IC Scene - The Meeting

Morek's voice sounded more annoyed than anything as he spoke, his head turning to Lucius.

"From news I have heard the Dawn is more keen to burn people now than they ever were. Someone in in your Order set a festival ablaze not too long ago if word of mouth is correct. There had better be explicit proof that the gods do not smile upon the Duchess anymore, and you cannot speak for them all warrior of Astrea. I would even question if you speak for Her. Out of anyone here it would likely be the Bishop who hides in the Catherdral." Morek waved a hand back towards the stone structure behind the table. He considered bringing up his clerical past and knowledge before deciding against it. "Or has your order branched to follow others? I have not seen any great portents, nor heard the gods themselves denounce Her Grace."

He turned back to Valdor.

"What the Dragon says is true. Out with is Guildmaster, let us here both sides of the story before the Dawn and Eventide murder each other. It's making me nervous sitting between them."

Valdor clapped once. It was a firm, echoing sound, designed to get people's attention. "I make no claim to Astraea's justice in this case. I leave her will to those who listen closely to her. I think we all know I am not the most pious man present at this meeting.

"No, the injustices I speak of are of a more personal nature, both to the merchants and the commoners. Not long ago, for seemingly no reason, the Duchess levied new taxes against both of our groups. Taxation on it's own is fine. The nobility protects and they need our money to do it. However, when they steal half your livelihood from you with no apparent cause, then taxes become a problem. We merchants cannot bring as many goods to the city when that money is taken from us. And it is even worse for the commons, who struggle to feed themselves day to day. Is that just in your eyes, brave knights?"

He seemed to think for a second. "I do regret the damage and deaths that have been caused. However, as you well know, this is war, and in war, sometimes terrible things happen. However, we cannot allow the Duchess' ways to go on as they are."

Morek mumbled under his breath, quiet enough that only the people sitting directly next to him, Rayvs and Mattus, would hear. "He doesn't give a rats arse about the commoners, all he cares about is the money he is losing from the taxes and what he has to gain from this. If the Duchess had just taxed the commoners this revolt would have been over in days, especially with the lions here."

Clearing his throat, Morek spoke up once again. "A very noble ideal guildmaster, but for a merchant you are not seeing anything close to the big picture. Suppose you do win and get what you want, the Duchess is deposed and you have the support of the common folk and merchants alike. But do you know whose support you will not and will never have? The entire nobility of Pendor, the King, everywhere but here. What do you think will happen if that comes to pass? Everyone will just smile and nod, and allow you to do as you please with your new city? I think not. The armies of Pendor will be at your doorstep within a fortnight, the walls will fall and the streets will run red with the blood of the people that you claim to champion, this destruction will just look like a bad storm blew through in comparison. And do you know why? Because the nobles will defend each other to the death from outside threats, even if some would see others dead for their own reasons"

It didn't sound like Morek enjoyed talking about this subject at all. Distaste was thick in his voice.


"You have 2 choices here Guildmaster." Morek held up a finger. "One: go back to your people and get them to stand down, let the due process make itself known and do what you should have done in the beginning. Appeal to His Majesty the King who will not allow his subjects to die needlessly from incompetence. With this, everyone gets to go home to their loved ones alive and Windholm risks no more damage. Or Two:" Another finger rose. "You continue on with this course that will see Windholm nothing more than a charred, bloodstained ruin be it a few days from now should you lose, or a few months should you happen to win."

William rasied his hand as a signal he was about to speak

"That is quite extreme, and I do not believe that anyone, rebellion or not would burn the city to the ground rather I believe what the people and merchants want is to remove the Lady Greysword for her "cruelty" to them. Now there methods are disagreeable but there motives may not be totally wrong. So I would say that we hear the reasoning for the raised taxes before we take rash actions against the peasantry."

He drummed his fingers on the table

"I suggest you do not jump to quickly to the nobles side simply because they are nobles."

With that he again went silent clearly not in the mood for such rash decisions.

Morek sighed.


"You're missing my point Sir Dragon. Thane.....er..... Alatin if my memory serves. I'm just putting forth what I believe will happen and my reasoning behind it. You know as well as I that the nobles in Pendor are not ones to take peasant revolts lightly, especially one in such an important city as Windholm. Do you remember your history lessons back when you were a squire? I do. During the Unification War there were several peasant uprisings against the scattered Kingdoms. Each was annihalated to to the last man or broken on the field by Heavy Cavalry with the survivors being sold into slavery to a near legendary slave trader, Ramun. If they were treated like that then, what might happen to something that would threaten the peace that now reigns over these lands? Who would want the opportunity for a mass of kingdoms in constant war at each others throats to rise again? If it was between that and making an example out of Windholm, I don't think many nobles or the King would feel terrible about it. I certainly would not. Someone has to blink in this stand off, and it's not going to be the Duchess."

