Actual Play: Conan and the Ladies in Waiting
- Thread starter nikita1
- Start date
Strom said:
Some people like the world of Conan and wish to play even common life in Hyboria, without any violence at all. I think the real big thing about Howard is his excellency in building a complex world with good descriptions of politics and cultures, not describing half-naked women and flying gore - those are just the necessary evil of the pulp genre he needed to fulfill to get his stories published. (Like I said in the "Spirit of Conan or world of Conan"-thread.) It always annoys me throughly when someone claims there is only one proper way to play some RPG.
Doc Martin
Mongoose
Careful Majestic and nikita, don't you have 'gaming police' in Finland to punish you for 'incorrect gaming' - they might come to your house, crush your dice and snap your pencils!
Majestic7 said:
Yet you are the one telling me how to roleplay the Conan RPG. Just because you are thin skinned about your style of play should not - and is not - my problem. Descriptions of cultures and politics is certainly not what marked the genre of sword & sorcery that Robert E. Howard started. The success of the rpg is the competitive distinction of the mechanics to capture the 'necessary evil" of the pulp stories from 70 years ago.
Time is money to me and I would never waste a Saturday night playing the Conan RPG and only yapping about cultures and politics. At some point communication was done with a sword in the Hyborian Age and it may in the 4th - 5th hour - but at some point the scabbard would be empty. If you want a 21st century Hyborian Age then that's your game - my game is closer to the original, where no excuses were made for the action.
Anyway, I made a request - all you guys have done is lambast me for doing so. Make your own damn request for more yapping. :roll:
Doc Martin
Mongoose
Strom mate, can't speak for anyone else but I wasn't criticising your style of play, sorry if it came across that way - just saying that games based in the Hyborian world could be played in other ways. I think I once ran a session of Hyborian gaming without blood being spilt but 'improvised violence' is my players' usual mode of operation and I'm more than happy with that (check out my signature for a mythological equivalent). I just thought it was a shame that nikita might be put off by negative comments when they were writing an interesting thread. Hopefully the ladies-in-waiting will be back and we can all be friends?
Same as Doc said. I merely pointed out that the game can be played in a multitude of different ways and that they are all equal to each others - there is not one "right way" to play no more than there is only a one right way to spice up some food. If you take a look at my ongoing campaign report, my Conan game is certainly spiced up with violence at regular intervals. Most of the time it is not directly my doing, however, but the result of the actions players choose to take.
I didn't argue against your style of play, Strom, only the way you seemed to be telling nikita that her (?) style of gaming is wrong.
I didn't argue against your style of play, Strom, only the way you seemed to be telling nikita that her (?) style of gaming is wrong.
Strom said:
So don't do it. For some the cultures and politics are more interesting than the swords.
But let's say he would go with the mad cook. Let's say he captures those ladies. Now what? Looking at the characters the ladies aren't able to defeat the cook so...Are they going to do like this:
"Please mr. big bad cook! Let us go!"
"Oh but yes darling. I'll let you go. Off you go!"
No. There's not much(if anything) ladies could do so the task would be for some NPC's(note NON PLAYER characters) to come and save them...
Above all RPG's are story telling and generally focus is on player characters(and not some NPC's...). Here NON PLAYER characters would be the heroes while player characters would suddenly be just useless side watchers...
Yup. Great RPG session. Player characters are useless side watchers while non player characters steal the show...
Not automaticly. Not every person(likely small minority) are actually capable fighters. Devi Yasmina for example would be totally out of place as fighting so that would be last thing she would do...She would likely just kill herself with dagger than her enemy...
Your way is no more right than other persons way.
RPG's are about telling stories in a way that players find interesting. Maybe campaign group doing this got bored with hack&slash and wanted to try something original? It might not be my kind of campaign but I have to give him(her?) full marks for originality.
Each group plays the RPG campaign in a way they like. There is no right or wrong way to do it...That's the best thing about RPG's!!! they aren't rigid like some other games but can be played just the way your group likes it.
Thanks Doc and Majestic - it's all good. I've read every post for this thread. I'm following the story and just requested some action, which nikita1 can obviously ignore. I do think some action would make this adventure fall more in line with the theme of the Conan RPG.
tneva82 - Let the dice fall where they may - this is the Hyborian Age. The PC's (ladies or pirates, borders, etc.) are a step above the pack. Maybe one or all of the ladies would need to use a FP to defeat the cook but that is certainly an option that is just as interesting (from a DM and PC perspective) as the scenario you like. How does the experience change them? Does it? Did the battle scar one of the ladies physically or mentally? My only point is that a action sequence could work in this story - it's not bad roleplaying to have some action, as you are implying.
Hack & Slash isn't accurate in a Conan game - there are no dungeon crawls. Murder and killing is more appropriate to be honest, as most of the combatants are human. It's the way of things in the Hyborian Age and really one must accept that violence and corruptness rules the land.
I would never underestimate the Devi Yashmina - or any powerful woman - in the Conan stories. The dagger can hurt you in the Conan RPG.
As for your last comment - I just requested my - repeat my - wish that some action would happen. Nikita1 will decide the outcome of that wish - not you.
My apologies to Nikita1 for others taking this thread off-topic due to my request. On with the show!
tneva82 - Let the dice fall where they may - this is the Hyborian Age. The PC's (ladies or pirates, borders, etc.) are a step above the pack. Maybe one or all of the ladies would need to use a FP to defeat the cook but that is certainly an option that is just as interesting (from a DM and PC perspective) as the scenario you like. How does the experience change them? Does it? Did the battle scar one of the ladies physically or mentally? My only point is that a action sequence could work in this story - it's not bad roleplaying to have some action, as you are implying.
Hack & Slash isn't accurate in a Conan game - there are no dungeon crawls. Murder and killing is more appropriate to be honest, as most of the combatants are human. It's the way of things in the Hyborian Age and really one must accept that violence and corruptness rules the land.
I would never underestimate the Devi Yashmina - or any powerful woman - in the Conan stories. The dagger can hurt you in the Conan RPG.
As for your last comment - I just requested my - repeat my - wish that some action would happen. Nikita1 will decide the outcome of that wish - not you.
My apologies to Nikita1 for others taking this thread off-topic due to my request. On with the show!
Strom said:
Check the describition. Does it say fighter to you?
Yes this is hyborian age. So what? Most folks living there wouldn't be able to fight and unless women decides early on she'll want to be adventurer she likely wouldn't touch weapon...
We saw how great fighter she was in the story :lol:. She was just package which was carried around pretty much the whole story. How much swordfighting(or dagger fighting) did she do ther anyway? Hmmm...Can't recall any.
tneva82 said:
They are Player Characters, no? Then they have statistics and FPs. Are you playing the game?
Don't worry about it then - play in the Greyhawk or Swordlands setting.
The Devi Yasmina is a 20th level Noble who has read the Book of Skelos. Very powerful woman. Dagger +15 melee or Tulwar +19. Make an enemy of her and you are in bad trouble. Read The Road of Kings.
Buxom Sorceress
Mongoose
well said, my brave fellow 'sister of the creative quill'.nikita1 said:
WELCOME to the forums.
it's nice to read something different. and i appreciate all your effort, passion, and hard work.
thanks for sharing your rpg-tales with us.
keep up the good work.
PLEASE post more tales when you can?
[BTW, you might like to post a copy of your tales in the CONAN FAN-FICTION FORUM?
then your tales can be easily read by many more fans in the future.]
best wishes from a lady usually steeped in blood and horror.
*sigh* :roll:
is it really "a good thing" to discuss the style of another groups roleplaying?
don't misunderstand me....i would be mad after the first hour in their game (perhaps i would be looking like my avatar *g*) ! seems to be the same as going with your girlfriend in the cinema and SHE chooses the lamest stupid love film on the list
but hey....what do you all care? it's not a story she is writing...so don't give her "clever hints" what to include in her game! every GM chooses the stuff HIS/HER players L I K E !!! so if they don't like constant violence...so be it!
if you like it how they play....read this thread further....
if you don't like it....damn..skip it !!!
but don't discuss their style of gaming or (much more worse)...grind your teeth and attack each other verbally !!!
:wink:
is it really "a good thing" to discuss the style of another groups roleplaying?
don't misunderstand me....i would be mad after the first hour in their game (perhaps i would be looking like my avatar *g*) ! seems to be the same as going with your girlfriend in the cinema and SHE chooses the lamest stupid love film on the list
but hey....what do you all care? it's not a story she is writing...so don't give her "clever hints" what to include in her game! every GM chooses the stuff HIS/HER players L I K E !!! so if they don't like constant violence...so be it!
if you like it how they play....read this thread further....
if you don't like it....damn..skip it !!!
but don't discuss their style of gaming or (much more worse)...grind your teeth and attack each other verbally !!!
:wink:
"A "hope" that some action comes along is perfectly acceptable when the session is posted for all to see. Don't want comments, then don't post anything. Capish? "
a "hope" is ok...but after she told you her oppinion of her gaming style you wrote:
"This is the Robert E. Howard Conan RPG! There are responsibilities to attempt to emulate his storytelling...."
that seems to be more than "a hope". seems to me you want to "dictate" a special kind of roleplaying just because they are playing the Conan RPG. was there a contract in your Corebook for "emulate howard style" ? are you afraid of the Mongoose RPG Style Police Squad ? (read the Majestic7 post for further information). her thread is just a "report" of their gaming...no questioning for adventure ideas. relax...sit back and enjoy her writing....or don't read it at all. of course everybody can post his oppinion Strom!!! but you don't have to be offensive after she told you about her gaming style and say something about "how it has to be done" THAT is "bad style" in my eyes.
if your players doesn't want to play the "brutal mode"...what do you do Strom? do you say "go home you newbies !!! it's CONAN and has to be bloody! if you don't like it go home....i will be looking for a new group you hippies!" ??? don't think so....be tolerant and everybody is cool.
to your second "idea"....
