At the Springlight Festival

Admin wrote:

Once Leonis begins to speak and ask his questions, both Navaratna and Mialolessa listen with expressions of polite interest, whereas Yegina's expression retains a combination of faint hostility and more obvious disdain. When Leonis' barrage of questions slackens enough for the women to actually answer, Navaratna shrugs and says, "We came because we thought it would be exciting and give us a chance for brave deeds and to win honor from worthy opponents. We three are of the Valaes Tairn, but for the last few months we have been in Sharn, as part of Caerlyn's Blade. We saw that there was little honor to be won there, so when we heard of this tournament, we thought we would ride here and share the blade dance. We were not sent by the Tairn and I doubt High King Vadallia would send anyone here. All blades might be needed if war erupts in the land that was Cyre."

Mialolessa looks at Leonis--and the others at his table--curiously. "Why are you here? For glory? Something else?"

OOC: The Valaes Tairn ('warriors of glory') is the name that the elven warrior clans that first came from Aerenal to Khorvaire took for themselves and the Valenar still use that phrase to refer to themselves. Caerlyn's Blade is a mercenary group of Valenar in Sharn. High King Vadallia is the current ruler of the Valenar.

Listening to their story with intense interest, "That sounds amazing! Well a toast to you three," Leonis raises his goblet, "I hope you win many honors for you, your clan, and your people." Leonis drinks a sip of his wine and begins to speak, "We are here to meet Irroveti and participate in the games. Well, I wasn't intending to play in the games at first, but one of my townsfolk, Fay is her name, suggested that I do so - it would be fun, and winning the honors would look good to my people. I was never raised to play games, considering my life, but maybe it will be fun?" Looking to the rest of the group, "Grabthar over there, and Kara - I think they will definitely have a lot of fun in the games." Looking back towards the elves, "So, would you indulge me and tell me about Valinor and the Elves there. To be honest I have only met a small handful of Elves, and none from actual Elven lands - at least not known to me"

Leonis wrote:

Listening to their story with intense interest, "That sounds amazing! Well a toast to you three," Leonis raises his goblet, "I hope you win many honors for you, your clan, and your people." Leonis drinks a sip of his wine and begins to speak, "We are here to meet Irroveti and participate in the games. Well, I wasn't intending to play in the games at first, but one of my townsfolk, Fay is her name, suggested that I do so - it would be fun, and winning the honors would look good to my people. I was never raised to play games, considering my life, but maybe it will be fun?" Looking to the rest of the group, "Grabthar over there, and Kara - I think they will definitely have a lot of fun in the games." Looking back towards the elves, "So, would you indulge me and tell me about Valinor and the Elves there. To be honest I have only met a small handful of Elves, and none from actual Elven lands - at least not known to me"

When Leonis lifts his glass, Mialolessa and Navaratna do so as well, followed a couple of seconds later by Yegina. Then, as he asks a question about their land and culture, Navaratna glances at Mialolessa and chuckles, "Gallop to the sunset, sister." The latter smiles back and then turns her attention to Leonis. "Since you asked ...," she says, before embarking on a lengthy narrative.

She speaks first of how the Valaes Tairn came from Aerenal to Khorvaire over ten thousand years ago and carved out a realm in the teeth of the Dhakaani empire, only abandoning it when they returned to their island to aid it against the attacks of the dragons of Argonnessen. Then, during the Last War, Queen Mishann of Cyre asked the elves for aid and war leader Shaeras Vadallia summoned the clans of the Valaes Tairn. The warriors agreed that it was time to return.

For 42 years the Valaes Tairn spread terror across Breland and Karrnath. Then they broke all ties with Cyre. Mialolessa says that the young Queen Mishala insulted Vadallia. Vadallia summoned his forces to the southeastern edge of Cyre. There, he spoke of the ancient claim of the elves, a bond to the land older than human civilization. As a darkwood crown was placed upon his brow, he swore to restore the lands claimed by his ancestor and to give all Tairnadal the chance for glory. Sinking his blade into the soil, he declared the foundation of Valenar, "the glorious realm."

