Count Gael Fournier has suggested quite loudly that it was a mistake for House Valardin to allow for houses such as Greenmarch to bend the knee, and they have no place at all in the Compact, and the Oathlands would be better without them. Princess Marian Redrain, born of House Greenmarch and formly of House Valardin, has taken deep offense to his words, since she was instrumental in brokering the return of House Greenmarch into the Compact. In addition, she has lost blood relatives towards the defense the Compact, at the Tragedy of Sanctum where she lost her father, Marquis Marcel Greenmarch and aunt, Lady Maeve Greenmarch, and the Battle of Stormwall, Lady Eirlys Greenmarch. Since House Greenmarch does not currently have a Sword, and she is first born of this generation, Princess Marian Redrain has with Marquessa Simone Greenmarch and Lady Monique Greenmarch support challenged the Count for his personal insults to a duel. She has named Radiant Bliss Whisper as her champion in the duel. It is her hope that the Count will answer the challenge with a champion of his own.

Well. This is a complicated situation, isn't it? Let's make it even moreso by having the Radiant dueling as a Champion - likely a historical first. Knowing that this is going to have ripple effects in many ways, Bliss has prepared a statement to be released alongside the public naming of her as the Champion for Princess Marian, explaining her reasons for doing so and just what it is she is defending - the origins of the Champions Guild lie in the individual Champions truly believing someone's honor has been slighted and stepping in to fight for it, after all. She has done silly duels in the past, but this one is something different.

We aren't quite at the point where a House Sword is dueling to try to prevent a war from happening - this is being framed as a personal insult to Princess Marian, rather than a challenge to House honor itself - but this is, fundamentally, about whether or not the Compact and Prodigals both should keep both sides of their promises to one another after the knee is bent.

If the terms of the duel allow for it, she will be wielding Vowkeeper.

Bliss's statement: https://pastebin.com/6T9ADkjD (I can make this into a proclamation after action resolution or I'm happy to let it be part of that process)

Simone cannot personally attend the duel because she is away aiding House Valardin in smoothing the situation, diplomatically. However, but she also knows the importance of duels in Compact culture and wishes to make sure that this one is given all due consideration. Lady Margret Greenmarch, also a voice of the House, will be attending to represent House Greenmarch as a member of the compact. Resources from the house have been made available to help as well, but Simone is personally sending Marian some of her own to aid with whatever may be needed in hiring and supporting their champion.

Margret comes as a representative from House Greenmarch to witness the duel. However, while that is her stated purpose she has other motives.

Her first purpose? To convince those present that House Greenmarch is not some wild group of heathens from the woods. They are an Oathlands house that belongs in the Compact. She goes to the duel looking every part an Oathlands noblewoman. She is courteous and polite without being over the top. She demonstrates that she, a Prodigal herself, has assimilated. She is not ostentatious or over the top about it. The men-at-arms and attendants who accompany her are the best Greenhaven has to offer, and they represent Greenmarch in a manner that would make the House proud.

Her second purpose is to humanize the prodigals to the other Oathlanders. Some of the men-at-arms and attendants brought with her are recently arrived Prodigal refugees. She has only brought the most courteous, charming, and polite with her. The hope is that the other Houses will see them, learn where they came from, and realize they are people instead of a scourge on the Oathlands.

Her third purpose is to feel out any dissent within the Orthodox Oathlands houses that are committing the purges against the Prodigal refugees as well as the houses speaking out against them. If there are family members within the Orthodox Oathlands houses that do not approve of the purges she will do what she can to encourage their dissent. If she can get those people to speak out it will weaken the position of the knights who are killing the Prodigals.

Her fourth purpose is to show that House Greenmarch is a strong house militarily, and attacking it would be a costly mistake. She does not intimidate people with her men-at-arms, but she does make sure they have top of the line equipment and that they like strong Oathlands Knights who will not fall easily in battle.

Monique will show up to this duel looking every inch the infamous Minx of the Marches, Greenmarch and Oathlands legend that she is. Instead of pretending an assimilation, Monique makes it look /fabulous/ to be Prodigal as she supports Marian.

Something seems a little off.

Count Gael Fournier, and the Fourniers in general, have been full of bluster and threats about prodigals, and have been openly contemptuous of House Greenmarch since it joined the Compact. They are hardly alone in being an Oathland house to doubt the wisdom of a Valardin prince marrying Marian so long ago and ennobling her family, but they were particularly loud in their objections, and one would expect that to still hold now, as House Fournier comes to defend its honor.

But Count Gael is oddly restrained. He seems visibly uncomfortable and uncharacteristically quiet, and he treats the challenge as a matter of personal honor, and hires William Brightsword from the Champions Guild of Arx as a champion. Bliss, as a champion, is of course familiar with him- and while Willy isn't an incompetent Champion, and is a capable entertainer, he's not a particularly difficult opponent, nor even an expensive one. More someone that would put on a good show than to have a realistic chance of defeating Bliss in a Champion's honor duel. So while no, this is not a match of House Swords on the field of battle, it isn't something fully for sport either, and the choice is a little odd- it's not the choice of someone that's extremely invested in winning. And there's no pre-match bluster, of someone answering the accusations with insults or the like, with the long conversations that Champions would use to build up the crowd.