"Great advice. I got some - don't eat dirt regularly. It can hurt"
i am just a stupid german....so i am optimistic and don't think this is an insult.
a "hope" is ok...but after she told you her oppinion of her gaming style you wrote:
"This is the Robert E. Howard Conan RPG! There are responsibilities to attempt to emulate his storytelling...."
that seems to be more than "a hope". seems to me you want to "dictate" a special kind of roleplaying just because they are playing the Conan RPG. was there a contract in your Corebook for "emulate howard style" ? are you afraid of the Mongoose RPG Style Police Squad ? (read the Majestic7 post for further information). her thread is just a "report" of their gaming...no questioning for adventure ideas. relax...sit back and enjoy her writing....or don't read it at all. of course everybody can post his oppinion Strom!!! but you don't have to be offensive after she told you about her gaming style and say something about "how it has to be done" THAT is "bad style" in my eyes.
if your players doesn't want to play the "brutal mode"...what do you do Strom? do you say "go home you newbies !!! it's CONAN and has to be bloody! if you don't like it go home....i will be looking for a new group you hippies!" ??? don't think so....be tolerant and everybody is cool.
to your second "idea"....
"Great advice. I got some - don't eat dirt regularly. It can hurt"
i am just a stupid german....so i am optimistic and don't think this is an insult.
Session 7: Where our heroines attend their very first tournament of sweat and blood in arena sand…
As we all know, the morning in any and every Aquilonian castle or manor starts with praise to Mitra. After all, He is the beginning of all wisdom to all good people of Aquilonia. Livia refers herself always as Agrippina when she carries out her duties to Mitra and she has made a sacred vow in the deep dungeon to guide those who have lost their way back to mercy of Mitra. It is her custom to start every morning with a long and throughout sermon to those languishing in dungeon and awaking them with wise words of Mitra. She does this for hours for she has memorized countless of uplifting words she has heard in her time in temple. Naturally she carries out these duties after she has first attended the sermon held right at sunrise like all good people of Aquilonia.
However, tournament day is quite different. It is a time of great sacrifices to Agrippina. She has to make a difficult choice between sermon to those misguided or a sacrifice. After pondering for an eye blink Agrippina thinks that Mitra is best served with great sacrifices and she sacrifices a lot of her faith by running as fast as she can to tournament area and reserving seats to her, her friends and Princess Radegund. They will have seats next to wrestling ring, where a tall fair headed knight will fight. It is clear that the knight so famed of his riding skills is quite popular with the older girls. Livia heard that last evening when older girls talked of going to see him. If older girls do that, so must marriage-age ladies like they are do as well.
Most unfortunately her sacrifice is in vain because apparently she is not the only lady who has thought the same thing. The wrestling is obviously quite popular with ladies of court. As a matter of fact she has to select seats on the back.
When Radegund comes with Julia and Emilia they all get seated. Julia is quite unhappy with their place. They should be as close to ring as possible like older girls said last night. However, Radegund is quite happy with her place and waits excitedly the competition to start. Julia and Emilia keep on asking courteously if she can see well enough. No matter how many times they ask Radegund just keeps on smiling and nodding happily. Oh! Yes she can.
Thus Emilia tries another tactics. She complains that she cannot see well and wonder if they could get closer. Radegund is more than ready to help her best friends. Thus they rise and she leads her poorly seeing friend forwards with Julia and Livia in tow. They are given room and as Radegund asks from Emilia if she can see the ring Emilia keeps on complaining she cannot until they are next to rope circling the arena. Then Princess simply orders a small group of Attalusian noble ladies go away so they’ll have seats. After all, no one stands next to ring. All girls agree to that. Meanwhile a half a dozen angry pairs of eyes look Emilia with murderous thoughts in their minds. She won’t be protected by Princess forever…
The Aquilonian wrestling in tournaments is a simple affair. Two fighters, naked, and well oiled with olive oil, face each other. The rules of arena are simple: one must fall. Winner continues to next round and so on until they finally find the best. With the fair headed knight starting the rounds crowd goes wild as he easily bests his first opponent by choking him half dead. It sets the tone of fights to come. All girls scream as the men before them beat each other to pulp.
The actions in arena set a life of its own. Radegund and Emilia cheer as big men throw each other to ground, grinding their opponent to sand. There is biting, beating, blood and pain. Oil keeps the fighters glistening with grasps slipping at the most perilous moment. There is a chance of victory but also utter defeat. Livia is blushing all red as she sees for the first time for real the differences between men and women. Meanwhile Julia is very quiet. As the sand and sweat and oil sprinkles on her face Julia gently flicks the droplet of sweat to moist her red lips savoring the taste of man, a real man…
Wrestling continues through morning with number of fighters steadily falling and crowd enjoying games to the fullest. Tall fair headed knight finally meets his match in hands of a Bossonian man-bear. This giant is half Pict – half man and all oxen. Much to disappointment of ladies the knight is pressed to ground and declared loser despite strong protests from ladies attending the fight. Dizzily he rises from the sand and starts to stagger to his tent without bothering to dress as he moves across the market place filled with jugglers and performers who entertain the public.
Livia just has to see him but she cannot say it or really think about it. However, Emilia thankfully says it and without further notice all four girls run to knight’s tent. Radegund just stands there with her friends as Emilia asks if he is a priest and does he know why ants have six legs. He laughs at her and says that he is a knight with a sword and a horse, not a priest who is all begging and talk. The other girls are there too with Julia and Livia watching the handsome knight intently.
It is obvious that one of them will soon make her move. Since Livia moves with the ease of statue Julia gives her a little push making her step two three steps ahead of their group. After all, Julia knows quite well that these competitions are not won by the first but the best. It is good to let Livia walk first to step through all the traps as she will then arrive as true lady claim the prize.
After agonizing for far too long Livia walks with shaking legs to the knight sitting in bath with the ribbon in her hands stammering something, anything. She keeps her eyes tightly shut as she should be a virtuous lady and he is rolling in bath. To make her great virtue clear to him she also turns her head away. Knight cannot but smile at this shivering skinny little girl.
Then, as the moment of professing her interest to his knightly virtues and telling her humble request arrives, Livia just hits one of the buckets filled with hot water. Nervous and shaky Livia simply cannot control herself. She falls to floor hugging a falling bucket that burns her skin with hot water. As she screams and all girls stop to stare at this scene a new girl steps to a tent, a fair headed maiden Julie saw last night.
Fair headed maiden come offering with a singing voice her services to wash knight’s back. Livia is still on all fours and now looking at her muddy ribbon. Then she again screams in agony as foot in silk slipper presses her slender hand deeper into soaked ground of tent. Lady also slips on floor and just happens to fall right into bath and knight’s arms. As she stares at him virtuously and helplessly she also makes it clear that there is no need for little children in this tent anymore. The fair headed knight forgets the girls the moment the maiden falls on his arms. Now he is looking at his new prize hungrily, like a wolf in a fold…
Leaving the tent the four girls are quite disappointed. Julia knows when to retreat and know this is the time to plot for that harlot’s downfall. Emilia is so furious. He wasn’t even nice to her or Mitra! He wasn’t priest either! Radegund just thinks that he likes the older girl even if she is so clumsy like Livia! Meanwhile Livia is the quietest of them all. She did give him her ribbon. It was kind of given. Well, she did leave it to tent floor as a pink mud ball when she crawls in all fours from the tent. She is blushing and teary eyed and looking at her shoes and asking why Mitra is punishing her? It is because she did not carry out sermon this morning to those villains? Never, never again will she neglect her promise again!
The next event is archery. Since almost anyone can –at least in theory- attend, Emilia wants to show off her own skills. If there is something she has always wanted to show to other girls -besides wrestling- it is her skills with a bow. She hunts a lot, especially cute little furry animals. Servants in her home castle then turn them into mittens. The judges see no reason to bar her entry, more due fact that she has a considerable rank than any belief to her skills. Furthermore everyone in castle already knows Emilia well and the fact that no one can bear the eternal whining of Emilia when things do not turn up her way -immediately. She thus does her best to attend to archery after running like a demon after her heels to her room in castle to pick up her bow and arrows.
The Bossonian archery competition system they use here in Tarantia is simple. They put up a straw man as a target and anyone not hitting it drops from the competition. Much to Emilia’s pleasure (and to surprise of everyone else), she actually hits it in the first round, and second too. However, as the target goes further and further away the number of competitors drops steadily and Emilia is in no shape to shoot at 100 paces much less to 150 or 200 that follow. As the range grows to 300 and then 400 only the professional longbow men –most of them from Bossonia- remain. They are also men eyed for posts in King Conan’s army for there is always need for a man with a steady hand and a keen eye.
Much to Emilia’s surprise there are also real priests in competition. Archery is both fun and very suitable for people of all ages and professions. After all, there is always need for venison -or rabbits- in a table in a manor. She goes to see one who is just trying to hit a target 200 paces away asking if he knows why ants have six legs. As he mutters of something of merciful Mitra Emilia just knows that he is exactly what she is looking for! Thus she immediately proceeds to tie her ribbon to his bow. Unfortunately he misses his next shot but the point is that she found a real priest of Mitra!
Julia knows that she too must find herself a man to carry her ribbon. Thus she must find someone suitable. Livia suggests that perhaps Julia should ask her relatives. Julia thinks it for a moment. Her mother has a bit of a troubled past. She kind of left a trail of dead husbands, and dead brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws too. Well, occasionally entire families have had food poisonings or caught by plague. Her mother has also told her not to trust those relatives still alive as there is the even chance they might harbor ill will. As a matter of fact her mother told her to avoid them like they were unclean carriers of plague…
Julia also has to admit that she knows nothing of Tarantian customs. Perhaps an example helps? Julia looks for Radegund who is walking around the archery ranges looking at the competition. Then she asks Radegund to show how it is done. Radegund is more than glad to help Julia.
She simply walks to a Black Dragon trooper stretching his bow. She flatly says that she is a Princess Radegund and would like him to carry her ribbon in a tournament. Would he be so kind? His mind goes blank for few moments as he notices that he has attracted attention of a Royal Princess. With shaking hands he takes the ribbon and ties it to his armor. Meanwhile Radegund smiles and runs back to her friend Julia to tell that it isn’t that difficult! Why is it that people find it so difficult? All you have to do is ask!