Mialolessa is clearly a talented storyteller and she relates these events succinctly but with appropriately dramatic flair. Navaratna and Yegina have evidently heard the tale before, but both of them listen with rapt interest, eyes shining with suppressed excitement and pride at the saga of their people.

Mialolessa then shifts to more current times, speaking of the land of the Valenar, a land of great plains, long shorelines and (to the northeast) the Blade Desert. The land is mostly empty of large settlements, except for the forts which dot it, the greatest of which is the capital Taer Valaestas, where High Lord Vadallia rules. Most of the Valenar live in warbands that dwell on the plains of their land. There they ride and fight, sometimes raiding north into the Talenta Plains in search of excitement and battle. She describes their warrior culture, their wonderful horses (which it is death for a non-Valenar to ride), the way a Valenar warrior respects her warband above ties to family. Above all else, she speaks of the connection between a Valenar warrior and the patron ancestor who guides her through life, who lives through her actions and whose deeds she seeks to emulate, whose sigil she wears in battle (usually on her brow, so that those facing her might see her ancestor and not the mortal warrior).

By the time Mialolessa finishes her long narrative, it is much later and Navaratna says, "It is time for us to depart now, since we have a long ride tomorrow as well. We need to go to our rooms and rest." As they rise, Mialolessa chuckles and says, "Well, rest and ... other things," grinning roguishly at her companions. Then she throws Leonis and the others a wink and turns to follow the other two.

Leonis listens, enthralled by the story, something about it tickling an emotion he is not familiar with, a vague memory perhaps but nothing that is tangible to Leonis - and it is not even a conscious thought - just something that lingers in his mind.

When Mialolessa finishes the story Leonis claps, "That was a wonderful story that I shall remember!" Seeing the three elves are about to leave Leonis gets a look of disappointment in his eye.

As they leave and Leonis see's the wink, "Hey I think they just invited me to their rooms." Looking at the group, "Well ladies and gentleman Leonis' magic still works and now I am off to take my invitation". Leonis puts his drink down and starts to get up.

Leonis wrote:

Leonis listens, enthralled by the story, something about it tickling an emotion he is not familiar with, a vague memory perhaps but nothing that is tangible to Leonis - and it is not even a conscious thought - just something that lingers in his mind.

When Mialolessa finishes the story Leonis claps, "That was a wonderful story that I shall remember!"

Mialolessa simply bows and says nothing, but there's a pleased gleam in her eyes.

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Seeing the three elves are about to leave Leonis gets a look of disappointment in his eye.

As they leave and Leonis see's the wink, "Hey I think they just invited me to their rooms." Looking at the group, "Well ladies and gentleman Leonis' magic still works and now I am off to take my invitation". Leonis puts his drink down and starts to get up.

The three Valenar warriors proceed to the stairs leading up to their (and the Khatovarans') rooms and begin to head up them. Glancing back as they ascend, Yegina sees Leonis following and mutters something to the others, which causes Mialolessa to chuckle. The two of them continue on, but Navaratna stops and turns to face Leonis. "Yes?" she asks quizzically. "Did you want something?"

Admin wrote:

The three Valenar warriors proceed to the stairs leading up to their (and the Khatovarans') rooms and begin to head up them. Glancing back as they ascend, Yegina sees Leonis following and mutters something to the others, which causes Mialolessa to chuckle. The two of them continue on, but Navaratna stops and turns to face Leonis. "Yes?" she asks quizzically. "Did you want something?"

OOC: You know when I typed the message out I was hoping Rowan/Grabthar/Kara would stop Leonis and prevent him from going. So much for the group saving my bacon I actually was going to type "and Grabthar prevents Leonis from going" but I know how much people hate that

Leonis looks a bit caught off guard, like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar - or in this case trying to get his hand into the cookie jar. Leonis not being used to women turning him down, or calling him out - with the exception of a certain red head, starts to stammer an answer out "Hm, no I, uhm" Leonis starts scratching his head, his face turning a bright shade of pink that can even be seen in the light, "I was, uhm, looking for the mens room. Yea do you happen to know where the mens room is around here?" Leonis looks like he is trying to find a way to become small, tiny, and invisible without having to cast the words to a spell, and maybe even a spell that would let him travel back in time a few seconds.