"Then the duchess is being a fool if she will not the first to blink, does she no know that he foremost responsibility lies in protecting her people? Not suppressing them and taking money from them. My only suggestion is this that the Lady herself is to come and speak with the people to avoid more bloodshed. This isn't the great war any longer, these are times of peace. Her duty is to her people. You seem to have forgotten that the mistake may lie with Lady Greysword and not with the people."

He again grew quiet but began to tap his fingers on the table.

Lucius mumbled something in his native Amalan tongue; questioning his faith was not typically something he tolerated but circumstances dictated otherwise. He would remember Sir Morek's words though. "In case it was unclear, I'm speaking on behalf of the Bishop--a honorable man who understands Astraea's Will, which the actions of the Duchess violate clearly," he said pointedly at Morek.

The Knight-Brother nodded in agreement as he listened to Thane. "Listen to the Dragon," Lucius said. "The Duchess has shown utter disregard for her people."

Seleucia listened patiently to each knight. Her face remained mostly stoic to any paying attention to her expression. Finally, she smiled lightly and began to speak.

"The Duchess cannot continue with these taxes. Nor can she be trusted to permanently revoke them. We may take a lesson from Ethos as to what happens when lords are not trusted by their people. Let the Duchess maintain her castle and her own lands, but power must be stripped of her. A council of electors should choose the next ruler of this city, a council of the finest citizens. The Merchants' Guild is an excellent place to start."

Seleucia made eye contact with each knight that looked at her, smiling slightly at each, although her helmet remained on.

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OOC: I'll be playing Wulfred for this meeting, and possibly after too.

Lord Wulfred slammed his hand onto the table after Seleucia finished. His voice was filled with anger and contempt, but slow enough to give the impression that he did not speak with rage.

"I don't take orders from slaves, nor Amalan bitches. The rule of the Duchess is divine and legal. Anyone suggesting otherwise is a traitor, and the Dawn knows to burn traitors. Greysword won't stand down to you lot, nor your butcher."

Wulfred took a breath and glanced back to his red-cloaked Lions.

"The nobles among you might reach an agreement where she'll abdicate. But then you'll deal with that shit of a son as Duke."

"Perhaps your wife should take on this burdensome task?" Aelos said from among the Dragon knights. His faceplate helmet was in his left hand so he could hear and see everything that went on during the meeting.

"Or aren't you, Lord Wulfred, married to a possible heir of Windholm?" While saying this, Aelos stepped forward out of the clustered Dragons so the Lion could see him.

Wulfred turned to stare at the Dragon knight. His eyes held the kind of arrogance that only the greatest swordsman in Pendor could hold.

"The line of Windholm is thin, Sir. The Duchess had no siblings, and has only one son. That would make my wife second in line by the rightful laws of Windholm, the Fierdsvain, and the Kingdom of Pendor."

Morek had been about to speak again when aelos had, he turned his head to face the other dragon knight and listened intently, considering his words.

"I see no fault in that suggestion. The other nobles of pendor will likely not care who rules pendor so long as it is one of their own at the end. But would she be any better than her mother? As for the l8ne of succession, it can be changed if a candidate is unfit for the responsibilities in extraordinary circumstances."

"What makes any of you believe the Duchess would abdicate? She's taken her city to outright chaos and seems content to eliminate any who dare oppose her, as Lord Wulfred has eloquently made clear," the Astraean stated as a matter of fact. "Besides, replacing the Duchess with her own blood wouldn't extinguish her unjust influence. Divine guidance is absolutely needed."

Aelos smiled at Wulfred's statement.

"I don't want Kingslayers and raiders ruling a town so close to Ravenstern. We in the north have not forgotten the Lion knights that raided our villagers and caravans during the peace before the unification. And most importantly, as the merchant established, treachery and arrogance is not what Windholm wants ruling over her. "

Mattus was silent most of the time but he shook his head at nearly every statement. He couldn't believe how they were talking about the duchess in their own City.

"I think we all have to take a minute to calm our senses. You are calling the ruler of this City a fool, you call her cruel and you want to strip her of her power. Some of you even want to kill her and her line. Must I remind you that we are mere Knights. And we have no say in the affairs of nobles. I don't know if you remember the history of Pendor as good as I do. More than a hundred years ago the Orders started to act against the nobility and they were crushed for it! If you want to continue the path of plotting and scheming against the duchess I can't follow you. There must be another way or there is no way at all."