Julia knows she can no more postpone this or she’ll be the laughingstock of their group. She looks at number of knights watching the competition and waging money. Thus men of great means and not carrying ribbons prove out to be a fair game to her. She walks to them explaining who she is and telling how she wants a handsome knight she could love carrying her ribbon. Julia knows quite well that men aren’t looking for love but something else. However, her smile and appearance as a young strumpet of no mind of her own works like a charm and one of the men agree to carry her colors –in a grand melee no less! Finally something she can use to tease Livia and rise her own standing today.
The final event and the most important one is grand melee. It is a mock battle where great lords can show off their martial prowess to each other. Joust is a fine sport and excellent training for soldiers but girls missed that on their adventure in archery range. However, they are not going to miss this one, especially with entire royal family watching.
King Conan is in particularly good mood. He is a man who enjoys fighting for its own sake. Yet he also knows that kings cannot throw themselves to the sword in vain but only in battle as leaders of men. However, watching it is next best substitute. Meanwhile Zenobia enjoys the spectacle from safety of her position. King’s advisors have their duties too. They size up the potential of possible usurpers - for Conan took his throne with sword and any other man may do the same.
Meanwhile Radegund and girls have no particular job to do other than eating up honey and enjoying the show. They know they should cheer up the good and decent soldiers of Aquilonia. However, they are not certain which side they should cheer. So they just scream all kinds of new words they hear first from the smelly and poor peasants watching the melee. Zenobia does not appear to hear them as she discusses with countess of very high importance of performance of her family’s men in melee. Thus girls scream louder so Radegund’s mother can notice they are truly enjoying the show. Unfortunately they cannot identify their personal champions. Perhaps it wasn’t such a wise decision to make them all carry identical pink ribbons?
At noon the tournament is truly over. The dust settles in arena as winners have beaten up their opponents with their wooden swords to pulp and field is filled with half dead men. It is also the time when King Conan the Usurper will tell all that the prizes will be presented to winners and festivities will continue in his castle. All good noblemen and women are naturally invited.
Radegund will attend the dinner with her ladies in waiting on her tow. Julia knows it will be a perfect time to make her move to get rid of her fair headed new enemy…
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
As we all know, the morning in any and every Aquilonian castle or manor starts with praise to Mitra. After all, He is the beginning of all wisdom to all good people of Aquilonia. Livia refers herself always as Agrippina when she carries out her duties to Mitra and she has made a sacred vow in the deep dungeon to guide those who have lost their way back to mercy of Mitra. It is her custom to start every morning with a long and throughout sermon to those languishing in dungeon and awaking them with wise words of Mitra. She does this for hours for she has memorized countless of uplifting words she has heard in her time in temple. Naturally she carries out these duties after she has first attended the sermon held right at sunrise like all good people of Aquilonia.
However, tournament day is quite different. It is a time of great sacrifices to Agrippina. She has to make a difficult choice between sermon to those misguided or a sacrifice. After pondering for an eye blink Agrippina thinks that Mitra is best served with great sacrifices and she sacrifices a lot of her faith by running as fast as she can to tournament area and reserving seats to her, her friends and Princess Radegund. They will have seats next to wrestling ring, where a tall fair headed knight will fight. It is clear that the knight so famed of his riding skills is quite popular with the older girls. Livia heard that last evening when older girls talked of going to see him. If older girls do that, so must marriage-age ladies like they are do as well.
Most unfortunately her sacrifice is in vain because apparently she is not the only lady who has thought the same thing. The wrestling is obviously quite popular with ladies of court. As a matter of fact she has to select seats on the back.
When Radegund comes with Julia and Emilia they all get seated. Julia is quite unhappy with their place. They should be as close to ring as possible like older girls said last night. However, Radegund is quite happy with her place and waits excitedly the competition to start. Julia and Emilia keep on asking courteously if she can see well enough. No matter how many times they ask Radegund just keeps on smiling and nodding happily. Oh! Yes she can.
Thus Emilia tries another tactics. She complains that she cannot see well and wonder if they could get closer. Radegund is more than ready to help her best friends. Thus they rise and she leads her poorly seeing friend forwards with Julia and Livia in tow. They are given room and as Radegund asks from Emilia if she can see the ring Emilia keeps on complaining she cannot until they are next to rope circling the arena. Then Princess simply orders a small group of Attalusian noble ladies go away so they’ll have seats. After all, no one stands next to ring. All girls agree to that. Meanwhile a half a dozen angry pairs of eyes look Emilia with murderous thoughts in their minds. She won’t be protected by Princess forever…
The Aquilonian wrestling in tournaments is a simple affair. Two fighters, naked, and well oiled with olive oil, face each other. The rules of arena are simple: one must fall. Winner continues to next round and so on until they finally find the best. With the fair headed knight starting the rounds crowd goes wild as he easily bests his first opponent by choking him half dead. It sets the tone of fights to come. All girls scream as the men before them beat each other to pulp.
The actions in arena set a life of its own. Radegund and Emilia cheer as big men throw each other to ground, grinding their opponent to sand. There is biting, beating, blood and pain. Oil keeps the fighters glistening with grasps slipping at the most perilous moment. There is a chance of victory but also utter defeat. Livia is blushing all red as she sees for the first time for real the differences between men and women. Meanwhile Julia is very quiet. As the sand and sweat and oil sprinkles on her face Julia gently flicks the droplet of sweat to moist her red lips savoring the taste of man, a real man…
Wrestling continues through morning with number of fighters steadily falling and crowd enjoying games to the fullest. Tall fair headed knight finally meets his match in hands of a Bossonian man-bear. This giant is half Pict – half man and all oxen. Much to disappointment of ladies the knight is pressed to ground and declared loser despite strong protests from ladies attending the fight. Dizzily he rises from the sand and starts to stagger to his tent without bothering to dress as he moves across the market place filled with jugglers and performers who entertain the public.
Livia just has to see him but she cannot say it or really think about it. However, Emilia thankfully says it and without further notice all four girls run to knight’s tent. Radegund just stands there with her friends as Emilia asks if he is a priest and does he know why ants have six legs. He laughs at her and says that he is a knight with a sword and a horse, not a priest who is all begging and talk. The other girls are there too with Julia and Livia watching the handsome knight intently.
It is obvious that one of them will soon make her move. Since Livia moves with the ease of statue Julia gives her a little push making her step two three steps ahead of their group. After all, Julia knows quite well that these competitions are not won by the first but the best. It is good to let Livia walk first to step through all the traps as she will then arrive as true lady claim the prize.
After agonizing for far too long Livia walks with shaking legs to the knight sitting in bath with the ribbon in her hands stammering something, anything. She keeps her eyes tightly shut as she should be a virtuous lady and he is rolling in bath. To make her great virtue clear to him she also turns her head away. Knight cannot but smile at this shivering skinny little girl.
Then, as the moment of professing her interest to his knightly virtues and telling her humble request arrives, Livia just hits one of the buckets filled with hot water. Nervous and shaky Livia simply cannot control herself. She falls to floor hugging a falling bucket that burns her skin with hot water. As she screams and all girls stop to stare at this scene a new girl steps to a tent, a fair headed maiden Julie saw last night.
Fair headed maiden come offering with a singing voice her services to wash knight’s back. Livia is still on all fours and now looking at her muddy ribbon. Then she again screams in agony as foot in silk slipper presses her slender hand deeper into soaked ground of tent. Lady also slips on floor and just happens to fall right into bath and knight’s arms. As she stares at him virtuously and helplessly she also makes it clear that there is no need for little children in this tent anymore. The fair headed knight forgets the girls the moment the maiden falls on his arms. Now he is looking at his new prize hungrily, like a wolf in a fold…
Leaving the tent the four girls are quite disappointed. Julia knows when to retreat and know this is the time to plot for that harlot’s downfall. Emilia is so furious. He wasn’t even nice to her or Mitra! He wasn’t priest either! Radegund just thinks that he likes the older girl even if she is so clumsy like Livia! Meanwhile Livia is the quietest of them all. She did give him her ribbon. It was kind of given. Well, she did leave it to tent floor as a pink mud ball when she crawls in all fours from the tent. She is blushing and teary eyed and looking at her shoes and asking why Mitra is punishing her? It is because she did not carry out sermon this morning to those villains? Never, never again will she neglect her promise again!
The next event is archery. Since almost anyone can –at least in theory- attend, Emilia wants to show off her own skills. If there is something she has always wanted to show to other girls -besides wrestling- it is her skills with a bow. She hunts a lot, especially cute little furry animals. Servants in her home castle then turn them into mittens. The judges see no reason to bar her entry, more due fact that she has a considerable rank than any belief to her skills. Furthermore everyone in castle already knows Emilia well and the fact that no one can bear the eternal whining of Emilia when things do not turn up her way -immediately. She thus does her best to attend to archery after running like a demon after her heels to her room in castle to pick up her bow and arrows.
The Bossonian archery competition system they use here in Tarantia is simple. They put up a straw man as a target and anyone not hitting it drops from the competition. Much to Emilia’s pleasure (and to surprise of everyone else), she actually hits it in the first round, and second too. However, as the target goes further and further away the number of competitors drops steadily and Emilia is in no shape to shoot at 100 paces much less to 150 or 200 that follow. As the range grows to 300 and then 400 only the professional longbow men –most of them from Bossonia- remain. They are also men eyed for posts in King Conan’s army for there is always need for a man with a steady hand and a keen eye.
Much to Emilia’s surprise there are also real priests in competition. Archery is both fun and very suitable for people of all ages and professions. After all, there is always need for venison -or rabbits- in a table in a manor. She goes to see one who is just trying to hit a target 200 paces away asking if he knows why ants have six legs. As he mutters of something of merciful Mitra Emilia just knows that he is exactly what she is looking for! Thus she immediately proceeds to tie her ribbon to his bow. Unfortunately he misses his next shot but the point is that she found a real priest of Mitra!