Leonis wrote:

OOC: You know when I typed the message out I was hoping Rowan/Grabthar/Kara would stop Leonis and prevent him from going. So much for the group saving my bacon I actually was going to type "and Grabthar prevents Leonis from going" but I know how much people hate that

Well, that would have been a possibility if any of them were actually posting

On the other hand, theit might just have been sitting there and snickering.

Quote :

Leonis looks a bit caught off guard, like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar - or in this case trying to get his hand into the cookie jar. Leonis not being used to women turning him down, or calling him out - with the exception of a certain red head, starts to stammer an answer out "Hm, no I, uhm" Leonis starts scratching his head, his face turning a bright shade of pink that can even be seen in the light, "I was, uhm, looking for the mens room. Yea do you happen to know where the mens room is around here?" Leonis looks like he is trying to find a way to become small, tiny, and invisible without having to cast the words to a spell, and maybe even a spell that would let him travel back in time a few seconds.

OOC: Nice description

IC: Navaratna's eyes narrow fractionally, but luckily she appears to be less irascible than Yegina, so she settles for simply saying, "I do not. Perhaps you should ask the innkeeper." Then she turns and heads up the stairs, only pausing once to glance back and ensure that Leonis isn't following.

By this time, most of the locals at the inn have left and the innkeeper and staff are engaged in cleaning up, perhaps to hint that everyone should head to their rooms.

OOC: Unless someone mentions something they need to take care of, I'll update over the weekend with the rest of your trip to the festival grounds.

Leonis heads back to the table, with the rest of the group, sitting down he breathes a small sigh of relief, "I told them thanks but no thanks. You know, I have a reputation to maintain. I can't be known as the lord who sleeps with everything that moves - it wouldn't be right for the image we are trying to maintain. Plus, they're probably dirty skanks."


OOC: Getting bitch slapped now and then wouldn't be a bad thing; getting out of it would definitely be a rogue thing

Leonis wrote:

Leonis heads back to the table, with the rest of the group, sitting down he breathes a small sigh of relief, "I told them thanks but no thanks. You know, I have a reputation to maintain. I can't be known as the lord who sleeps with everything that moves - it wouldn't be right for the image we are trying to maintain. Plus, they're probably dirty skanks."

OOC: Nice recovery

IC: The next morning, after all members of the Khatovar contingent have awoken and breakfasted, they are joined by an escort of six soldiers led by an officer. There is no sign of the three Valenar warriors and checking with the innkeeper reveals that they arose well before dawn and left earlier.

The trip to the west is fairly peaceful but with some interesting sights. Nearly a dozen miles west of the border guard-post, the Orien road that they are on reaches the fort that Irovetti has under construction. The large stone structure is still unfinished but still looks fairly functional already, though neither its size nor its height matches that of the castle at Lakeshore. A good-sized settlement has already sprung up around the incomplete fort, comprised of permanent buildings and temporary shelters. There are homes for the workers, barracks for the troops, shops and open-air stalls selling food and other items, etc. The Khatovarans get only a limited view of the settlement, since they ride by it and continue westward, but it is clear that Irovetti is putting considerable effort into this construction.

West of the fortress-under-construction, the hilly land slowly flattens out till, about a dozen miles further on, it becomes a long stretch of fertile plains. Travel here is faster, though the Orien road made it easy enough earlier too, and over the course of the day the travelers cover a good sixty miles. The area they pass through seems much like that of eastern Khatovar, with small farms and tiny hamlets visible on either side of the road. The only difference is that where the large forests of Khatovar would dominate the horizon, here it is what are known as the Branthlend Mounts, the concluding portion of the Icehorn Mountains to the north. The descent of the Branthlends into the plains creates the hills that gave this area of the Stolen Lands the name of the Glenebon Uplands.

The travelers and their escort eventually stop for the night at a small camp ground set up near the road, one of a number that they have seen along the way. The officer escorting them says that Baron Irovetti set these up specifically for travelers to and from the Springlight festival, but with the hope that they will be an investment for the future as well. The camp ground features a wooden wall, a small guard post, and a combination tavern-store-stable-barn catering to travelers.