Margret with Simone's support make certain that every diplomatic effort is made, and that the proper dignity is extended that is sure to win points with Oathlanders, and the atmosphere for the duel is just right... and then Bliss is on the field, ready to duel William.

It's far more serious than most honor duels done for sport, but that doesn't mean its not a show. Bliss outmatches her opponent easily, and is able to make it memorable, disarming him three times in a pointed gesture as the man is permitted by his opponent to retrieve his weapon in a show of good sport. But eventually, after the proper emphasis is well and truly made of the Radiant's skill, Bliss draws blood- and wins decisively.

It's surprisingly how conciliatory after the victory Gael is. He disavows his previous positions, he promises exceptionally generous trade pacts with House Greenmarch, and he gives Margret ample time to speak persuasively in the defense of prodigals to Fournier and diehard traditionalists in attendence. Truthfully, while his family isn't really allowed to show it without a tremendous loss of face (no one in the Oathlands likes a sore loser), it is painfully obvious that most of Gael's family is furious at him for how accommodating he is being, and he steadfastly pretends to ignore it. It's a little puzzling. But the count, awkwardly and a little forced, claims that he's seen the light about Greenmarch, and would never underestimate them again.

The Great Road did not come out exactly -- to put it mildly -- as everyone involved with it would have hoped, but the consequences must be dealt with. So, as Minister of Upkeep for Greenhmarch, Alessandro gets to work. He and other Greenmarch family members take several weeks in Greenhaven to welcome the prodigal refugees and Abandoned who have recently bent the knee, to assure them that they are welcome in Greenmarch and will be protected as strongly as anyone already living there. He takes count of new arrivals and tours current infrastructure to see what might need to be improved, and what needs to be added, and finds the money to do it through the new commerce the road has brought.

Once the survey is complete, he assists with matching new arrivals to current crafters, builders, farmers, etc, who need extra hands, encouraging some to help with the new building projects to house the population boom, or for those with a more martial bent, joining the Greenmarch army or cavalry. He also makes sure that all the new money coming in from trade is accounted for, and flowing out to pay people appropriately.

At the invitation by Greenmarch, Ida will travel to Greenhaven with a few journeymen to assist with building projects where she can. Her main reason for going, though, is to offer smithing lessons to any of the new arrivals who might wish to learn a trade. She'll note her relatively long history with the Greenmarch family and her days as a young smith mostly repairing horse shoes and plows along with fixing armor and forging weapons.

Simone makes the trip to Greenmarch lands, spending her time among their people, new and old. She has long championed bringing prodigals into the fold of the Compact and the Faith, and helping them to transition into their new lives. Now that this group of people is at her own doorstep, she will do no different. She works dilligently to help soothe rattled nerves, smooth out conflicts, and to generally help everyone to adjust to the changes. Getting everyone settled in and productive with as little fuss as possible is her goal, but she does her best to hear out all conflicts personally and to make adjustments to their plans, as needed, to hopefully guide it towards long-term stability, even if in the short term it creates a lot of headaches and extra work.

When Greenmarch calls for aid, Elgana answers with no hesitation. The Redrain Princess is no stranger to assisting her best friends with works for their House, so when the refugees start to pour in she is eager to meet with them to speak on all that Greenmarch has to offer them and what they could perhaps offer Greenmarch in turn. So it is off to their holdings that the Redrain royal travels, making certain her little sister, Helena, and Lorenzo travel comfortably and safely as well. Once there she will work with Helena and Lorenzo to listen to the needs of the people, assure them that they will find a good home in Greenhaven and generally work to make certain fears are quelled, praises are sung, and to point people in proper directions if she cannot answer their questions.

At his brother Alessandro's request, Prince Lorenzo travels to Greenhaven to help as well. Change can be difficult for everyone involved, so Lorenzo uses his diplomatic skills to smooth over disagreements between the new arrivals and current Greenhaven residents in the area. He is an excellent listener and is happy to try to sort out what people need and what can be provided to them to give them hope for their new lives. He always ends his interactions by emphasizing the kind and generous nature of the Greenmarchers, so that people will be willing to go to them to help mediate in the future.

At Greenmarch's request, Helena happily assists, eager to help close friends and her protege's house in this endeavor. She will travel to Greenhaven to speak with the refugees and Abandoned about the many benefits and improvements to their lives that will come with living under Greenmarch's protection. She will sing the praises of Greenmarch as a family and as a march and of their leaders. While the others are busy overseeing the projects and placement of workers, the Redrain princess will answer any questions from the reluctant to try to sway their opinion and bring them under Greenmarch's auspice.