Julia knows that she too must find herself a man to carry her ribbon. Thus she must find someone suitable. Livia suggests that perhaps Julia should ask her relatives. Julia thinks it for a moment. Her mother has a bit of a troubled past. She kind of left a trail of dead husbands, and dead brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws too. Well, occasionally entire families have had food poisonings or caught by plague. Her mother has also told her not to trust those relatives still alive as there is the even chance they might harbor ill will. As a matter of fact her mother told her to avoid them like they were unclean carriers of plague…
Julia also has to admit that she knows nothing of Tarantian customs. Perhaps an example helps? Julia looks for Radegund who is walking around the archery ranges looking at the competition. Then she asks Radegund to show how it is done. Radegund is more than glad to help Julia.
She simply walks to a Black Dragon trooper stretching his bow. She flatly says that she is a Princess Radegund and would like him to carry her ribbon in a tournament. Would he be so kind? His mind goes blank for few moments as he notices that he has attracted attention of a Royal Princess. With shaking hands he takes the ribbon and ties it to his armor. Meanwhile Radegund smiles and runs back to her friend Julia to tell that it isn’t that difficult! Why is it that people find it so difficult? All you have to do is ask!
Julia knows she can no more postpone this or she’ll be the laughingstock of their group. She looks at number of knights watching the competition and waging money. Thus men of great means and not carrying ribbons prove out to be a fair game to her. She walks to them explaining who she is and telling how she wants a handsome knight she could love carrying her ribbon. Julia knows quite well that men aren’t looking for love but something else. However, her smile and appearance as a young strumpet of no mind of her own works like a charm and one of the men agree to carry her colors –in a grand melee no less! Finally something she can use to tease Livia and rise her own standing today.
The final event and the most important one is grand melee. It is a mock battle where great lords can show off their martial prowess to each other. Joust is a fine sport and excellent training for soldiers but girls missed that on their adventure in archery range. However, they are not going to miss this one, especially with entire royal family watching.
King Conan is in particularly good mood. He is a man who enjoys fighting for its own sake. Yet he also knows that kings cannot throw themselves to the sword in vain but only in battle as leaders of men. However, watching it is next best substitute. Meanwhile Zenobia enjoys the spectacle from safety of her position. King’s advisors have their duties too. They size up the potential of possible usurpers - for Conan took his throne with sword and any other man may do the same.
Meanwhile Radegund and girls have no particular job to do other than eating up honey and enjoying the show. They know they should cheer up the good and decent soldiers of Aquilonia. However, they are not certain which side they should cheer. So they just scream all kinds of new words they hear first from the smelly and poor peasants watching the melee. Zenobia does not appear to hear them as she discusses with countess of very high importance of performance of her family’s men in melee. Thus girls scream louder so Radegund’s mother can notice they are truly enjoying the show. Unfortunately they cannot identify their personal champions. Perhaps it wasn’t such a wise decision to make them all carry identical pink ribbons?
At noon the tournament is truly over. The dust settles in arena as winners have beaten up their opponents with their wooden swords to pulp and field is filled with half dead men. It is also the time when King Conan the Usurper will tell all that the prizes will be presented to winners and festivities will continue in his castle. All good noblemen and women are naturally invited.
Radegund will attend the dinner with her ladies in waiting on her tow. Julia knows it will be a perfect time to make her move to get rid of her fair headed new enemy…
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
Session 8: Where our heroines attend festivities of challenges…
At evening King Conan’s castle is again centre of feast suitable to a King and his most loyal knights. Rare delicacies and dishes which come well beyond the borders are presented. Torches have been replaced with expensive candles and crystal glasses brought to every guest. Even servants have their own feast. They can enjoy venison and chicken for all their bellies can take. Meanwhile Queen Zenobia controls the complex array of representations and festivities with her delicate yet iron hand. She does it with ease as her somewhat rustic husband loudly boasts exploits of his knights to guests who are more than enjoying the banquet. All is well in Aquilonia! Let us all merry!
Meanwhile Julia has a plot of her own in her dark mind. The fair headed beauty seems to be a centre of attention –especially amongst the richest knights. What a harlot! Taking my rightful pickings! However, with great care she lets her honey tongue do the poisoning. She starts with Radegund who is obviously annoyed at not being centre of attention. After all, she is as beautiful and intelligent as her mother, not to mention as tough and strong as her brother –alright, Emilia does win her in arm wrestling but that is beside the point. Julia whispers to her just so loud that servants hear that the woman laughing and moving from man to man is actually no lady. As a matter of fact she has a Zamoran Disease!
Livia gasps at Julia speaking so boldly. Emilia and Radegund gasp too because Livia gasped. However, they have no clue what the dreaded Zamoran Disease actually is. Radegund thinks that perhaps Dexitheus should explain it to them and Emilia thinks it is a good idea. However, Julia manages to convince them that they should not talk about it, at least not now. Instead she pushes Agrippina, the all-knowing servant of Mitra, to explain to curious girls what it is all about. Livia does not actually know what Zamoran Disease really is as her understanding of venereal diseases is weak at best. However, in a monastery older girls have told her an educational poem of what happens to those girls who turn their backs to Wisdom of Mitra. Thus Livia tells this poem to completely baffled Emilia and curious Radegund. Radegund then nods understandingly while actually trying to figure out what Livia really meant. One thing is sure, Wisdom of Mitra is endless, as well as His wrath on those harlots who turn their backs to Him...
Emilia leaves the table at the earliest convenient moment –it means immediately- to meet with Dexitheus. Baffled at the troubles of holy matrimony she demands him to give him a priest to she can marry now. And he must also know a lot of things about Mitra! And be rich! And be strong in his Faith! And why ants have 6 legs and spiders 8? She stampedes the floor with her tiny feet.
Any lesser man might have been annoyed but Dexitheus is strong in his Faith as well as known for his ability to think fast. Thus he pulls out a particularly young priest of high birth and excellent breeding who is also malleable enough to obey his every single whim. At a cost of a single priest he has gained peace and rest for the rest of his time. Emilia hugs the boy. He is now her best friend and a fiancée!
Looking at Emilia pulling the boy on her tow Dexitheus can’t but shed a silent tear as yet again servants of Mitra have sacrificed their lives. Looking at babbling Emilia he knows that this ultimate sacrifice has been in vain –what a shame! Then it is time look at the bright side. The strong bolts and dozen guards on his door to protect his sleep are ultimately only a hindrance rather than a barrier. Now he can spend his night sleeping rather than fearing yet another nightmarish encounter. Some sacrifices are worth it!
Finally the feast is over. The next phase of the banquet starts with heralds describing the great deeds done in today’s grand tournament. It is time to give winners their prizes. Naturally Queen Zenobia is more than happy to present the heroes their winnings. As the collected guests applaud their heroes the festivities reaches its climax. The final winner is a black knight who fought in grand melee besting no less than a dozen knights.
He comes across with a black cape hiding his ancient armour. It is as black as the night sky and covered in dust as he obviously has not bothered to clean it up like other knights in feast. It is like no armour Zenobia has seen before and its bearer carries a bag of skulls to show his worth in battle.
When Zenobia arrives in all her glory to give a just prize to this bravest of the brave the knight lashes out savagely. Queen falls back startled as the prize vase smashes to hundreds of pieces. His voice is strong yet out of this world, his words proper yet mocking. His challenge unbearable to be left ignored!
For if there is something Usurper has learned in his time as a King it is that feuds should not be settled with a spear in a great hall, nor by drowning your guest in his bath. King should stay back and let his men do his bidding. However, Usurper is no true King of Aquilonia for he took his sword to his hand and as such accepted the challenge.
Radegund giggles. Of course Conan will win! He is as strong as a bear and as brave as a tiger. However, her father, King Conan the Usurper, stands grim faced with his sword in his hand. The collected nobles of Aquilonia are quiet. Even the servants are like statues. Radegund’s giggles echoes through the otherwise silent chamber and she quickly notices that something is wrong! Radegund now knows she has made a big mistake.
Radegund does what every young lady of her age would do –she turns to her mother for help. However, her mother is shocked and trembling in fear. They are the silent tears of fear and Radegund is suddenly all alone. She bursts into tears weeping and sobbing as the deathly quiet moment covers the hall like a blanket smothering everything under it. Livia comes to help Radegund to reach her mother’s arms. Radegund is no more a strong and beautiful princess but a scared young girl. She hugs with both hands her mother while trying to hide behind her hem line when the grim death walks across the hall. Queen retreats to the shadows with weeping Radegund in tow. Conan’s most trusted companions stand ready to fight for their feudal overlord. However, this dark champion turns away and leaves the castle unchallenged as both fear and custom require.
Meanwhile Dexitheus’ mind works as sharply as ever. Unfortunately the challenge has been accepted and thus slaying that man of black iron is out of the question. Too many witnesses for a murder most foul. The fact that the knight promised to arrive one moon later only increases the pressure. He knows that loyalty towards Usurper is wide but thin. Dozen years of loyalty is nothing when given a chance to be pretender to the Crown. Should King Conan die his family would certainly face challenge. Poitainian barons would follow Conan’s widow but those Attalusian barons would betray her on first sight of gold. Pictish warlords pouring across the borders would keep Bossonians out of civil war. Other baronies would split and use this opportunity to settle old feuds. Aquilonia would tear itself apart for a generation until war lord strong enough to take finally over would emerge. And all that with the challenge of a single knight!
Julia ponders what she saw. She does not understand the complexities of feudal system beyond her excellent education in all matters of marriage -and especially inheritance. Yet she tries to figure out what is going on. Who is this challenger? But there is no true answer. Stygian serpent magic, say some. Dark arts from distant Khitai, claim others. Seneschal knows that the black knight threw down three knights earlier as they tried to take off his helmet in The Helm Show and he was a death incarnated in Grand Melee. A Dexitheus nods and ponders whispering to himself who they are now facing. A Dark Champion brought from watery grave of sunken world of Atlantis…
Meanwhile Livia is all but baffled. Why people are gossiping and talking bad things? Surely King Conan will win! That is what her father and brother always said to her. Bossonian knights will fight and their enemies will be vanquished. That is what all the songs say. There is no reason to worry, isn’t there? Why are women not gossiping about men and clothes anymore? Livia cannot understand why people are so scared.