The next day, after a little over an hour of traveling, the riders reach a large lake a good 8 miles or so across. At the center of it is a rocky island from which, the officer explains, an underground spring bubbles constantly. This spring is the source of the lake and, from a channel to the far side, a stream which runs west till it meets the Whisper River that runs down from the Branthlend Mounts and waters the plains of Pitax. The confluence of the stream and the Whisper is where Pitax city, Irovetti's capital, is located. That is about fifteen miles from where the large lake ends and the stream begins, but the riders' destination is closer at hand, only about three miles downstream.

The tournament is to be held at a massive festival ground erected by Irovetti a dozen miles northeast of his capital. When they reach it (and are quickly ushered through the gates), the Khatovarans find it to actually be a large walled town, centered around a large arena. Many other forms of entertainment are clearly catered to here, ranging from a good-sized theater near the arena, to the brightly colored taverns and inns that are scattered around, to a row of buildings further away which must be brothels. Taverns and inns of various sizes are visible. One among the two large parks in the town is currently dominated by the multiple pavilions of a circus, above which fly pennants depicting the five-headed hydra of House Phiarlan. This must be one of the three companies of the Carnival of Shadow, the best-known work of the House, which travels across Khorvaire all year. It's a major coup for Irovetti to have persuaded them to appear here. Providing entertainment of a different kind will be the large marketplace on the opposite side of the arena from the park, where permanent shops vie with traveling merchants who are setting up their wares wherever there is space available. Not that all elements in the town are focused around the arena or on entertainment in general. Not too far away from the arena, there is a large garrison building attached to a watchtower which looks over the walls of the town toward the northeast.

Once they are inside the town proper, the officer leading their escort politely inquires if they would like to be shown to their accommodations first (so that they can rest or take a bath or anything else that they want) or if they wish to meet Baron Irovetti first. Since it is only early afternoon when they arrive, he is certain that they will be invited to dinner with him in any case.

Leonis enjoys the ride, though he gets tired and bored of it after a while. Periodically he asks "Are we there yet". One thing that peaks Leonis' interest is the spring. It interests him on a tactical level because it may be a weakness for Irovetti. If someone were to devise a particularly deadly disease or poison and dump it into the spring it could harm Irovetti's town and wreak havoc on the people who would suffer.

Once they arrive at their destination Leonis suggests the group checks into their rooms and briefly get cleaned up so they can meet with Irovetti and he can be given time to be ready himself.

Leonis wrote:

Leonis enjoys the ride, though he gets tired and bored of it after a while. Periodically he asks "Are we there yet". One thing that peaks Leonis' interest is the spring. It interests him on a tactical level because it may be a weakness for Irovetti. If someone were to devise a particularly deadly disease or poison and dump it into the spring it could harm Irovetti's town and wreak havoc on the people who would suffer.

You're so nice

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Once they arrive at their destination Leonis suggests the group checks into their rooms and briefly get cleaned up so they can meet with Irovetti and he can be given time to be ready himself.

The Khatovarans' escort hands them over to one of the heralds, a man in a colorful uniform bearing the insignia of Pitax on his chest. More such heralds are visible moving here and there, clearly in charge of handling affairs at the festival. The herald (with a small honor guard due to their station) leads the Khatovarans to the area where the visiting dignitaries and competitors are to be housed.

The location is in a large park near the arena, with an artificial lake at the center. A number of grand silken pavilions have been set up facing the water, the flags flying above them marking the lands of their intended inhabitants. The pennant of Khatovar already flies above the easternmost of them. There are also pavilions with flags which indicate visitors from such far-flung areas of Khorvaire as Aundair, Breland, Darguun, Karrnath, the Talenta Plains, Thrane and Valenar. There is a pavilion with the leaping tiger of Drelev and even one with the rampant wyvern of Pitax. It seems Irovetti is fielding competitors in his own tournament.

There are half a dozen attendants waiting near the pavilion for Khatovar, who follow the visitors in while the herald shows them around. The inside of the pavilion is well-furnished and has been divided into multiple chambers for privacy and comfort, including an area for bathing. Refreshments have already been provided too.

