Gust of Opportunity 3: The Threats of Serra Demata

“But how can they just be running rampant?”

Ricardo i Riqueza looked extremely distressed, looking at the map laid out on the table between the five hakima. Dulranna gave him a look, and pointed to the map, to the many lines bisecting the mountain range between Imperial and Jotun territory.

“Rampant’s a strong word for what these Jotun are doing. Look, since we blew up Redgate Pass you can’t fit an army through there, and the vallornheart at Liath’s Heart means they’re steering clear of this other pass, but there’s lots of ways for a smaller group to make their way from Liathaven into Kahraman and vice versa. I do it, the Navarr do it, and the Jotun can do it too.”

Ahrazzan i Guerra spoke up, their voice gruff.

“Nevertheless they must be met head on. We have many Dawnish warriors who have answered Ghanem’s call, I hope they are ready for the challenge.”

Ricardo shook his head, still worried.

“This isn’t just a challenge, it’s an invasion! And what about this Strategist, he seems like he’s a real prob-”

Dulranna waved a hand.

“Invasion schminvasion, it’s just one warband really. The Dawnish will glory charge them from the front, the Navarri will stab them in the back, and the Freeborn will finish off what’s left. It’ll be grand!”

Overview

Kurhaz Keep occupies a key strategic point in Serra Damata, and without an active custodian the castle’s role in maintaining security in the area has lain fallow for some time. The Smiling Sword kohan cohort had been under contract with the Kurhaz family for many years, but without support and direction their presence has not been as effective as it might, and the area has become somewhat troubled. Bandits are operating openly, and more worrying, a Jotun warband has crossed the mountains and is maintaining a menacing presence.

These threats facing the area give all the more reason that a custodian for the Keep should be found swiftly, and as the Festival of Finding come near and heroes of the Empire converge, it seems that several showdowns are imminent. The Jotun

The most pressing concern is the Jotun warband. It seems they belong to a small kirkja, a warrior temple dedicated to a Jotun ancestor, and one not widely known among the Jotun armies regularly faced by the Empire. Those who have encountered this warband so far report hearing the name “Ravgar” cried out in battle, and the symbol of a fox skull emblazoned on armour and shields. Somewhat uncharacteristically for Jotun, this warband seems to favour hit-and-run tactics, using subterfuge and cunning to hide their movements in the region. Sensible perhaps for a warband in enemy territory, but not how the Jotun generally do things. 

The Strategist

In most reports, the warband is led by a jarl of noble bearing. The warband hails him as “the Strategist”, and around his neck he wears a distinctive brass lock on a chain necklace. There are rumours that the warband has been seen dealing with heralds of the Autumn realm, and that there is some grand scheme afoot regarding Kurhaz Keep, the Strategist, and the future of the area. Not only that, but it seems the warband has brought with them a small group of Lasambrian Jotun as auxillaries, among them a notorious coven of Winter magicians called the Shattering Splinter.

As the Festival of Finding draws near, new information about the Jotun comes from a surprising source: the warband themselves. A thrall arrives at the Keep with a letter from Sixten Myrunsson, the Strategist, seeking parley on the first day of the Festival. He will arrive under flag of parley with his trusted warriors, to discuss the matter of a contract between the Freeborn and the Jotun. He asks the five hakima who are running the Festival to grant him and his warriors safe passage, knowing that they have summoned many formidable heroes of the Empire to the Festival to help select a new custodian for Kurhaz Keep.

Exactly what this contract might be, none are sure. It’s not unknown for the Jotun to prefer to deal with the Freeborn, because you always know what you’re getting when you deal with the Brass Coast. If someone has made a contract with the Jotun, however, they could be flirting with treason. In the meantime, the warband has been laying low, so it might be that the Festival of Finding is the best opportunity for the Empire to root them and their Lasambrian allies out of Serra Damata. Bandits, Monsters and Others

If it were just the Jotun that would be bad enough, but the lack of leadership at the Keep has led to all sorts of unsavoury elements taking residence in the area. Banditry is a growing problem, and the competition for competent guards is fierce among the merchant caravan owners. 

There are, of course, strange creatures all over the Empire, and northern Kahraman is no exception. Winter draws near, and before they enter a period of dormancy many such creatures go on a final hunt, taking advantage of the unwary. There are reports of a creature that has been dubbed the Myrmidon, a huge insectoid predator, that has been preying on the miners of the Damatian Cliffs and Red Depths. It’s said whoever is brave enough to slay it will win great renown.

On a more sinister note, there are reports of Freeborn camps being nearly wiped out overnight. Survivors who have fled to nearby towns and other camps speak of smooth-tongued visitors who lure out the camp denizens by some fabrication or other, only to slaughter them, or to rob them blind and ransom them back to their friends and family. There are differing stories being bandied about in Serra Damata, and whether this is many groups operating differently or one group operating completely chaotically is not clear.

OOC Note

Combat at Castles and Contracts will be out in the open spaces of the site for the most part, and there will be no combat inside the castle at all. There may be combat in camp which is player-initiated, but we ask that this take place in open areas of the camp and not directly beside tents where possible. The standard Empire LRP non-contact rules (https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Combat_safety#Non-Contact) will apply for anyone who cannot participate in live-action roleplay combat.

The Jotun warband that will be the main antagonist at Castles and Contracts are acting independently of the main Jotun war effort and does not represent a Jotun advance into Kahraman from Liathaven, or anything about the wider motivations of the Jotun nation.