Emilia is also talking to her newly found best friend non stop. She does not really understand why the black knight left the party. Was it because the vase was dropped and he got angry? Well, there are so many things she really wants to know about Mitra and that boy can answer all of them, even if he seems to be sweating even harder now…
Ultimately the festivities end very soon with the guests leaving. Suddenly the wine tastes bitter and there are plots to be made in cover of darkness. The grim farewells are made and empty smiles exchanged as all guests in castle retire to rest. Girls are ushered to their quarters and guards tripled.
That night Usurper does not sleep. King and his closest advisors are busily pondering their next move. Conan is certain of his fighting prowess but Zenobia is far from certain. Her mind is no less at ease thinking her daughter Radegund who is hugging her hems in a death grip. She lets her worries overcome her mind and bids farewell early. Sobbing Radegund will not sleep in her room but with her mother that night -as all good little girls do.
To make sombre mood even worse a particularly nasty thunderstorm rides through the pitch black night. Usurper’s castle is hit with seemingly endless array of thunder bolts raining from the sky, just like the last time Stygian Serpent coiled itself around the throat of the Kingdom of Aquilonia so many years ago. Fate of the proudest kingdom of West now hangs on the balance…
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
At evening King Conan’s castle is again centre of feast suitable to a King and his most loyal knights. Rare delicacies and dishes which come well beyond the borders are presented. Torches have been replaced with expensive candles and crystal glasses brought to every guest. Even servants have their own feast. They can enjoy venison and chicken for all their bellies can take. Meanwhile Queen Zenobia controls the complex array of representations and festivities with her delicate yet iron hand. She does it with ease as her somewhat rustic husband loudly boasts exploits of his knights to guests who are more than enjoying the banquet. All is well in Aquilonia! Let us all merry!
Meanwhile Julia has a plot of her own in her dark mind. The fair headed beauty seems to be a centre of attention –especially amongst the richest knights. What a harlot! Taking my rightful pickings! However, with great care she lets her honey tongue do the poisoning. She starts with Radegund who is obviously annoyed at not being centre of attention. After all, she is as beautiful and intelligent as her mother, not to mention as tough and strong as her brother –alright, Emilia does win her in arm wrestling but that is beside the point. Julia whispers to her just so loud that servants hear that the woman laughing and moving from man to man is actually no lady. As a matter of fact she has a Zamoran Disease!
Livia gasps at Julia speaking so boldly. Emilia and Radegund gasp too because Livia gasped. However, they have no clue what the dreaded Zamoran Disease actually is. Radegund thinks that perhaps Dexitheus should explain it to them and Emilia thinks it is a good idea. However, Julia manages to convince them that they should not talk about it, at least not now. Instead she pushes Agrippina, the all-knowing servant of Mitra, to explain to curious girls what it is all about. Livia does not actually know what Zamoran Disease really is as her understanding of venereal diseases is weak at best. However, in a monastery older girls have told her an educational poem of what happens to those girls who turn their backs to Wisdom of Mitra. Thus Livia tells this poem to completely baffled Emilia and curious Radegund. Radegund then nods understandingly while actually trying to figure out what Livia really meant. One thing is sure, Wisdom of Mitra is endless, as well as His wrath on those harlots who turn their backs to Him...
Emilia leaves the table at the earliest convenient moment –it means immediately- to meet with Dexitheus. Baffled at the troubles of holy matrimony she demands him to give him a priest to she can marry now. And he must also know a lot of things about Mitra! And be rich! And be strong in his Faith! And why ants have 6 legs and spiders 8? She stampedes the floor with her tiny feet.
Any lesser man might have been annoyed but Dexitheus is strong in his Faith as well as known for his ability to think fast. Thus he pulls out a particularly young priest of high birth and excellent breeding who is also malleable enough to obey his every single whim. At a cost of a single priest he has gained peace and rest for the rest of his time. Emilia hugs the boy. He is now her best friend and a fiancée!
Looking at Emilia pulling the boy on her tow Dexitheus can’t but shed a silent tear as yet again servants of Mitra have sacrificed their lives. Looking at babbling Emilia he knows that this ultimate sacrifice has been in vain –what a shame! Then it is time look at the bright side. The strong bolts and dozen guards on his door to protect his sleep are ultimately only a hindrance rather than a barrier. Now he can spend his night sleeping rather than fearing yet another nightmarish encounter. Some sacrifices are worth it!
Finally the feast is over. The next phase of the banquet starts with heralds describing the great deeds done in today’s grand tournament. It is time to give winners their prizes. Naturally Queen Zenobia is more than happy to present the heroes their winnings. As the collected guests applaud their heroes the festivities reaches its climax. The final winner is a black knight who fought in grand melee besting no less than a dozen knights.
He comes across with a black cape hiding his ancient armour. It is as black as the night sky and covered in dust as he obviously has not bothered to clean it up like other knights in feast. It is like no armour Zenobia has seen before and its bearer carries a bag of skulls to show his worth in battle.
When Zenobia arrives in all her glory to give a just prize to this bravest of the brave the knight lashes out savagely. Queen falls back startled as the prize vase smashes to hundreds of pieces. His voice is strong yet out of this world, his words proper yet mocking. His challenge unbearable to be left ignored!
For if there is something Usurper has learned in his time as a King it is that feuds should not be settled with a spear in a great hall, nor by drowning your guest in his bath. King should stay back and let his men do his bidding. However, Usurper is no true King of Aquilonia for he took his sword to his hand and as such accepted the challenge.
Radegund giggles. Of course Conan will win! He is as strong as a bear and as brave as a tiger. However, her father, King Conan the Usurper, stands grim faced with his sword in his hand. The collected nobles of Aquilonia are quiet. Even the servants are like statues. Radegund’s giggles echoes through the otherwise silent chamber and she quickly notices that something is wrong! Radegund now knows she has made a big mistake.
Radegund does what every young lady of her age would do –she turns to her mother for help. However, her mother is shocked and trembling in fear. They are the silent tears of fear and Radegund is suddenly all alone. She bursts into tears weeping and sobbing as the deathly quiet moment covers the hall like a blanket smothering everything under it. Livia comes to help Radegund to reach her mother’s arms. Radegund is no more a strong and beautiful princess but a scared young girl. She hugs with both hands her mother while trying to hide behind her hem line when the grim death walks across the hall. Queen retreats to the shadows with weeping Radegund in tow. Conan’s most trusted companions stand ready to fight for their feudal overlord. However, this dark champion turns away and leaves the castle unchallenged as both fear and custom require.
Meanwhile Dexitheus’ mind works as sharply as ever. Unfortunately the challenge has been accepted and thus slaying that man of black iron is out of the question. Too many witnesses for a murder most foul. The fact that the knight promised to arrive one moon later only increases the pressure. He knows that loyalty towards Usurper is wide but thin. Dozen years of loyalty is nothing when given a chance to be pretender to the Crown. Should King Conan die his family would certainly face challenge. Poitainian barons would follow Conan’s widow but those Attalusian barons would betray her on first sight of gold. Pictish warlords pouring across the borders would keep Bossonians out of civil war. Other baronies would split and use this opportunity to settle old feuds. Aquilonia would tear itself apart for a generation until war lord strong enough to take finally over would emerge. And all that with the challenge of a single knight!
Julia ponders what she saw. She does not understand the complexities of feudal system beyond her excellent education in all matters of marriage -and especially inheritance. Yet she tries to figure out what is going on. Who is this challenger? But there is no true answer. Stygian serpent magic, say some. Dark arts from distant Khitai, claim others. Seneschal knows that the black knight threw down three knights earlier as they tried to take off his helmet in The Helm Show and he was a death incarnated in Grand Melee. A Dexitheus nods and ponders whispering to himself who they are now facing. A Dark Champion brought from watery grave of sunken world of Atlantis…
Meanwhile Livia is all but baffled. Why people are gossiping and talking bad things? Surely King Conan will win! That is what her father and brother always said to her. Bossonian knights will fight and their enemies will be vanquished. That is what all the songs say. There is no reason to worry, isn’t there? Why are women not gossiping about men and clothes anymore? Livia cannot understand why people are so scared.
Emilia is also talking to her newly found best friend non stop. She does not really understand why the black knight left the party. Was it because the vase was dropped and he got angry? Well, there are so many things she really wants to know about Mitra and that boy can answer all of them, even if he seems to be sweating even harder now…
Ultimately the festivities end very soon with the guests leaving. Suddenly the wine tastes bitter and there are plots to be made in cover of darkness. The grim farewells are made and empty smiles exchanged as all guests in castle retire to rest. Girls are ushered to their quarters and guards tripled.
That night Usurper does not sleep. King and his closest advisors are busily pondering their next move. Conan is certain of his fighting prowess but Zenobia is far from certain. Her mind is no less at ease thinking her daughter Radegund who is hugging her hems in a death grip. She lets her worries overcome her mind and bids farewell early. Sobbing Radegund will not sleep in her room but with her mother that night -as all good little girls do.
To make sombre mood even worse a particularly nasty thunderstorm rides through the pitch black night. Usurper’s castle is hit with seemingly endless array of thunder bolts raining from the sky, just like the last time Stygian Serpent coiled itself around the throat of the Kingdom of Aquilonia so many years ago. Fate of the proudest kingdom of West now hangs on the balance…
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
Aholibamah
Mongoose
I really have to applaud your skill in running a courtly adventure like this. It really makes rather interesting what would be in another dm's style perhaps a boring presentation that the players would be waiting for some other kind of action or intrigue perhaps in, but this actually has a versimilitude and story that works very well for the characters in question. It must be hard as well to actually play ladies in waiting who are not adventurers, warriors or scholars but are exactly as they seem. Very inspiring to read, a totally other side to Hyboria.