Once the visitors have had some time to clean up and relax, they are joined by a woman who introduces herself as Nunzia Arpaia, the master of ceremonies at the festival. After checking that they are comfortably bestowed, she informs them that Baron Irovetti would like the pleasure of their company at dinner, and that an attendant will be waiting to guide them to him some time later, so that they can speak a little before the meal.

Nunzia also briefly outlines the nature of the competition and the individual events for them. The tournament is for teams divided on the basis of nation. There are seven competitions, which will occur over the course of the next 6 days, in the following order:

Test of the Bow
Test of the Axe
The Great Boast
Tower of Skill
Midnight Joust
Mage duel
Grand melee

A nation can field 2 competitors in each event, who will sometimes be competing as a team (as in the mage duel or grand melee) and sometimes as individuals. The winner of each competition gains 3 pts and the runner-up gains 1 pt. The last two competitions (the mage duel and grand melee), however, have double the number of pts available (6 for the winning pair, 4 for the runners-up). At the end of the tournament, the nation whose representatives have won the most points will be declared the champion nation and receive the grand prize which Baron Irovetti will be offering (and will unveil at the opening of the competition tomorrow).

All competitive events take place in the Coliseum (which is what the arena is called) and, with the exception of the Midnight Joust, begin an hour before noon. Typically, the competitions last for a few hours, with a break before the finals. The schedule of games is posted throughout the festival grounds. Each competition has its own rules, but there are three rules that govern all of the events: harm no spectators, kill no competitors, and don’t get caught cheating. Breaking any of these rules is grounds for disqualification from that event (cheating or harming spectators) and the competition as a whole (killing someone). Unless otherwise noted, entering a competition with spells pre-cast on yourself counts as cheating, but spells may usually be cast on oneself during the competition (though not in some cases, which they will be informed about). Also, in the interests of keeping peace, any conflict between members of competing nations outside the competition will likely lead to their expulsion from the tournament too, at the will of Irovetti.

After providing all of this information, Nunzia says that she needs to know who Khatovar's competitors will be for each event, along with how each competitor wants to be announced at the start of each game.

OOC: Leonis is very nice. He would make sure the poison is fast acting, and contagious. To ensure family members don't suffer through the loss of their loved ones

Enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of the festival Leonis' eyes wander about the grounds. After seeing the various flags, and Drelevs, Leonis whispers to Rowan "I am so gonna tag Drelev's flag" and then he proceeds to giggle with that mischievous laughter that Leonis is known for.

After settling in, "Thanks for your help Nunzia. What is the tower of skill?"

Leonis will enter the mage duel, and if the tower of skill is something he would be suited for will enter that. If there is a competition that combines melee/wizards (e.g., Grabthar + Spell caster) then Leonis will also enter that.

Leonis wrote:

OOC: Leonis is very nice. He would make sure the poison is fast acting, and contagious. To ensure family members don't suffer through the loss of their loved ones

Quote :

Enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of the festival Leonis' eyes wander about the grounds. After seeing the various flags, and Drelevs, Leonis whispers to Rowan "I am so gonna tag Drelev's flag" and then he proceeds to giggle with that mischievous laughter that Leonis is known for.

After settling in, "Thanks for your help Nunzia. What is the tower of skill?"

Nunzia smiles politely and says, "I cannot reveal too many details, since part of the challenge is to face whatever is placed before you, but I can disclose some details about the competitions. The Test of the Bow is simply a test of speed and power with a bow, and the Test of the Axe similarly tests one with axes - greataxes or handaxes. The Great Boast is a performance of boasting and tall tales. The Tower of Skill tests one's agility, perceptiveness, dexterity, judgment and other such skills. The Midnight Joust is a jousting competition which will occur on the same night of the Tower of Skill competition. The Mage Duel is a competition featuring purely magical duels between two teams at a time, each with two members. The Grand Melee will also feature teams of two, but all teams will compete simultaneously. That," she concludes, "is as much as I am at liberty to say."

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Leonis will enter the mage duel, and if the tower of skill is something he would be suited for will enter that. If there is a competition that combines melee/wizards (e.g., Grabthar + Spell caster) then Leonis will also enter that.