: Margret puts the leadership skills she has learned from being Voice to use, and works to manage all of the projects they need to undertake to ensure that they get the refugees settled. She serves as a liaison between old subjects and new, and ensures that who needs what gets it, delegates tasks to ensure they get done, and redirects resources when needed. In addition to that she finds soldiers in the Greenwood with some military expertise, and has them set up defenses on the road and other vulnerable places in the Greenwood to guard against attacks from the Oathlands houses hunting the refugees.

Artur is always keen to get involved with worthwhile projects and especially to support his protege, Alessandro in his endeavors. House Redrain has a very great deal of experience in incorporating prodigals into society and encouraging good relationships with their new friends and neighbors. A lot of other Redrains are already involved, of course, but Artur is actually a little better than many expect at organizing and coordinating tings and especially with ensuring everyone stays suitably enthusiastic and chipper as they do it! He's perfect to keep everyone on task and keep morale high.

There's far more refugees than they might expect. The propaganda campaign from Elgana and Helena are obviously reaching far beyond Greenmarch's borders, as a flood of refugees come from other Oathlander lands where prodigals are being persecuted, and safe refugee can be expected in Greenhaven. Artur and Lorenzo do a brilliant job of speaking to the flood of refugees, many of them terrified and deeply angry at their lands and making sure tempers do not flare to the point where there could be violence. Simone and Ida perform admirably in helping the new refugees become integrated into Greenmarch, with training and directing them to where they are needed the most, and as for the defenses seen to by Margret...

That's where there might be an issue. Margret does an outstanding job of increasing the defenses, but as Alessandro is seeing to the new refugees, there's an extremely tense meeting with a patrol of dozens of mounted House Delcambre knights, who were intent on riding down prodigals. When confronted by Greenmarch soldiers led by Alessandro at the defensive lines drawn up by Margret, the Delcambre men back off, but it was a near thing- and their captain (who refused to arrogantly refused to identify himself) flatly stated that this was not over, and Greenmarch as 'godless shavs could be expected to be part of the rot at the heart of the Oathlands'. They stated they'd be back- and in force.

The prodigal refugees are extremely grateful for the save, and word of Greenmarch saving them spreads wide, with a surge in income from their domain due to the increased people and productivity, with praise going all around Arvum for their kindness towards refugees. But make no mistake, some of the Oathlands considers them enemies for it.

Aethan will be using the Kennex Navy to transport as many shav'arvani away from the Grey Forest as possible via the river system, in an attempt to cut off the Horned God's supply of people to enslave for his armies ((OOC: this will be ICly done in advance of the main crisis action)).

He himself will be commanding the navy and sailing his own ship, but he is not always very convincing to people who are not directly under his command. To that end, he has brought diplomats with him, who will assist by speaking to the shav'arvani and urging them to evacuate, speaking of the dangers should they stay and attempting to get them to come as quickly and with as little fuss as possible. He will also be bringing along people who will serve as security and protection should they run into danger.

There may be some nervousness from shav'arvani about getting on a Thrax ship, but Aethan hopes to circumvent this by flying very obvious Kennex colors, as Kennex is so publicly thrall-free. They will be temporarily relocated to Stormward until the danger passes, after which they will be offered the choice of whether they wish to relocate permanently, bend the knee and join the Compact, or taken back to the homes they left, which will be done once it can be carried out safely.

Marquessa Simone Greenmarch will first assist with convincing as many people to evacuate as possible, trying to convince them of the dangers ahead and the security that the Compact can offer them. She will especially urge them to send those who cannot fight away to safety. Then, she will draw upon her extensive experience in dealing with prodigals, including her own house, and her own skills in diplomacy to try to help allay any fears that the people dislocated from their homes may have. She will also talk to them about the Compact and the Faith, to answer any questions that they may have regarding them.

Princess Gwenna Redrain, as well, will try to explain to the remaining Abandoned tribes within reach of the Lodge about the dangers of remaining, much in the same way she did prior to the Pirate War. Those who can not or should not fight, especially, will be encouraged to evacuate via the ships and promised a safe return when the threat has passed. The Redrain will note that none of them need to bend the knee to be brought to safety - as the latter is what is foremost in the group's mind. The option for those who might consider bending the knee will be there from others, but moving people away from danger is her main message.

Artur has been asked to come along to help keep everyone safe in the event that the group comes under attack, or that any of the svav'arvani they encounter are aggressively not open to negotiations (which can happen after all, since shavs are not legendarily friendly). Even so, he's a pretty personable sort of guy and for the most part is as jovial and easygoing as ever, welcoming the refugees aboard and helping them get all safely situated ready for the journey. Should the need arise however, Artur is fully armed and armored and apparently quite comfortable with the idea of bashing, pounding, thumping, hammering and smashing as required!