Session 9: Where our heroines seek help of Mitra…
In a morning it is made known to all that Princess Radegund feels an urgent need to retire to a temple of Mitra to pray and to prepare to become a true temple maiden. When the time is right her journey will start.
At the same time it is made known that Usurper’s oldest son Conan is to leave the capital with his unit to reinforce a garrison of a castle in Poitainia. He will ride with some mercenary cutthroats as well as a veteran company of Black Dragons.
Everyone from servants to barons whisper that there is actually Queen Zenobia’s hand behind this. Certainly she is dispersing her family line to make work of pretenders more difficult. To ensure Usurper’s line remains no matter what…
The clouds surrounding Usurper’s castle are as dark as the faces of three knights standing next to their young charge. Princess Radegund is starting her travels alone –as it is proper for a young lady retiring to a monastery. She is accompanied only with her three ladies in waiting –as well as a smattering of maids and servants necessary for her solitary journey. The three knights escorting her are more than enough for protection because all brigands from nearby forests have been hanged a long time ago. Then again, no one can ever be sure, especially now that rumors of weakness in Usurper’s rule increase by the hour.
Beautiful Zenobia hugs her only daughter for the one last time. Wise Dexitheus gives his blessings to temple maiden Agrippina and to a young priest matched with Emilia. This boy will be secretly his eyes and ears in the journey –one can never be sure.
Finally Dexitheus tells Radegund to tell the Temple Mistress -that old hag- his warmest regards. May the Mercy and Wisdom of Mitra go with you! Radegund curtseys dutifully and demurely as a future temple maiden of Mitra should. Then Dexitheus turns his attention to quickly brief the knights. May the Mercy of Mitra go with you men -and take no prisoners! Three professional killers nod grimly, that is their business and this time they have Wrath of Mitra behind them too.
The journey starts well. The road takes Radegund along her small retinue across the plentiful farm fields surrounding Tarantia. She is traveling on a cart protected with crimson blanket to protect her and her friends from the harsh rays of Sun. Then there are dozen or so maids and servants walking close by alongside few extra horses. A second cart is reserved for Princess’ most humble luggage as well as thousand and one thing needed for a trip. Meanwhile three knights move on horseback to make sure they can meet any possible threats well before they become troubles.
The girls enjoy the trip in various ways. Radegund seems highly enthusiastic about getting out of the confines of her palace. She is extremely curious about the wildly wonderful world around her. Emilia has not roamed in a forest for a long time and thus she enthusiastically explains all things to Radegund. She also stares at the cute priest who is sitting in a corner muttering about Mercy of Mitra –especially whenever she talks to him. Emilia’s eyes are just dazzling at the thought of how virtuously strong he is his faith! Livia is far more demure in her behavior. However, she smiles in her heart because every hour brings her closer to serenity and simplicity of time in a temple. What happiness to a slender and shy temple maiden it is to return to temple for any temple is her home! Meanwhile Julia sulks in corner of cart feeling cart sick already. No servants, no hair dressers, no manicures! Fate, you are too cruel to me!
Their first night in a weird and wonderful world of wilderness starts off well. The camp is raised and to much of satisfaction of knights Radegund obediently eats his supper as she should. However, things start to go wrong as soon as she gets bored again. Radegund and Livia leave the camp to hunt for monsters. Furthermore, they have not seen real owls for a long time. Subsequently they will leave together in darkness to adventure in forest.
Meanwhile Julia has recovered from her seemingly endless misery to concentrate her efforts into serious business of making marriage. Poisons are a natural part of marriage and she knows from her mothers caring lectures that fresh snake poison should always be available. Since getting a snake is dangerous she orders a servant boy to walk first –how else you can find a black snake in night? Most unfortunately all snakes appear to be sleeping. Thus her high hopes of her servant getting bitten and thus allowing her to find suitably poisonous snake are all in vain.
Emilia is not taking part in these nightly escapades as she is all too busy to talk to her fiancée and thus future husband. He seems to be extremely religious as he now prays Mitra endlessly but that does not bother Emilia who looks at his long dark haired priest –he is mine! Mine alone! My precious! Precious!
Finally fair headed knight does notice that something is terribly amiss since Radegund is not giggling and blathering endlessly in her tent. Subsequently he starts to track steps of girls to the dark forest. Finding them is no trouble, especially after Radegund accidentally hits him with a stone she tried to hit to a flying owl. Radegund might be a princess but that handsome knight’s eyes are flashing in such a way that girls realize it might be best to retire for rest for tonight. Finally gets to the serious business of owl hunting. With a single swift flying arrow the nightly owl is down and in merciless clutches of Radegund and her friends. Owl’s death will be slow and agonizing providing much entertainment in camp.
Emilia shows her excellent forestry skills by preparing the bird for dinner. However, first she gives its bloody head to her true love. Since the virtuous man is already sleeping she puts it to rest next to him so the very first thing he’ll see when the first rays of sunshine light the tent will be –oh so romantically- the bloody severed head of a dead owl.
Radegund refuses to eat the rest of the owl fearing it might be bad food. Emilia has not really thought things that far and thus she immediately agrees to it. They make servants eat the bird. No one dies. How disappointing!
The very next day starts with a blood stopping terror scream that tells everyone in the entourage that the young priest has either seen a Stygian serpent slithering to his tent or a sign of innocent love from his true love Emilia. Anyways he runs like hunted by hundred demons.
After this eventful morning the journey continues more or less uneventfully. Princess Radegund and her entourage continue deeper into the forest. The weather is thankfully quite good and journey is easy. At the same time Radegund’s religious faith seems to grow by the hour. She is very close to priest asking him all kinds of details of the small temple they are headed for. Priest gladly tells the illustrious princess all the help he can provide.
Meanwhile Emilia shows her tongue to turn back of Radegund and goes to pick up small stones from the path. During next few hours she will entertain herself by throwing that treacherous priest with those small stones. Not too much so he does not get hurt! Just enough that he knows who his true love is! The rest of the people take their journey like yesterday. Sister Agrippina is more than happy to hear Wisdom of Mitra. Julia has covered herself from head to toe with a silk scarf hoping her skin retains its soft smoothness and prays that those awful little insects would simply go away! I hate forests!
At the evening and second night Radegund is in no mood to go to forest, and knights watch her like hawks at their prey. Livia is sitting next to Radegund like a shadow. She listen intently more words of Wisdom of Mitra. She is impressed on how much a proper priest knows of the secrets of these lands and tales about Mitra.
Julia decides to make her miserable life somewhat better by sending servants again to walk a beaten path around the camp in vain hope for more snake poison. Unfortunately no viper is fool enough to be stepped unto and after some time and hearing more than her fair share of sounds of deepest and darkest wilderness she retires to rest weeping alone.
Emilia is in her own element and determined to win back heart of her true love. Furthermore, this time she has brought her bow with her. She shows her friends how bow works by shooting a particularly vicious and dangerous looking bunny rabbit. Then she expertly chops off four rabbit paws. That is four times the luck! The real dinner for evening is a deer that one of the knights shot with his bow earlier that night. Emilia ponders the right moment to give her love her gift.
Such opportunity presents itself in the next day as they all go deeper and deeper into the forest. The young dark haired priest is again –much to his misfortune- close to Emilia and thus pressed to immediately express his gratitude to Emilia. Emilia, wanting to beat Radegund on matter of love is red of his appreciation and feels how her true love just grows by the day. She must cook him next! A road to man’s heart goes through his stomach or was it via stomach? After all, after she gave the four bloody tokens to priest he was so moved he immediately starts to pray Mitra. Such a devout fiancé!
In the afternoon they finally reach a half way point. There is a small castle in the deepest of forest where a stalwart knight of Aquilonia and her devout wife live. In practice the castle is made of a wooden cottage, rough barn and a simple wooden palisade surrounding it. It is enough to keep knight’s many pigs and chicken inside and probably stop hungry thieves and assorted riffraff. With an important guest castle lord have prepared a proper feast: pork, bread and eggs with ale. Julia who had her hopes lifted so high upon hearing they’ll sleep in a castle almost bursts to tears. Rest of the evening she vents her anger at servants kicking and slapping them around. To make her and others mood better they all decide to play with their servant boy!
They make servants pick up dandelions first. Then they make the boy rub himself all yellow with dandelions so he becomes a proper Khitai demon. Then they dress him up like a girl so they have a servant girl from distant and evil Khitai. Then it is time to play gauntlet. Everyone come together to form two lines and servant girl is sent to run across the gauntlet. Now everyone can attack him as stealing Khitai demon tries to escape from Aquilonia back to Khitai. About half way Julia pulls his feet under him and they all get to kick him as he lies in mud in rain. It is enough to make them all giggle at how thieving Khitai demons should be dealt with!
Afterwards Julia has a job for their bloody thieving servant girl. He should get her a poisonous snake and without further advice they all hurl him over the palisade to darkness outside. He does bring a snake soon but unfortunately it is not poisonous. Thus Julia leaves their Khitai servant girl to stay outside castle gates for the night. Thankfully to servant no wolves dare to come close to castle that knight –probably due endless torrent rain. Meanwhile Radegund and her ladies in waiting will rest in the cottage while knights and lord of the house stay in barn with horses. The others are left to rot in muddy castle yard alongside pigs in rain.
The next day makes the path seem even smaller to Julia who is certain they are now lost but Emilia explains that there is obviously a clear if little used path they are passing. Finally at the afternoon they finally see a temple. It has a rough wooden palisade -a sensible arrangement in case bandits would try to rape and pillage their way with the temple maidens. However, what is inside is something out of this world. It is made of white marble that has certainly seen its best days. Radegund explains that this is actually a hall of a great Atlantean king from time long past.
The place has lasted surprisingly well the test of the time. It has probably been robbed empty for dozen times already but marks in Marble make the place even older looking. Like in all stories there is also a martyr of Faith, a virtuous maiden who was robbed and tortured to death in this place until Aquilonian knights wiped out the northern bandits in a single swift swoop. The temple was placed on these ruins and it serves as a distant place for women who have turned their backs to earthly concerns and devoted themselves to Great Mitra!