OOC: From what you've been told, the mage duel and tower of skill are definitely things Leonis is suited for. There is no combined melee/wizard competition.

Leonis will sign up for the Tower of Skill and Mage Duel. It seems the Mage Duel requires two spell casters....so Rowan and Leonis vs who-ever

Leonis wrote:

Leonis will sign up for the Tower of Skill and Mage Duel. It seems the Mage Duel requires two spell casters....so Rowan and Leonis vs who-ever

Right. There can be two people from Khatovar at each competition, with the two at the Mage Duel and the Grand Melee having to compete as a team. It's a given that Grabthar and Kara would be the best ones to compete in the Grand Melee and also in the Test of the Axe, and probably the Joust. Xamanthe, the centaur, is going to be one of the competitors in the archery test, I believe. Rowan would certainly be the best bet for the Great Boast (which I forgot to define above, so I'll do that now), probably along with Kara. And Kara would likely be the best option besides Leonis at the Tower of Skill.

So we currently have the following entrants from Khatovar:

Test of the Bow - Xamanthe and ??

Test of the Axe - Grabthar and Kara

The Great Boast - Rowan and Kara

Tower of Skill - Leonis and Kara

Midnight Joust - Grabthar and Kara

Mage duel - Leonis and Rowan

Grand melee - Grabthar and Kara

Feel free to suggest changes to the above and recommend who will join Xamanthe in the Test of the Bow.

Wouldn't Kara be the best at the bow for dex/BAB? Leonis has a good dex, but terrible BAB so not really good at it. Probably Grabthar after Kara?

Leonis wrote:

Wouldn't Kara be the best at the bow for dex/BAB? Leonis has a good dex, but terrible BAB so not really good at it. Probably Grabthar after Kara?

Yes. Kara is at a +15 with a bow (+8 BAB, +7 Dex), while Grabthar is at a +12 (+10 BAB, +2 Dex).

Looks like Kara'll be doing a lot in this tournament.

Admin wrote:

Leonis wrote:

Wouldn't Kara be the best at the bow for dex/BAB? Leonis has a good dex, but terrible BAB so not really good at it. Probably Grabthar after Kara?

Yes. Kara is at a +15 with a bow (+8 BAB, +7 Dex), while Grabthar is at a +12 (+10 BAB, +2 Dex).

Looks like Kara'll be doing a lot in this tournament.

She's our rising star.

BTW, I do offer surrogate dice rolling services

Leonis looks at Rowan, "Me and you gotta work a plan out so we can maximize off ourselves."

Turning to Kara, "Don't slow me down when we are out there, half-breed. And if you fall behind, take no offense if I leave you there", Leonis grins and winks at Kara.

@Shil - Can spells be used during the test of skill?

Leonis wrote:

@Shil - Can spells be used during the test of skill?

Right now you have no idea and Nunzia's not giving you additional information.

Admin wrote:

Leonis wrote:

@Shil - Can spells be used during the test of skill?

Right now you have no idea and Nunzia's not giving you additional information.

Well, just in case I will prepare spells for a skills based challenge

Luckily, I am the skill monkey:



BTW, if Leonis ever got a familiar (I know he can't, but hypothetically), he would want this And anytime he got some, the monkey would run into the room, and raise both his hands into the air.

EDIT: The monkey would run into each party members room and do it, just to let them know (score keeping)

Rowan let Leonis follow the Valenar as much as a test of the three warriors as for the entertainment of seeing Leonis get himself into trouble.

Leonis wrote:

Leonis heads back to the table, with the rest of the group, sitting down he breathes a small sigh of relief, "I told them thanks but no thanks. You know, I have a reputation to maintain. I can't be known as the lord who sleeps with everything that moves - it wouldn't be right for the image we are trying to maintain. Plus, they're probably dirty skanks."

Rowan rolls her eyes. "Riiight. And those grapes that are out of reach are probably really sour."

"You know, if you actually paid attention to my diplomacy lessons, you wouldn't be slapped down like a... what's that word you like? Like a Noob."

A short while later, Rowan will leave and go to her bedroom. One of the guards will go upstairs a few minutes later, go into Rowan's room to "report", and the two will switch places. Rowan will go down into the common room in disguise to gather rumors and opinions.