Lady Evonleigh Whitehawk will be assisting as one of the diplomats. She will be there to reassure the shav'arvani that evacuating is in their best interest and that their safety is the concern of all present. Her hope is that her fealty belonging to Grayson rather than Thrax may also help convince them of the altruism of those leading this endeavor.

Captain Porter Kennex offers the use of The Damsel's Heart to ferry additional people, if the capacity is needed. Primarily, however, he's there to provide a reassuring and personable presence... and thoroughly discourage attacks on the refugees. To this end he's bringing a handful of his most trusted sailors, family men and women who show good instincts for dealing with people and are capable fighters.

Lady Carita Darkwater is more than happy to assist in convincing as many shav'arvani as she possibly can that their current area of habitation is not going to be safe and that, like she did with her people on Darkwater when the Gyre was a threat, explain that leaving to another location is the best possible thing to do. That Kennex played a major part in bringing the people that had fled Darkwater back to the island, and that Lord Aethan Kennex, and those he's handpicked to help, would not let them down. She believes in this so much, that she's giving over her own personal military resources to help, in the name of Darkwater.

Prince Lorenzo Velenosa is happy to help the situation with whatever diplomatic skills he can offer. He will try to appeal to the parents of small children, encouraging them to take advantage of the offer to at least get their children to safety. He will use his kindness and natural warmth to appeal to the kids, and he'll bring along some comfort items to give out: blankets, toys, and so on (adding 100 econ). Hopefully this way he will earn the trust of the parents, and if some family members agree to evacuate, others will as well.

Princess Nuala Redrain trades on the skill of her sword-arm to guard the most vulnerable. With the shav'arvani already in a possibly uneasy situation, she will provide a lively charming presence for those significant diplomats - right up to the point things start going pear-shaped or hostilities are engaged, at which point she falls into on the front line or guards against ambushes and rear-guard attacks. She will be happy to offer support to everyone coming aboard for safety, be they shav, polar bear or something stranger, right up to giving them cover against threats. In short, she's the willing pair of hands pitching in wherever she is needed and providing considerably honed martial skills as security. Rain or shine, she's pleased as punch to be there and will be a persistent source of gallant optimism. Like you do on these things.

The evacuation efforts don't go quite as planned, almost from the beginning. Shav in the Gray Forest aren't really interested in evacuating for the most part. They've seen no signs of armies, there's been no mass attacks anywhere. They are on edge though, and where the Compact has the most success are when they talk to villages that are near the ones that have just disappeared without a trace. Those shav are already considering being on the move, and so the overtures are welcomed and accepted.

Still, there's an interesting shift that's starting now - this is the third time in the last few years that the people of the Compact have faced a serious threat in the Forests, and each time they're trying to reach out to shav to make sure they're protected. It's a new sort of attitude, and one that doesn't go unnoticed. Shav raids decrease significantly during this time, out of respect for those who took the time to come talk to them and warn them and offer them safety.

It's not a truce. Nothing so formal as a treaty. But it's a good precedent to set.

When the knights of the True Compact surrendered to Marquis Marius Greenmarch after a pitched battle and clever diplomacy won the day for House Greenmarch, it was understood that these outlaws would formally bend the knee in exchange for their continued existence, and that they'd be disarmed and forced to settle in the Greenwood to become more productive subjects - mainly producing timber and bows for export and increase Greenmarch's tax revenue. To see this chapter of bloody insurrection and conspiracy fully resolved, Lord Cullen Greenmarch, as the General of Greenmarch's army, will ride out at the head of that force to see the True Compact fulfill their promise with other members of the family ready to do their parts to make the process as smooth as possible.

A healer and a diplomat, Margret goes to assist Simone in working with the Knights and Villagers to see the Knights settled. She also teaches those villages how to live healthily by instructing them on basic hygiene (put the village latrine away from the drinking water) and basic first aid. This is done not only to keep them healthy, but to solidify their trust. If Greenmarch cares about their health then they care about them.

After convincing the leader of the knights to surrender, Marius will keep working with him. Not content to simply have the knights to be subjects, he wants them to be productive, loyal, members of the march that see a future within Greenwood. He'll talk to the leader about the proud history of Greenmarch, the way of cooperating and how to best settle in to make the best of things for both the march and themselves.

Having helped to resolve the conflict and to get the knights to lay down their weapons though diplomacy alongside Marius, Simone will now go with Cullen to see to the long-term stability of the knights. She will speak to nearby villages until a place can be found where the least likelihood of repraisal or hard feelings is to be an issue. She will work with both the knights and the villages to see them settled and productive and to help them deal with and lay aside previous prejudices that led to the conflict in the first place.

The charm that the Minx of the Marches is known for is on full display here. She is warm and welcoming and spends a good deal of time with the men and women formerly of the True Compact, helping them adjust to their new lives as bondsmen and women of Greenmarch.

