Chapter Text
(Fireday) 24 Calistril, 4710
Aldori Estate, Restov
Dearest Father,
First and foremost, I ask that you pass this on to our liege-lord, Lord Garess, as the information within is of concern to him (except for the final page, which will be more of a personal post-script).
I am writing this to you on the morning after the feast held at Lady Aldori's manor to inform you of the events that happened both during and after said feast, so that you are fully aware of what has transpired, and can apply your own readings to events, with the hope that you might have some counsel in regards to both the immediate issues, as well as the long-term implications of what is to come.
As you are well aware, I attended the feast that was held as part of the Call For Heroes, and it was only during said feast that I (well, all? Most? Of us in attendance, unsure of exactly who knew what in advance) were informed as to the reason for us being Called.
It turns out that Lady Aldori intends to sponsor multiple Expeditions into the Stolen Lands, with the express goal of each Expedition being to seize/claim Territory therein. We were assured that said Foundings would have a military / economical Ally in Restov, and that none of the other surrounding Powers would care enough to act in response. This, of course, immediately raised metaphorical Red Flags, given that I currently wear the Banner of House Garess, and any Founding I am part would be viewed as Approved of, and Supported by our House. Likewise, the presence of Maegar Varn in another Expedition would suggest to any observers that House Varn is staking a Claim in those lands.
I mentioned earlier being unsure of who knew what in advance, as the Manor was attacked during the night while we slept. Many of the guests, (as well as Staff and Soldiers of Lady Aldori) were killed, either in their sleep, or as they attempted to respond to the situation.
The attackers seemed to primarily be from a Mercenary band that bear tattooed Black Teardrops upon their faces, along with support from a tribe of Frost Giants. From the discussion we were able to have with one of the Giants who didn't want to be there, and had been coerced by his Chieftans to attend, they were being paid a hefty sum for their involvement. This suggest that someone with a lot of money to spend, or at least, the ability to convince others that they have a lot of money to spend, not only knew of the feast and what it was for in advance, as well as having the contacts to try and disrupt, if not outright prevent, the sending forth of the Expeditions. I am hoping that you might be able to find out more, or at least, put out some requests for information (after all, how did a multitude of Frost Giants make it here without causing a stir?).
There is also the fact that not all attendees of the feast stayed the night, with some, such as Maegar Varn, as well as the contingent of Iron Wraiths, departing once the Feast was over.
That said, many returned in the morning, along with plenty who hadn't been in the feast. A number of Charters have been issued and assigned to various groups, detailing specific areas of the Stolen Lands, and specific tasks.
My group has been tasked with an area around the Restov's Hinterlands and Greenbelt, clearing out bandits from Oleg's Trading Post, ranging out to the Skunk and Shrike Rivers.
Faithfully yours,
Livia
(additional page, not to be forwarded to Lord Garess)
Father, it wasn't Political Scheming and Desperate Battles in the night. I did also meet a pair of most entrancing Ladies. In fact, the had such an impact on me that I finally understand why, when asking you as to why the word Smitten, is derived from Smite / Smote, you simply said “one day you'll understand”. Well, I certainly do understand now, and lament that they are both likely to be part of a different Expedition to my own, and as such, I may never cross paths with them again. I would ask for your advice on Wooing them, should I ever be so lucky as to encounter them again, but I recall Mother's many anecdotes about your Courtship, most of which seemed to be jokes at your expense. I guess the awkwardness runs true in our Family.