Season 3: Episode 72 – A Call for Action (Kerubiel’s point of view)
 
After receiving the letter my Dogrul family was definitely amped up. Kasner was quick to say that we have to do something with all his…our kin live there and we need to do something now. Finn agrees with him right away as to do I so I tell him we will convene the whole council. To gather everyone, it will probably take till the early afternoon.
 
Each of nods and goes off to figure out our next steps. Cora and I go and discuss things in our tower, but as we step out of council and look out from one of the parapets it’s hard to not reflect on all that we’ve accomplished in the last few years. Since that dreadful war with the troll abominations.
 
This letter puts into perspective the easy time we’ve had the last few months. Visiting the old Beldame and upgrading Lily’s thorn, trying to sell the robe of bones in Restov to only find out that it’s cursed. Thank the gods that Finn never put it on. We decided to keep it and have it as a special present for Grigori if he ever shows up again.
 
Once Cora and I are in our tower, she tells me that she’s concerned for Valla. That if Varnhold isn’t helping Duskholde, maybe somethings happened to them and her. I nod my head in agreement and agree that we should make haste. That even if we don’t bring the army, that us barons should ride ahead and see what’s happening. She hugs me and I can tell how worried she is.
 
Council convenes just after lunch. Jensothi and Jhod have laid out maps of the Kingdom and our towns as all of us are present and we call this council to order. I share with every member of the council the details of the letter and that Duskholde is being ravaged by centaur barbarians. Brevoy is not helping them and Varnhold has ignored their request for aid.
 
They are requesting us to bring our army and so we look to the council’s wisdom to see what Argentum should do next.
 
Glanrim Is the first to respond by saying that we cannot march the army through another Kingdom. He cares deeply but he just cannot foresee doing this. He will definitely get the Ironborn to have the military on standby but for now that is all we can do.
 
He goes on to say that things are not as simple as when we were just adventurers we have to think of the whole Kingdom and what’s best for it.
 
Drael then responds by thanking me for my wise words and passion for our people and Glanrim’s Keen tactical mind. he agrees that putting the army on standby is probably a good idea but, in the end, if Brevoy says no we can’t risk all-out war. We of course should go and plead our case to them.
 
Gith then comes in late, but many of us hadn’t noticed and she is quickly filled in on the situation. Aila then asks me what my opinion is.
 
I tell her that I think that the Court of Argentum should go with any council members that are willing to lend a hand and she nods.
 
Finn then pipes up, clearly agitated, mentioning how we turned the Kingdom upside down to bring back sorath and then he turns to Drael and mentions how we took Glanrim to another country and a god we don’t even know to bring him back. If we don’t quickly act his kin – our kin, are going to be destroyed. Duskholde will be obliterated and so he needs to go because people will obviously need healing.
 
Cora then pipes up, looking specifically at Aila while mentioning that if Varnhold is struggling with these raiders, what might be happening to Valla as well? Valla might be in serious trouble as well. Which leaves Aila mouth agape and stunned.
 
Gith then goes on to agree with what Finn said. General Glanrim have you ever lost a war? We haven’t lost yet? We have an army that they need, why aren’t we sending it?
 
Having heard most of the voices I then pipe up to say that we should head out right away as a small party. We should have Kasner head straight to Restov to plead our case while the rest of us head to check in with our allies in Varnhold.
 
This is where Kasner pipes up and says he can’t leave because his wife has left suddently on important business and that he has to take care of Porthos. This seems quite suspicious, but my uncle doesn’t share anything more than that. So, I tell him that this is quite disappointing given the current circumstances. But I guess the king will have to do the job of the diplomat. To which Drael agrees that we will take Kasner’s role.
 
Jensothi then seems very fidgety and finally pipes up saying that with all due respect to Finn and Kasner, but we have nothing to do with Duskholde. We are an independent nation and what if this is all just some plot of Brevoy’s to make it look like Argentum is the aggressor? I nod in agreement and Aila looks shocked still.
 
Jhod then adds his two cents by saying that he doesn’t spend weeks every month patrolling our borders just to be powerless. We are a Kingdom why don’t we hire a party of adventurers to help? Drael questions whether a party of adventurers could deal with centaur raiders? Jhod Then goes on to say isn’t that what adventurers do? And Drael responds by saying that he thinks this is a more of a personal mission.
 
Finn then iterates that there are injured people that will need his help and he will be going.
 