Alessandro will be along to see to the accounts side of things. He will be helping secure apprenticeships for the former knights, liaising with Dame Ida to assist her by providing coin for materials for her toolmaking, keeping track of money needed for the venture, as well as how the incomes grow as people settle into their new lives. He will also be figuring out tax amounts and making sure everything is set up for payment to Greenmarch.

Through the last few years as a Ranger of the Silver Order serving his mission as guide and protector for deployed healers, Jamie Greenmarch has worked to protect these very men and in many cases, fought alongside them. After all, their battle prowess is not suddenly lost despite their shift to lumberjacks and fletchers. That comraderie is never forgotten and Jamie will use it to help facilitate the agenda of his family in this area, through building a more trusting and better relationship with the former Knights.

At the invitation of both Lords Alessandro and Cullen Greenmarch, Ida will accompany the party on their endeavor. As a knight herself and, maybe, still well-known pugilist, the smith will talk about her younger years of fixing as many plows as she did armor and how a good days work is still pretty damn rewarding. All that, though, because she's just chatty. The Ida's main focus will be bringing some journeymen from the shop and deliver a number of tools the former knights will need for their new trades. If any show interest in learning how to make such themselves, she will happily instruct them.

Norwood brings his own unique perspective to the soon to be farmer knights - being one himself from ages past. (Albeit with bees.) It's a solid practice run for Norwood's own future of trying to convince people who aren't particularly peaceful to settle down with the compact. He'll teach them what he knows about woodsman arts from his own childhood. It's okay to be a lumberjack!

Marian has gone through the transition from shav to prodigal. She does some volunteering with the Office of Prodigal and Refugee Affairs. She can offer valuable insight to Cullen in how to make the transition go smoother. As well as watch over the party visiting just in case any rogue factions try to derail the transition. While it's clear that Cullen is definitely in charge, Marian will take this opportunity to teach her protege what she knows.

In the Greenmarch, some shav upstarts have been claiming to be the One True Compact. But under the leadership of Lord Cullen Greenmarch they've been brought to heel. Princess Marian, Baron Norwood, Dame Ida, Lord Jamie, Lord Alessandro, Lady Monique, Marquessa Simone, Marquis Marius and Lady Margret all had their parts to play as well. Convincing the shav to bend the knee rather than be slaughtered was the first task, and helping them acclimate as part of the Compact was the second. They succeeded beyond what they could have hoped for, and as a result Greenhaven is more productive and stronger than ever before.

Alessandro has begun learning all he can about Greenmarch, and throwing himself into learning about the running of the house. Since Greenmarch is in need of building up their military again, he has decided to put his efforts into this task first.

His approach will be two-pronged. His own contribution will be the money side of things -- looking at house finances, seeing where there can be cuts made, drawing from any possible source to find the funds to hire new infantry, pikes, and archers. He will also be looking to make adjustments to house investments to possibly bring in new income.

He will also be speaking to all the members of the house about how they can contribute, whether it be encouraging people to join up in the army, showing a strong united front for Greenmarch through leadership skills, possibly taking on trainees for various military-related skills, or recruiting and training field medics.

Simone will assist by reaching out to their people to speak to them about the honor and the satisfaction of protecting their homelands. She will relate to them stories and tales of the heroes of the Greenmarch family and how they were supported by the troops that followed them into battle to raise their spirits and their sense of pride in their people.

Margret goes to the Greenwood to recruit healers to be trained as battle medics for the army. She organizes the volunteers she receives, and sets up programs in which to train them on healing in battles.

Cullen will use his extensive training in the tactics and strategies of warfare to help train new officers to lead in the field, utilizing such knowledge to recognize and exploit weaknesses of enemy forces.

Monique is Monique. She seduces new recruits. How many? Enough. She uses her Minxish wiles to charm and beguile conscripts, and if all of a sudden there are poets and bards singing flattering songs about the legendary Minx of the Marches in all the taverns this side of the Oathlands? Mere coincidence.

Marius rallies his people to rebuild the forces of the Greenmarch. He sends patrols around the various villages on Greenmarch land, encouraging them to join up, and he himself spends some time gathering people to speak to them. Reminding them of the proud traditions of the Greenwood, and that it has stood, untamed and unconquered, only through the sacrifice of it's people and soldiers.

Sir Corban might now just be a rank-and-file knight in the King's Own now, but he was a drill instructor once. Now armed with some of the latest teaching techniques, he will be join the Greenmarchers and see that the new recruits are shown the best technique and formation to join the ranks of the Greenwood army.

Prince Alessandro Velenosa has decided to start working on behalf of the Greenmarch family to build up their military. And apparently hiring in some advisory help works for Greenmarch and the family, as they all pitch in to help.

Marquessa Simone speaks about the importance of protecting their homeland. Lady Margret recruits and organizes battle medics. Marquis Marius sends patrols out to the various villages encouraging recruitment, and Lady Monique even helps encourage them to sign up by charming new recruits into believing this is the best job ever!