Seleucia smirked at the Radiant Fool's comment.

"Your Noble War was in a different time, with different nobles, and a stronger king. A Council of Notables is what this city needs. Whoever, or whatever, they decide should rule Windholm."

William listened for some time, then spoke up

"For those of you who cannot seem to remember" His eyes darted at the men of the Radiant Cross and Lord Wulfred
"In the past All nobles who were deemed unworthy of their station or committed an act that did not warrant their position, were cast out, whether that be a simple leave of duty, or even as far exile and execution. No noble is infallible. I do not support the commoners and I do not support the Lady Greysword. I wish to hear why she raised the taxes and from there decide on whether the acts of the peasants were just or not. As for you, Lord Wulfred should a new noble over Windholm be requested I should hope on all that is honorable left in Pendor that it is not your or any relation.

He spat and sat down, anger was building up in him and he must not let it get out of control.

Morek was about to lay into Lucius again before Mattus started talking and Selucia responded. Beneath his helm his eyes narrowed but he did not rebuke her. Instead he answered William.

"It seems obvious enough to me why she raised the taxes. The Vanskerries have always been a problem in these parts. If anything I have heard that they are getting worse. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if some Jarl decided he wanted to take a crack at the old Fierdsvain territories just like the old days. If anything her heart was in the right place; is it not the Dragons responsibility to guard against the mystmountain tribes as the Duchess does the raiders? You can't equip an army on empty words and promises, clinking denars go a lot further and there is no other way to get them promptly than taxes."

Morek let out a snort. "I think this petty rivalry bullshit you lot seem to have is disgusting. As the Shadow Legionaire said, that war was a long time ago, but the North never seems to let go of a grudge. It was over a century ago."

William's eyes narrowed, fists clenched, necks veins showed, does this man know nothing?

"Before I trust your... assumption about the Vanskerries being the source of the tax raise I would like to hear it from the Duchess herself and see the records. As for you." He looked at Morek
"Do meddle or bother yourself with things that are not your affair, especially if you know nothing about it.

He again fell silent, control, control, he must keep himself from releasing his blood rage. He nodded at Aelos to notify him of the fools in this room.

Following Morek's words, Aelos looked at him in disbelief.

"Thane Alatin is right. We do not forgive anyone who comes into the north and slaughters innocent people, wether it was a century ago or occured only yesterday. They have yet to be punished for it by the King in Sarleon."

"Lord Wulfred," Aelos continued after turning to the Lion once again. "Could you not explain exactly why the taxes have been raised? As the Duchess' representative you were too confident speaking of her abdication."

Sir Lucius nodded in Aelos' direction. "I would like to hear Lord Wulfred's explanation as well," he began, "But we all have heard the rumors; the Duchess is nearly bankrupt and needs coin. There's no other particular reason for this tax increase, especially not one to justify starving innocents. That's indisputable."

The Lion Lord spat to his side before speaking, anger once again in his eyes.

"It's not for the lot of you to say who rules Windholm. I've not a claim to this city, only my wife does. I'm not here to represent the Duchess, but to restore order for the sake of family! If you'd hear why Greysword raised taxes, seek her out yourselves."

Morek shook his head in disbelief as well. He couldn't believe that they still wanted blood, even after the order of the lion had died to the last man defending sarleon at the end of the great war, that wulfirc's lions were as much those men as morek was a radiant cross who had battled the dread legion. They sure did their order credit in their ability to hold a grudge, however misplaced. He held up his hands in a placating gesture as wulfric barked out.

"Peace friends. This is getting out of hand, and we are no closer to finding a good solution. Sir wulfirc, I am sure that you know, and we can save ourselves a needless trek back to the keep to interrupt her grace again who I am sure has her hands full enough already."

Wulfred stared down the Radiant Cross for a moment before responding.

"Greysword's in debt. Quite a lot of debt."

Morek did not like where this was going.

"And would you happen to know why Sir Lion?" He gently pressed, maintaining an air of propriety that one might find in the court of the King.

"We aren't here to resolve century-old disputes, gentlemen," said Valdor suddenly. "The Noble Wars were another time, far removed from ours, and your fears have no bearing on whether or not the Duchess' actions are justified. There have been threats from Vanskerry raiders, but nothing the hiring of mercenaries has not solved. Alongside the city guard, the raids were handled admirably before the new taxes.

"I am interested to know the extent of Duchess' debts as well," he added with a shrewd smile. "It sounds like I should be disappointed I hold none of them myself."