day she arrived.” “mmdear, I do think you are not thinking carefully - you know how Áedán behaves like he is lord of the manor already. It would not beyond possibility that Nuallán and her husband are behind this.”
Brennus will complain vociferously about how Áedán continuously throws his weight around. Fedelmid will suggest that this is a plot by that minx Blejan to pin the blame on one of his daughters and so clear the way for her control of the clan hold.

Around the clan hold

By the kennels the shirriffs will find a dish containing meat from the table but no sign of poison Sleuthing of the favoured hound’s kennel with reveal a poisonous herb amongst the bedding checking with the bondsman in charge of the kennels they will discover that the bedding was fresh the day of the wedding. The bondsman will take the Shirriffs to the area where he harvested the long grass and so they will discover that this was just a terrible mistake as the poisonous herb.

Climax

Convincing the family

The final phase will require the placating of the warring family members and convincing them that this was nothing but a terrible accident.

Components

Goals

Discover who poisoned the hunting hound
Keep the peace between the warring factions
Convince all parties to forgive if not forget

Hooks

You're the Shirriff man, what choice do you have!

Stakes

Risk of death and injury between citizens and yourself.
Failure to resolve situation resulting in loss of reputation as law keeper.
Break down of law and order

Red Herrings

All the parties are blaming each other for the dog's death which of course is just an unhappy accident.

Relations

Protagonists

Arthfael

the Clan lord recently married to a younger wife (Blejan) to who his children by his first wife object or approve. He is a largish dunlending warrior whose muscle has now turned mostly to fat, sporting as he does a large paunch. He still retains some of his youthful handsomeness but cannot be said to be in full flush of youth. He is at a loss about how to bring his daughters to harmony and fears that one of the three may indeed have poisoned his favourite hunting dog.

Áedán

The husband of Nuallán, has long felt that is wife is overlooked in favour of her younger sisters. He feels aggrieved that any of the other daughters feel they have a right to inherit any land from their father let alone the new wife. He has for years since marrying Nuallán, acted as the eldest son taking on duties from his father in law as expected.
Standing at 5’11” he is tall for a Dunlending and retains much of the racial stockiness. His red-brown hair is pulled back into an intricately plaited pony tail and his dark eyes brood from a heavy browed square face.

Brennus

The husband of Fedelmid, feels aggrieved that Áedán has assumed that his is the heir of Arthfael. urged on by his wife he has always pressed his claim to be considered an equal inheritor of the clans lands. Shorter than average (5’8”) and clearly overweight despite the recent deprivations of plague and famine. He braids his beard and his dark hair is neatly combed but slightly greasy. Overall he gives the impression of someone who is not entirely trustworthy.

Blejan

Is the new wife of Arthfael, fully 20 years his junior, she has clearly married into the family for advantage. However, this does not mean she is self-serving in her interests. Although, she has not married for purely romantic reasons, she is devoted to Arthfael and in reality would not begrudge her step-daughters inheritance rights providing she and any children she bears are treated fairly. A petite woman (5’3”) her raven black hair falls like waves of night around her shoulder and her dark eyes smoulder when she chooses to turn her attention on any man.

Fedelmid

The middle daughter of Arthfael is a thin waspish woman of average height with a face that appears to be locked in a permanent scowl. She has long harboured the resentment of the middle child towards her older and younger siblings and this resentment has now burst forth as outright hostility.

Maela

The youngest and most-beloved daughter, her long red hair often is twined with local flowers, is a constant reminder of Athfael’s late wife. Despite appearing meek and mild, Maela is just as astute as her sisters. She knows that Fedelmid would see her as little more than a household servant and Nuallán although more courteous would not desire to have her younger sister near the wandering eye of her husband.

Nuallán

The eldest of the three daughters of Arthfael is haughty and proud of her position. Her father’s dark hair and heavy set features have been inherited along with his proud bearing and authority. She truly believes that she should lead the clan upon the death of her father, if not before if he decides to follow tradition and hand on his lands before. To this end she has continuously encourage her husband, Áedán, to be at the forefront of clan business.

Outer family members

As with any other large family there are a large number of clansmen related by blood or marriage who have been at the hold for the wedding. They are distinct from the servants in that the weapons they hold are not improvised and even where used in a purely ceremonial way are capable of cleaving flesh and bone. As with any stand-off the outer family they are unwilling to escalate hostilities to actual bodily harm, which won’t stop them cat calling and dredging up past family offences such as “what you said about our Taig at his wedding last year”

Household servants

Each house will have a number of servants who are loyal to their respective masters. They should generally be seen with improvised weapons to hand keeping watch and being nervous of the current situation.

Backdrops

Locations

Durotignes clan hold near Axbridge.

Related Locations

• SIRAGALE