Once these new people have been recruited, Lord Cullen trains officers in war tactics, and Sir Corban helps with drills and some of the latest training techniques to get these green recruits up to speed as quickly as possible.

All in all a rousing success, though a Velenosan prince's heavy involvement raises some eyebrows and assumptions about future marriage matches among Compact gossips.

While Princess Coraline Thrax begins her humanitarian efforts in the east as planned, Princess Katarina Valardin turns her attention westward toward the heart of the Oathlands as the base for her own philanthropic operation. She wants to use her position as Valardin Minister of the Hearth to create new learning centers within Sanctum and other major settlements across the Oathlands.

While Dayne's Academy serves as an institution dedicated to taking Knight Aspirants and turning them into shining examples of chivalry, honor, and martial prowess in which the Oathlands prides itself upon, these schools will cater to those who choose pursuits beyond that of knighthood and military service.

Curriculum choices will be extensive. From applied sciences to linguistics and diplomacy, the courses of study made available will cater to a broad range of interests.

In order to raise awareness of her efforts and generate backers from the ranks of the nobility of the Oathlands, Katarina recruits the aid of her like-minded peers to donate their time and resources in a variety of ways suited to them. Be it taking on a young protege to teach them in a chosen craft, hosting forum-style discussions on the possibilities of their futures, or allowing them along in expeditions to inspire in them a thirst for knowledge and adventure, Katarina is supporting it all in a safe and productive environment.

Warfare is one thing that Marquis Rymarr Deepwood knows. A son of the Oathlands, hailing from Tristfell March and Lyon's Redoubt within it, there he served in a number of campaigns against hostile shav'arvani groups and tribes. Then he went away from the Oathlands to pursue other dreams and learned even more. At one point from Duke Gabriel Bisland himself. Now the time has come to pass that knowledge along to others, because while the heaviest of fighting has arrived at a lull - it's not over. Where many have stepped right back into their usual peaceful routines, Marquis Rymarr Deepwood is a Lyonesse at heart and knows eventually, sooner than later, it will all go south.

Marquis Rymarr fully intends to write up a series of rules of warfare to be expanded upon and presented to those seeking out information on the subject of military strategy and maneuvers. Be where your enemy least expects it, don't try to face down a cavalry charge on open terrain, and the rest. Fairly standard explanations and basic levels of instruction, but for some that is the first step to a larger world.

While Alaric can't go to Sanctum personally, he does have a number of Crown operatives at his disposal which he will direct mostly to make sure that no toes get stepped on with respect to the Faith's existing programs for general education and trade learning and that the collective effort is as collaborative as possible without individual groups getting territorial and defensive about matters.

Simone will reach out to the people of both House Greenmarch and House Telmar to try to spread the word of the schools that Princess Katarina is working to establish. She will assist with gathering names and topics for subjects that people may be interested in learning more about. She will also use her charm to convince some of their people to assist with the project as teachers. Though her own skills in teaching are very minimal, she will offer those if needed as well. Her experience in handling diplomatic situations is fairly well known. In addition, she relishes the idea of discussions and explorations alongside other students both into the Faith and into shamanism.

Marius throws his support behind Princess Katarina's initative wholeheartedly. The Marquis of Greenmarch has extensive experience in diplomacy and negotiation, ranging all the way from dealing with Shav tribes, to help negotiating entry into the Compact itself, to the various treaties he has been involved in since. He helps in shaping the curriculum for that subject, offering aid in teaching the teachers of diplomacy, and makes himself available to the students to answer questions periodically.

Additionally, Marius orders room cleared and assistance rendered to build one of the centers on Greenmarch lands for the benefit of his people and the Oathlands in general.

Alis will be lending her voice and leadership skills to Katarina's efforts. Being a leader is not just limited to leading troops, and she will be more then happy to teach some of the finer points of that particular type of expertise at whichever of the learning centers she is needed. In addition, she will spread word far and wide about the new endeavor.

Lisebet is from the far west, and yes, she has every intention of spreading this initiative, one day. This is not that day. So for now, she is throwing her assistance in with this more central work, able to add some resources to Princess Katarina's plan, and to talk to her friends, family and acquaintances about the goodness that this improved education will bring to all. She's not a very good teacher so doesn't imagine she'd be called on to teach, but will do her small bit to help out.

In the Oathlands, Princess Katarina Valardin has been working tirelessly to establish a series of schools and learning centers dedicated to teaching an extensive cirriculum for those who eschew military service and knighthood in pursuit of more scholarly and political pursuits. With respectable members of the Peerage who have demonstrated notable diplomatic and leadership achievements stepping into roles of mentorship and teaching such as Princess Alis Valardin, Marquis Rymarr Deepwood, Marquis Marius and Marquessa Simone Greenmarch, and Lady Lisebet Farshaw, the schools are of immediate interest for many wishing to learn new diplomatic and non-combative vocations from some of the most honorable in Arvum. ((Vox updated))

Archscholar Bianca is reaching out to her connections within the clergy, the Academy, Heart in Hand and the discipleship of Vellichor (as well as a few others) in search of volunteers and food/supply donations for a goodwill/missionary tour in Southport regarding the 60k Shav'arvani parked outside the city’s gates. She's calling specifically upon the Scholars (NPCs) of Arx, Southport and surrounding Lyceum areas to volunteer and hoping for about 2000 bodies to assist with the efforts.