Palisade surrounds the marble villa. There are also few wooden cottages and barns made of wooden logs but all the maidens here live inside the white marble walls. Furthermore, what is left of the man sized statues of white alabaster and marble grace the open greenery surrounding the white temple building. They have finally arrived to their destination.
Men must stay outside and knights put their camp right outside the walls. Leaving Radegund alone is out of the question but Wrath of Mitra is something no Poitainian Knight would ever risk. They agree that every day Radegund must come to see her knights –just in case.
The girls look immediately the huge and ancient statues of Mitra that cover the courtyard surrounding the temple. Because the Mistress is not here they immediately waste no time in going to play amongst the statues. See, here the statues of Mitra have three legs!
Julia definitely knows what the third leg of Mitra is. Livia thinks she knows but has never –and hopefully never will- see one. Emilia jumps to grab it and hang onto it. As Radegund goes to do it too, the leg breaks off rather neatly. Julia closes her eyes –what a waste. Meanwhile the Mistress -Old Hag as she was so affectionately called by Dexitheus- is approaching. Livia will not touch it. Radegund picks it up knowing it must be hidden –fast. But no worries –Emilia has biggest pockets to hide it. She also thinks that it would be a good gift to be given to Dexitheus as a souvenir from their journey, like the relics of virtuous martyrs shown in the temples of King’s castle.
The Mistress of the Temple is an old woman of gray hair and wrinkles and absolute authority. She rules her temple with a thin wooden cane in her hand, one to be used on those women who forget their role as sisters in service of Mitra. She is most surprised to see Princess Radegund herself as her care. Her worries soon disappear as priest fishes out a donation money pouch large enough to make even Attalusian baron sell his only son to slavery.
What a devout young child! May the Mercy of Mitra accompany you, Sister Radegund!
Then she canes the four girls on their fingers: Radegund, Julia and Emilia as their curtseying is not docile enough and Sister Agrippina so she wouldn’t feel prideful amongst her sisters. All four girls are sobbing and teary eyed but Sister Agrippina smiles – she feels she has truly returned home!
The days in temple are quickly arranged to Sister Radegund and her three companions -who are also made temple maidens. All four ladies are rather young so they cannot be put responsible for serious matters of faith. However, temple is always open to new maidens and thus they will find themselves gainfully employed.
Sister Agrippina and Radegund will spend their days in library studying Mitra from sunrise to sunset. Julia quickly thinks that learning to read and write properly would be an excellent idea and thus she is more than glad to listen to teachings of Sister Agrippina –naturally under watchful eyes of Mistress of the Temple. Radegund seems very curious of the temple’s history with makes the Mistress more than happy. Meanwhile Agrippina appears to be totally lost in her studies of Mitra reciting long passages to Sister Julia who is obviously in need of some more tutoring. Julia thinks of saying something about all this but pain of cane is certainly less than fear of living more nights out in the wilderness.
Sister Emilia is big and strong girl, almost a boy, so she is ready to go out to wilderness to hunt for venison for meals. As Julia recognizes that she’ll be caned to death –just because she called mistress old hag- she feels an urgent need to help somewhat eccentric –some would say half-wit- Emilia in her daily work. Mistress is a strong believer that out of sight is out of mind and thus readily agrees to her idea –tomorrow.
However, even the longest day come eventually to end –especially to those who serve Mitra. During their first night and weeping yet another bout of misery Sister Julia ponders aloud why oh why they are in this wretched place? But no worries! Sister Radegund has the answer. See, they are here to save her father!
Radegund was worried of mother and father and thus she knew from Dexitheus explanation that King Conan needs a sword made of Atlantis steel to slay such a man-beast. Because this is the closest temple that is built on a tomb of Atlantean hero –and a king no less- they will definitely find a sword suited to Conan from its cellars! Then Conan will chop off the villains head and mother will smile again! She gave a lot of thought about this and came up with this plan all of her own! And she didn’t say a word about it to her mother!
Only the fact that strangling Sister Radegund there and then would be a high treason keeps Sister Julia to hold still. On second thought –perhaps slow torture to death wouldn’t be that bad?
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
In a morning it is made known to all that Princess Radegund feels an urgent need to retire to a temple of Mitra to pray and to prepare to become a true temple maiden. When the time is right her journey will start.
At the same time it is made known that Usurper’s oldest son Conan is to leave the capital with his unit to reinforce a garrison of a castle in Poitainia. He will ride with some mercenary cutthroats as well as a veteran company of Black Dragons.
Everyone from servants to barons whisper that there is actually Queen Zenobia’s hand behind this. Certainly she is dispersing her family line to make work of pretenders more difficult. To ensure Usurper’s line remains no matter what…
The clouds surrounding Usurper’s castle are as dark as the faces of three knights standing next to their young charge. Princess Radegund is starting her travels alone –as it is proper for a young lady retiring to a monastery. She is accompanied only with her three ladies in waiting –as well as a smattering of maids and servants necessary for her solitary journey. The three knights escorting her are more than enough for protection because all brigands from nearby forests have been hanged a long time ago. Then again, no one can ever be sure, especially now that rumors of weakness in Usurper’s rule increase by the hour.
Beautiful Zenobia hugs her only daughter for the one last time. Wise Dexitheus gives his blessings to temple maiden Agrippina and to a young priest matched with Emilia. This boy will be secretly his eyes and ears in the journey –one can never be sure.
Finally Dexitheus tells Radegund to tell the Temple Mistress -that old hag- his warmest regards. May the Mercy and Wisdom of Mitra go with you! Radegund curtseys dutifully and demurely as a future temple maiden of Mitra should. Then Dexitheus turns his attention to quickly brief the knights. May the Mercy of Mitra go with you men -and take no prisoners! Three professional killers nod grimly, that is their business and this time they have Wrath of Mitra behind them too.
The journey starts well. The road takes Radegund along her small retinue across the plentiful farm fields surrounding Tarantia. She is traveling on a cart protected with crimson blanket to protect her and her friends from the harsh rays of Sun. Then there are dozen or so maids and servants walking close by alongside few extra horses. A second cart is reserved for Princess’ most humble luggage as well as thousand and one thing needed for a trip. Meanwhile three knights move on horseback to make sure they can meet any possible threats well before they become troubles.
The girls enjoy the trip in various ways. Radegund seems highly enthusiastic about getting out of the confines of her palace. She is extremely curious about the wildly wonderful world around her. Emilia has not roamed in a forest for a long time and thus she enthusiastically explains all things to Radegund. She also stares at the cute priest who is sitting in a corner muttering about Mercy of Mitra –especially whenever she talks to him. Emilia’s eyes are just dazzling at the thought of how virtuously strong he is his faith! Livia is far more demure in her behavior. However, she smiles in her heart because every hour brings her closer to serenity and simplicity of time in a temple. What happiness to a slender and shy temple maiden it is to return to temple for any temple is her home! Meanwhile Julia sulks in corner of cart feeling cart sick already. No servants, no hair dressers, no manicures! Fate, you are too cruel to me!
Their first night in a weird and wonderful world of wilderness starts off well. The camp is raised and to much of satisfaction of knights Radegund obediently eats his supper as she should. However, things start to go wrong as soon as she gets bored again. Radegund and Livia leave the camp to hunt for monsters. Furthermore, they have not seen real owls for a long time. Subsequently they will leave together in darkness to adventure in forest.
Meanwhile Julia has recovered from her seemingly endless misery to concentrate her efforts into serious business of making marriage. Poisons are a natural part of marriage and she knows from her mothers caring lectures that fresh snake poison should always be available. Since getting a snake is dangerous she orders a servant boy to walk first –how else you can find a black snake in night? Most unfortunately all snakes appear to be sleeping. Thus her high hopes of her servant getting bitten and thus allowing her to find suitably poisonous snake are all in vain.
Emilia is not taking part in these nightly escapades as she is all too busy to talk to her fiancée and thus future husband. He seems to be extremely religious as he now prays Mitra endlessly but that does not bother Emilia who looks at his long dark haired priest –he is mine! Mine alone! My precious! Precious!
Finally fair headed knight does notice that something is terribly amiss since Radegund is not giggling and blathering endlessly in her tent. Subsequently he starts to track steps of girls to the dark forest. Finding them is no trouble, especially after Radegund accidentally hits him with a stone she tried to hit to a flying owl. Radegund might be a princess but that handsome knight’s eyes are flashing in such a way that girls realize it might be best to retire for rest for tonight. Finally gets to the serious business of owl hunting. With a single swift flying arrow the nightly owl is down and in merciless clutches of Radegund and her friends. Owl’s death will be slow and agonizing providing much entertainment in camp.
Emilia shows her excellent forestry skills by preparing the bird for dinner. However, first she gives its bloody head to her true love. Since the virtuous man is already sleeping she puts it to rest next to him so the very first thing he’ll see when the first rays of sunshine light the tent will be –oh so romantically- the bloody severed head of a dead owl.
Radegund refuses to eat the rest of the owl fearing it might be bad food. Emilia has not really thought things that far and thus she immediately agrees to it. They make servants eat the bird. No one dies. How disappointing!
The very next day starts with a blood stopping terror scream that tells everyone in the entourage that the young priest has either seen a Stygian serpent slithering to his tent or a sign of innocent love from his true love Emilia. Anyways he runs like hunted by hundred demons.
After this eventful morning the journey continues more or less uneventfully. Princess Radegund and her entourage continue deeper into the forest. The weather is thankfully quite good and journey is easy. At the same time Radegund’s religious faith seems to grow by the hour. She is very close to priest asking him all kinds of details of the small temple they are headed for. Priest gladly tells the illustrious princess all the help he can provide.
Meanwhile Emilia shows her tongue to turn back of Radegund and goes to pick up small stones from the path. During next few hours she will entertain herself by throwing that treacherous priest with those small stones. Not too much so he does not get hurt! Just enough that he knows who his true love is! The rest of the people take their journey like yesterday. Sister Agrippina is more than happy to hear Wisdom of Mitra. Julia has covered herself from head to toe with a silk scarf hoping her skin retains its soft smoothness and prays that those awful little insects would simply go away! I hate forests!