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OOC: Getting bitch slapped now and then wouldn't be a bad thing

Agreed. Leonis needs more bitchslapping.

Rowan wrote:

"You know, if you actually paid attention to my diplomacy lessons, you wouldn't be slapped down like a... what's that word you like? Like a Noob."

Leonis, "BORING! If I wanted to learn something I'd go to school."

Rowan wrote:

Rowan let Leonis follow the Valenar as much as a test of the three warriors as for the entertainment of seeing Leonis get himself into trouble.

So - do they pass?

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A short while later, Rowan will leave and go to her bedroom. One of the guards will go upstairs a few minutes later, go into Rowan's room to "report", and the two will switch places. Rowan will go down into the common room in disguise to gather rumors and opinions.

With the fact that the innkeeper is in the process of closing down the bar and kitchen, there is limited opportunity for information-gathering in the inn, so Rowan has to wander around outside and talk to whoever's available this late. Luckily, a couple of the ostlers at the attached stable and a pair of off-duty soldiers are willing to chat for a bit and exchange a drink or two.

They don't have much of importance to relate, but Rowan does pick up some information and gossip. It seems that this outpost has been created partly to watch the border and provide an official element to welcome (or deal with) those crossing it, but its main aim is to provide warning for the settlement some ten miles to the west in case of a genuine invasion from Aundair. In that case, the soldiers are supposed to send up smoke signals and magical warnings before evacuating, if possible. Not that the people Rowan speaks to seem genuinely concerned about it. They seem to consider it much more likely that hostilities with Drelev might occur than with Aundair.

Rowan also picks up a little gossip about some of the important people in the kingdom. The soldiers mention Avina Jurrg, Irovetti's general, who is currently overseeing the completion of the fortress to the west. The hulking warrior actually visited this outpost a few weeks ago and the soldiers seem as scared of her as respectful. One soldier says that Irovetti is involved with Avina, but the other says that it's just a rumor, since there are rumors that Irovetti (who has no consort) is involved with each woman among his primary councilors and a few of the men.

Rowan also hears about Irovetti's recently achieved peace with the Tiger Barbarians, after a couple of their tribes had been defeated in battle by a force led by Avina and the shifter warrior Alasen, Marshal of Pitax. The tribes have promised peace with Pitax and as a sign of his trust for them, Irovetti has appointed their champion, Villamor Koth, as a personal bodyguard.

Admin wrote:

is involved with each woman among his primary councilors and a few of the men.

You know, it seems that every single ruler is involved with not only the opposite sex AND the same sex. Are there no straight or homosexuals in Eberron?

Leonis wrote:

You know, it seems that every single ruler is involved with not only the opposite sex AND the same sex.

Hardly. Besides the fact that it's only a rumor so far in Irovetti's case, Magra Varn was involved with (and married to) a man. Queen Aurala of Aundair is the same. And that's not including the rulers who you haven't really encountered in this campaign but did in the Guardian Angels' one, most of whom were married to the opposite sex and generally not connected with individuals of their own.

But I'm not surprised that as soon as one encounters a couple of people involved with both sexes they seem to be the majority

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Are there no straight or homosexuals in Eberron?

To be precise, no. As I've mentioned before, ideas of sex, gender and sexuality are very different in Eberron than what you're used to in 20th-21st century USA, being substantially more fluid. The concept of being straight or being homosexual doesn't really exist in Eberron, because the idea of having an identity based on who you have sex with isn't part of the culture there.

Admin wrote:

To be precise, no. As I've mentioned before, ideas of sex, gender and sexuality are very different in Eberron than what you're used to in 20th-21st century USA, being substantially more fluid. The concept of being straight or being homosexual doesn't really exist in Eberron, because the idea of having an identity based on who you have sex with isn't part of the culture there.

Not about the identity of the person (which we disagree upon) but there is the concept of someone only being attracted to one or both of the sexes. At any point someone (be it a decision or nature, however it goes) is going to be enchanted by one or both of the sexes and grossed out by one of the sexes. Unless you removed this from the campaign, which is fine, but I would be curious as to what the point would be to removing that.