Food/Supplies - First and foremost upon arrival, distribution of ideally a week's worth of food (depending on the funding we raise) will begin in conjunction with the following tasks. This alone will be a massive effort in it of itself… but if all goes well, hopefully it will soften up the Shav a bit further and help make everything run smoothly and happily. ((Represented by the silver attached to the @action!))

Documentation - Listening is key in these efforts and as it is primarily and effort of the Scholars! The Scholars of Vellichor are hoping to document the history, culture and personal stories of the shav tribes to be added to the Great Archive in honor of Vellichor and this new union of people in honor of Vellichor and for a better understanding of the Shav themselves.

Diplomatic Efforts - To assist in the transition of the Prodigals, Bianca is enlisting translators and other entities to help explain and teach the settling shav about the core culture of the Compact and what expectations there are when bending a knee (such as freeing slaves). Visual guide pamphlets (created and overseen by Sina) are produced and distributed to help in this effort. In addition, House Malvici has provided the following to assist in integrating the population into the local culture as well: “Southport - the city of swords…” This is a visual guide to Southport, with illustrations of the harbor, the Academy of Gloria, and the shrines to the gods, the fortified Malvici hall, and the main training building. Some of the illustrations don't seem to be entirely accurate as if someone modified some features to conceal military aspects of the buildings. There's additional illustrations of soldiers sparring, doctors healing, smiths at work, and command groups reviewing maps with small tactical figurines on it.

Missionary Work - As this is an effort of the Faith, it is to be expected that missionary work coincides with diplomatic efforts in the hopes some conversions take place, relying on the volunteer Scholars of Vellichor to work with the Shav in explaining the Faith of the Pantheon and it's works throughout Arvum in an open offer of free flowing cultural exchange. In addition, another visual pamphlet (created and overseen by Sina) are produced and distributed detailing the thirteen gods and their roles within the Pantheon.

Protection - Lastly, in case things go awry or dissenters are discovered and begin violent retaliation, some individuals will attend as protection to volunteers.

(( OOC Notes: Participants - Please make sure to select ONE primary area that your character is assisting with and state it at the beginning of your assist to keep everything organized for the Staff. Let's make this as easy on them as possible. :) ))

Simone Greenmarch will be helping with the Diplomatic Efforts. Given her upbringing as a member of the Compact and her marriage into House Greenmarch when they joined the Compact, she will be using her diplomatic skills and firsthand knowledge of how other shav tribes have integrated into the Compact to provide information and to answer questions that those camped outside of Southport might have. She will also try to assist with translation efforts since she speaks Oathlands Shav to the extent possible.

Sina Izetta is assisting the Faith with this action by helping to create and mass-distribute colorful visual pamphlets designed to aid in the teachings of the Pantheon. Each pamphlet will consist of thirteen pages, one for each of the Gods, with a visual representation of each along with their imagery. The art is intentionally simplistic and easy to understand.

Mangata is represented as a divine woman with an aura of clouds and waves, surrounded by ocean themes in the form of seashells, starfishes, coral, oysters with little gleaming pearls and ships at sea.

Vellichor is represented with books and quills and scrolls, as well as images of students studying under the instruction of a priest in Scholar's robes.

Skald is represented as a lone wolf, free to roam and answerable to no one, though there's a pack of wolves in the forested background, a distant family to fall back on in times of trouble.

Aion, that mysterious Dreamer, is depicted as a an androgynous figure sleeping, with tendrils spreading out which become forests, treees, animals and men and women in a glorious homage to all of Creation, as if the Dreamer's very own dreams bring life to reality, and a thirteen-point star glimmers overhead.

Gild is represented by images of pilgrims traveling down a road, distributing alms to the poor, while the road itself is packed with merchants along its edges in a colorful bazaar of tents and stalls, hawking their wares.

Jayus is represented by the image of a hammer crossed with a brush above men and women at their various arts and crafts; from the blacksmith creating armor and weapons, to basket weavers, jewelers, and painters.

Lagoma is represented as a female figure surrounded in a wreath of flames in hues of red, gold and vermilion, the circular shape of the wreath indicative of the cycle of rebirth, change and purification. Surrounding this flaming wreath are images of change, such as a woman who has just given birth, an elderly man on his deathbed, and the Mercies of Lagoma bringing healing to the sick or injured.