After a bit more discussion it is becoming clearer why we were originally a group of five chosen to rule because that swing vote is important. The Court of Argentum has differing opinions and so we meet briefly the four of us and decide that we should vote in a fifth member of the Court of Argentum. We will ask the court to nominate someone other than themselves and then vote from there. The names put forward end up being Keston, Jhod, Gith and Aila. Once we all vote, Aila ends up with the majority of the vote, and we welcome her officially to the Court of Argentum. She just tells us all that she’s happy to help.
 
In the end we decide to leave the army in Silver Falls and as council is adjourning, Glanrim requests a word with Kasner and just the Court of Argentum. Aila forgets to stay but we fill her in afterwards. (Maybe all of us forgot, it’s new having a fifth again).
 
He asks him if there was somethinghe wanted to get off his chest, to which Kasner responds aloof and insists that it is just business as to why Yollie is leaving. I see the general thinks more is going on here than what was said earlier. As we pry for more details, he then says that some things just have to get done. Letting the silence fill the space a little longer he then spills out that his home is under attack and asks what would we do? He goes on to say that Yollie has special skills like she is handy with a blade.
 
Finn then interrupts and asks why we are questioning him. Saying we are wasting time and storms off. Oh brother. I then make it very clear that we want to know where she is going and whether she has left yet. All Kasner can do is look down in silence.
 
The silence aggravates me to no end, so I lash out and tell him that I hope she doesn’t end up dead. I then head to my tower to start packing, using some choice language under my breath.
 
Cora comes in while I am muttering, and she hears me say ‘stupid aunt’ as I throw things into my haversack and throw a treat for Sorath. She pauses my packing, reassures me that she will take care of things while I am away. She lets me vent about my frustrations and then we kiss, and we head back into the courtyard. I hope the others have been packing.
 
Thank goodness, the whole Court is at the castle stables and as we mount up, I ask if we are all ready. The boys all respond with nods, and Aila, bless her, just says, “Happy to help!”. As we are leaving, I look back and wave to Cora and notice Kasner in Finn’s tower window, holding Porthos, and I can’t help but shake my head.
 
We make good time and are most of the way to Oleg’s by the time it is time to break for camp the first night. Campfire talk is a lot of strategy but nothing that hasn’t already been hashed out in council prior.

The next day we take a quick break around lunch at Oleg’s and fill him in on the situation. Make sure he’s got his extra bunks ready just in case we need to have the army on standby closer to our border. He nods and says hopefully it won’t come to that. I sure hope so.
 
We end our third day of travel at Navitka’s Crossing and while having dinner at the tavern that night a messenger approaches Glanrim. He receives a letter from Saphirebraids asking him to check in on Ervil Pendrod in Varnhold who has found some dwarven relic. The Maestro has been apparently doing some work for them.
 
Thinking back to what he dealt with for us with our zombie problem makes me wonder what they might have uncovered in Varnhold and say a prayer to Sarenrae and Erastil that that is not why they aren’t answering Duskholde’s call for aid.
 
The sun shines through the clouds as we gear up for our last day of travel before hitting Varnhold. It appears as if they too have expanded their borders to bump up to Brevoy. As we head south along the Kiravoy Road, the farmland we are passing has a strangeness to it. After an hour, Drael is the first to break the silence and point out that we haven’t seen anyone but suggests that maybe it is a holiday here and everyone is in town. We nod but I don’t think any of us are convinced.
 
Another hour with empty farm fields causes Glanrim’s curiousity to get the better of him. He goes off the road and follows a path up to the nearest farmhouse. We all trail along but keep our eyes peeled around the perimeter of the house. Finn whispers to me that he doesn’t like this.
 
Ten minutes later, Glanrim is back saying the whole house was empty. The fires are all out, but food looks like it was left out, about to be prepared. It looks like they left in a hurry he tells us. As I am suggesting that we make haste then Finn whispers – left or vanished. Glanrim pauses and then says he doesn’t think anything was packed.
 
Drael then says the obvious – that we should be on guard and doesn’t think there is a festival.
 
We arrive at the northern edge of Varnhold, and it has grown in size since we came last spring. It looks like our trade agreement has helped them prosper as well. It is easier to see these changes now that the winter snow has melted since our visit here for Valla and Traikore’s wedding two months ago.
 
As we are all noticing the changes, we all notice at the same time that there are no people to be seen and the only sounds we hear are the babble of the river. Finn then breaks the silence by asking Drael if he was going to check on his dad. Drael nods yes but says that whatever is going on here is wrong.
 
We all pause and look around before taking a few more steps toward the river crossing when from the other side of the river, the largest murder of crows any of us has ever seen suddenly burst into the air cawing loudly. That ain’t a great first sign of life.