House Valmyrri: Session One & Two Recap

It is 1061 Haelyn's Count.

Almost 100 years after the death of Michael Roele, the Empire has been shattered due to civil war. Avanil and Boeruine quickly erupt in a bloody and prolonged conflict, recorded in history as the 'War of the Twice Lost', as two generations were almost wiped out.

Taeghas was already in a precarious and almost lawless state due to the civil war that claimed almost the entire Brosen family. There was never a clear leader after the Brosens, and the counts were eyeing each other warily, but no one had the strength to make a move. With the new conflict erupting, and geographically being in the middle, the kingdom was almost annihilated. Torn asunder between two great kingdoms, the various Taeghan provinces quickly turned on each other as they cast in their lot with the one of two sides.

Wilder's Gorge has been a refugee destination. With the proud Wilders already distrustful of strangers, the locals are now xenophobic and shun the desperate refugees.

House Valmyrri, one of the Fulcairns' vassal houses, has fallen on hard times. Two hundred years or so have passed since they assisted Vordhuine and the Empire to attempt to capture Melehan and depose Caedwyn Fulcairn, and the since-disgraced Fulcairns regard House Valmyrri with suspicion and distrust now.

The last remnants of House Valmyrri are Lady Tieghan (widowed since her husband Anuvier fell in the civil war), her daughters Etiene and Anuvyn, her steward turned lover Dietric, Etiene's toddler son Moerel, and their two elderly retainers, Vignar and Astrid. Tieghan's middle son, Hedrien, and Etiene's husband Ruormad, are at war, their whereabouts and condition unknown for years.

Winter falls on Wilder's Gorge, and the Valmyrris are deeply worried about the state of the House and its lands. A nearby refugee camp houses hundreds of people from elsewhere in Taeghas, displaced by the civil war, and is rife with illness, suffering, poverty, and crime. The House's stocks of food and supplies are rapidly depleting and will not get them through the winter. Moerel, the baby, is sick with a racking, persistent cough. Anuvyn, Tieghan's youngest daughter and somewhat of a reckless, free-spirited scoundrel, investigates the refugee camp and discovers that young women are vanishing, abducted by a group of men who are almost certainly Wilders. Tieghan and Etiene hunt, attempting to stock up on foodstuffs, and encounter more raggedy refugee families; Tieghan is moved by pity and allows them to camp near the Valmyrri manor house.

The Lord of Fulcairn Keep, Michael Baltanis, widower of the late, beloved Calindra Fulcairn, summons the Valmyrris. After lecherously leering at Anuvyn, he informs them that their yearly tithe of five hundred gold is due. This is a crushing amount of money to a struggling House, but Tieghan dutifully agrees to pay in two weeks. The Valmyrris discuss what to do. Tieghan instructs Anuvyn to pawn the last of the House's relics, despite Dietric's protests. Anuvyn, ever the scoundrel, goes instead to a smuggler connection of hers, who offers her a better price than the pawnshop, and sweetens the deal, offering her a substantial amount of money for a legendary relic which may or may not exist-- the Stone of Unity, an engraved stone in three parts bearing the sigils of the Fulcairns and their two oldest vassal houses, the Haemings and the Morgenstanes.

Further attempts to investigate the abductions at the refugee camp reveal that a red-bearded Wilder in leather armour is the ringleader. The Valmyrris track him to the town at Fulcairn Keep; Tieghan confirms that he is indeed the culprit, but also that they have been spotted and the thugs are on high alert.

Tieghan wishes to settle the matter lawfully, and she calls on the Magistrate in town to resolve it. The Magistrate promises to send men to investigate. She also requests to parley with the heads of House Morgenstane and House Haeming to discuss the refugee matter. Neither are interested in helping, stating they need to care for their own first, though Aidela Haeming is sympathetic to Tieghan's noble intentions. Both state they do not care for Michael Baltanis. Later that night, Anuvyn searches the storeroom and successfully steals one part of the Stone of Unity from the Haeming manor.

Aidela also warns Tieghan that bandits have occupied the ruins of the old fort west of Fulcairn Keep; Tieghan, Etiene, and two of the elderly women they have trained as archers ride to investigate. They slay a sentinel and sneak into the old hall, separate the sleeping bandits from their weapons, and, wishing to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, Tieghan offers them the choice to leave forever, serve House Valmyrri, or die. They choose to leave, and she warns them not to return, and to seek honest trade. Tieghan and Etiene manage to secure a cart laden with trade goods, provisions, and the bandits' weapons. One of the crates of trade goods provides a delightful surprise-- a Cairnhound puppy. Unfortunately the rest of the trade goods bear a trader's mark, and Tieghan dutifully returns them. The trader is grateful and provides a small amount of gold as thanks.

Meanwhile, Anuvyn has returned to the refugee camp. Her informant there, a youth named Colin, tells her the kidnappers have been back and have taken more women. He spots one of them, and Anuvyn tails him into the winter night. She manages to take him by surprise and interrogates him at knifepoint. He identifies the red-bearded leader as Edric, a Wilder, confirms that they are indeed human traffickers, and states their base of operations is in Three Corners. Anuvyn slits his throat.

Tieghan is furious that Anuvyn took such a risk, but is proud of her for ridding the world of slaver scum. The Valmyrris ride for Three Corners. Tieghan, not wishing to step on Lord Torel Morgenstane's toes, informs him that the slavers are operating out of Three Corners. Irritated, he agrees to take action. That night, Anuvyn--just barely-- manages to steal the second piece of the Stone of Unity from Torel's very bedroom as he sleeps.

The Valmyrris return home. Anuvyn goes back to her smuggler contact-- ostensibly to sell the House's relics, as the deadline for the tithe is drawing near-- but she sells the trader her two pieces of the Stone of Unity as well. Between that and the other pittances they were able to collect, they have managed to collect enough for the tithe. They ride for Fulcairn Keep.

They are greeted by Michael Baltanis, feasting on duck and leering as usual. He accepts their tithe and makes indecent overtures at Anuvyn; as a Haelynite mother, Tieghan indignantly attempts to intervene. But then, a commotion is heard out on the hall and a loud procession marches into Fulcairn Keep. It is Calder and Catriona Fulcairn, returned from the civil war, and their army, the Black Hounds. Calder, furious at learning his sister is dead and his brother-in-law is sitting on his throne, collecting his dues and feasting at his table, brutally slays Michael where he stands.

He then turns his attention to the Valmyrris. He informs them that Hedrien, Tieghan's middle son, who marched in his army, is alive but has been captured by the enemy and there is a demand for ransom, and the location of Ruormid, Etiene's husband, is unknown. He then gives them back their tithe, saying to keep it for the moment, but he would be summoning them for his due as Lord soon enough.