Limerance is reflected in images of love and romance, with themes revolving around marriage and depecting scenes of what Arvani marriage ceremonies might entail within the Faith.

The god Petrichor is depicted as a nature figure, with a great tree with spreading branches, which shelter and provide sanctuary to all. In the distance, beyond the tree, images of farms may be seen and people working in the fields to bring in the harvest.

The Queen of Endings is represented, not in dire or dark images, but rather, in images celebrating life, surrounding an image of an old crone in a black robe, who carries in one hand a lantern to guide the way to those souls seeking their place in the afterlife, and a skull in her other hand as a reminder that death comes to all, eventually.

The Sentinel is represented by an image of an armored warrior with a faceless helm, and a sword held in one hand as he fights off a demonic horde, while in his other hand he holds a shield with a set of balanced scales. Before him are the chaotic forces of the Abyss, while behind him is a world filled with images that bring to mind a sense of balance, order and justice, which he stoically guards.

Finally, Tehom is depicted as a man staring into his own reflection in a mirror, unflinching. One half of the picture, the half where the man is standing, is filled with imagery of the world as we know it, while the other half shows what lies beyond the mirror... a world of darkness.

All of these are then mass-produced by a team lent by the Archscholar so that the Scholars of Vellichor or other members of the faith are able to use them as visual aides to bring knowledge of the Faith and its ideals to the shavs who are preparing to join the Compact.

Oswyn will be helping with documentation, as it's a task the scholar is already well familiar with. Considering he had a mission up in the Northlands during the Great Archival project, he's pretty well suited to documentation and knows bits of Northlander shav. He also has superb penmanship, writes quickly, and is super unassuming and non-threatening.

Protection - Perrach will be assuring the safety of movement for all the missionaries. He'll organize with the combat orientated that have volunteered to offer their protection among their movements through the various encampents of abandoned in Southport. Perrach will be providing escort to the Archscholar Bianca as she helps lead others on this diplomatic and charitable mission. He lacks the social skills to lend in seeing these efforts succeed. He's present to make sure peace is kept and it all runs smoothly. He's also keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity among the shavs.

Food and Supplies - Working in conjunction with the Southport Navy, Ford Kennex and the Stormward Navy work to bring in various supplies to those who need them. That's food stuffs, that's bedrolls, that's blankets, that's anything a recently exploded population would need to keep things...civil. Having some experience with dealing with a sudden and massive influx of population, Ford Kennex has a pretty good idea as to what these new Prodigals are going to need. Along with those various supplies is an army's worth of Triage tents. Not for triage, but temporary housing. With any luck, it won't be a repeat of Stormward post-abolition.

Archscholar Bianca is reaching out to her connections within the clergy, the Academy, Heart in Hand and the discipleship of Vellichor (as well as a few others) in search of volunteers and food/supply donations for a goodwill/missionary tour in Southport. And where she looks, she finds.

She finds Lady Simone Greenmarch to reach out and help talk to shavs who are about to bend the knee, about the process of joining the Compact and what it means to be a Prodigal. She finds Sina Izetta, handmaiden of Thrax, who makes helpful pamphlets to talk about the Faith of the Pantheon, and what it means to join the Faith. She finds Oswyn Spencer, who researches and writes about the process of joining the Compact from the perspective of northern shavs he interviews and reads about who have already bent the knee.

She finds Sir Perrach Seiler, who is a living example of the ideals of honor to which the Compact holds. And she finds Marquis Ford Kennex, who opens his coffers, having learned from experience the pain that unrest brings, and provides for the shav who are willing to bend the knee, offering food and supplies, clothing and necessities for the people who will hopefully join the Compact.

They reach out and they talk to people. Clan Dreadglaive take to Sir Perrach immediately, wanting to talk about strictures of honor but also differences in weapons forms and techniques. The Crimson Malvicus get along well with Marquis Ford, who builds on their shared love for the sea and sailing. Clan Brass Hawk spends time around Sina, particularly interested in her information about Jayus and all the many ways to worship him. House Gray Raptor is particularly fascinated by Oswyn and his accounts from the north. He overhears one remark happily about how joining the Compact opens up so many opportunities for exploration!

Lady Simone is popular in her own right - there are many shav assembled here who are tired of the constant fighting, and just want to join the Compact. They speak to her about transitions and the unique worries of a people who have been autonomous for many years.

And Archscholar Bianca oversees it all, and her scholar's eyes notice what many won't. The Lestatores and Shadow Falcons may come close, listening or occasionally sneering at a point made. And when they do, other clans seem to disperse immediately. And the Shadowspeakers? They're few and far between, and don't deign to speak with the scholarly delegation. But it takes no more than a glance to end what was a pleasant conversation. There's definitely division in the ranks though. And it seems perhaps the Shadowspeakers are preoccupied, but preoccupied with what is not discussed. Asking produces little more than a pale face and a hasty headnod, eyes glancing away and excuses made to leave immediately.

Huh.