At the evening and second night Radegund is in no mood to go to forest, and knights watch her like hawks at their prey. Livia is sitting next to Radegund like a shadow. She listen intently more words of Wisdom of Mitra. She is impressed on how much a proper priest knows of the secrets of these lands and tales about Mitra.
Julia decides to make her miserable life somewhat better by sending servants again to walk a beaten path around the camp in vain hope for more snake poison. Unfortunately no viper is fool enough to be stepped unto and after some time and hearing more than her fair share of sounds of deepest and darkest wilderness she retires to rest weeping alone.
Emilia is in her own element and determined to win back heart of her true love. Furthermore, this time she has brought her bow with her. She shows her friends how bow works by shooting a particularly vicious and dangerous looking bunny rabbit. Then she expertly chops off four rabbit paws. That is four times the luck! The real dinner for evening is a deer that one of the knights shot with his bow earlier that night. Emilia ponders the right moment to give her love her gift.
Such opportunity presents itself in the next day as they all go deeper and deeper into the forest. The young dark haired priest is again –much to his misfortune- close to Emilia and thus pressed to immediately express his gratitude to Emilia. Emilia, wanting to beat Radegund on matter of love is red of his appreciation and feels how her true love just grows by the day. She must cook him next! A road to man’s heart goes through his stomach or was it via stomach? After all, after she gave the four bloody tokens to priest he was so moved he immediately starts to pray Mitra. Such a devout fiancé!
In the afternoon they finally reach a half way point. There is a small castle in the deepest of forest where a stalwart knight of Aquilonia and her devout wife live. In practice the castle is made of a wooden cottage, rough barn and a simple wooden palisade surrounding it. It is enough to keep knight’s many pigs and chicken inside and probably stop hungry thieves and assorted riffraff. With an important guest castle lord have prepared a proper feast: pork, bread and eggs with ale. Julia who had her hopes lifted so high upon hearing they’ll sleep in a castle almost bursts to tears. Rest of the evening she vents her anger at servants kicking and slapping them around. To make her and others mood better they all decide to play with their servant boy!
They make servants pick up dandelions first. Then they make the boy rub himself all yellow with dandelions so he becomes a proper Khitai demon. Then they dress him up like a girl so they have a servant girl from distant and evil Khitai. Then it is time to play gauntlet. Everyone come together to form two lines and servant girl is sent to run across the gauntlet. Now everyone can attack him as stealing Khitai demon tries to escape from Aquilonia back to Khitai. About half way Julia pulls his feet under him and they all get to kick him as he lies in mud in rain. It is enough to make them all giggle at how thieving Khitai demons should be dealt with!
Afterwards Julia has a job for their bloody thieving servant girl. He should get her a poisonous snake and without further advice they all hurl him over the palisade to darkness outside. He does bring a snake soon but unfortunately it is not poisonous. Thus Julia leaves their Khitai servant girl to stay outside castle gates for the night. Thankfully to servant no wolves dare to come close to castle that knight –probably due endless torrent rain. Meanwhile Radegund and her ladies in waiting will rest in the cottage while knights and lord of the house stay in barn with horses. The others are left to rot in muddy castle yard alongside pigs in rain.
The next day makes the path seem even smaller to Julia who is certain they are now lost but Emilia explains that there is obviously a clear if little used path they are passing. Finally at the afternoon they finally see a temple. It has a rough wooden palisade -a sensible arrangement in case bandits would try to rape and pillage their way with the temple maidens. However, what is inside is something out of this world. It is made of white marble that has certainly seen its best days. Radegund explains that this is actually a hall of a great Atlantean king from time long past.
The place has lasted surprisingly well the test of the time. It has probably been robbed empty for dozen times already but marks in Marble make the place even older looking. Like in all stories there is also a martyr of Faith, a virtuous maiden who was robbed and tortured to death in this place until Aquilonian knights wiped out the northern bandits in a single swift swoop. The temple was placed on these ruins and it serves as a distant place for women who have turned their backs to earthly concerns and devoted themselves to Great Mitra!
Palisade surrounds the marble villa. There are also few wooden cottages and barns made of wooden logs but all the maidens here live inside the white marble walls. Furthermore, what is left of the man sized statues of white alabaster and marble grace the open greenery surrounding the white temple building. They have finally arrived to their destination.
Men must stay outside and knights put their camp right outside the walls. Leaving Radegund alone is out of the question but Wrath of Mitra is something no Poitainian Knight would ever risk. They agree that every day Radegund must come to see her knights –just in case.
The girls look immediately the huge and ancient statues of Mitra that cover the courtyard surrounding the temple. Because the Mistress is not here they immediately waste no time in going to play amongst the statues. See, here the statues of Mitra have three legs!
Julia definitely knows what the third leg of Mitra is. Livia thinks she knows but has never –and hopefully never will- see one. Emilia jumps to grab it and hang onto it. As Radegund goes to do it too, the leg breaks off rather neatly. Julia closes her eyes –what a waste. Meanwhile the Mistress -Old Hag as she was so affectionately called by Dexitheus- is approaching. Livia will not touch it. Radegund picks it up knowing it must be hidden –fast. But no worries –Emilia has biggest pockets to hide it. She also thinks that it would be a good gift to be given to Dexitheus as a souvenir from their journey, like the relics of virtuous martyrs shown in the temples of King’s castle.
The Mistress of the Temple is an old woman of gray hair and wrinkles and absolute authority. She rules her temple with a thin wooden cane in her hand, one to be used on those women who forget their role as sisters in service of Mitra. She is most surprised to see Princess Radegund herself as her care. Her worries soon disappear as priest fishes out a donation money pouch large enough to make even Attalusian baron sell his only son to slavery.
What a devout young child! May the Mercy of Mitra accompany you, Sister Radegund!
Then she canes the four girls on their fingers: Radegund, Julia and Emilia as their curtseying is not docile enough and Sister Agrippina so she wouldn’t feel prideful amongst her sisters. All four girls are sobbing and teary eyed but Sister Agrippina smiles – she feels she has truly returned home!
The days in temple are quickly arranged to Sister Radegund and her three companions -who are also made temple maidens. All four ladies are rather young so they cannot be put responsible for serious matters of faith. However, temple is always open to new maidens and thus they will find themselves gainfully employed.
Sister Agrippina and Radegund will spend their days in library studying Mitra from sunrise to sunset. Julia quickly thinks that learning to read and write properly would be an excellent idea and thus she is more than glad to listen to teachings of Sister Agrippina –naturally under watchful eyes of Mistress of the Temple. Radegund seems very curious of the temple’s history with makes the Mistress more than happy. Meanwhile Agrippina appears to be totally lost in her studies of Mitra reciting long passages to Sister Julia who is obviously in need of some more tutoring. Julia thinks of saying something about all this but pain of cane is certainly less than fear of living more nights out in the wilderness.
Sister Emilia is big and strong girl, almost a boy, so she is ready to go out to wilderness to hunt for venison for meals. As Julia recognizes that she’ll be caned to death –just because she called mistress old hag- she feels an urgent need to help somewhat eccentric –some would say half-wit- Emilia in her daily work. Mistress is a strong believer that out of sight is out of mind and thus readily agrees to her idea –tomorrow.
However, even the longest day come eventually to end –especially to those who serve Mitra. During their first night and weeping yet another bout of misery Sister Julia ponders aloud why oh why they are in this wretched place? But no worries! Sister Radegund has the answer. See, they are here to save her father!
Radegund was worried of mother and father and thus she knew from Dexitheus explanation that King Conan needs a sword made of Atlantis steel to slay such a man-beast. Because this is the closest temple that is built on a tomb of Atlantean hero –and a king no less- they will definitely find a sword suited to Conan from its cellars! Then Conan will chop off the villains head and mother will smile again! She gave a lot of thought about this and came up with this plan all of her own! And she didn’t say a word about it to her mother!
Only the fact that strangling Sister Radegund there and then would be a high treason keeps Sister Julia to hold still. On second thought –perhaps slow torture to death wouldn’t be that bad?
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
Session 10: Where our heroines go raiding tombs of mighty Atlantean kings!
As the temple gets quiet the four adventurers get to their serious work of robbing tombs. Sister Agrippina may not readily agree to principle of robbing tombs but it is for the good cause –might makes right and thus King is always right.
Since this is their first night they have no clue of the layout of the temple. Subsequently Emilia walks right at a statue of Mitra accidentally making it fall –very loudly.
Then follows the cane. Then follows no bread or water for the next day. The small dungeon can fit all four girls quite uncomfortably but they do get out to join prayers and to show the knights that Radegund is still in one piece. Despite her red fingers she is more determined than ever to make amendments for her ways and to become a proper temple maiden. After all, she is quite sure that she noticed earlier a small door outside the temple leading under the temple. It can only be the secret passageway!
A day passes in dungeon and four girls are released. After all, Sister Radegund is a princess and cannot be kept in a murky dungeon. Julia sighs hoping this will go right…
Since this is their second night they have no clue of the layout of the guards outside the temple. Admittedly the biggest threat in the night is a fox coming to tax the chickens or possibly a fierce wolf hungry for a pig but they still keep a watchful eye walking with lone staffs to protect themselves. Subsequently all four walk right at the guards trying to leave the temple from front door.
Then follows the cane. Then follows no bread or water for the next day. The small dungeon can fit all four girls quite uncomfortably but they do get out to join prayers and to show the knights that Radegund is still in one piece. Despite her red fingers and bottom she is more determined than ever to make amendments for her ways and to become a proper temple maiden. After all, she is quite sure that she noticed the guard’s pattern of movement. It can only be that they try to hide the huge treasure!
A day passes in dungeon and four girls are released. After all, Sister Radegund is a princess and cannot be kept in a murky dungeon. Julia sighs hoping this will go right…
Since this is their third night they have no clue of the layout of secret tomb under the temple. They do succeed in opening the heavy bolts keeping the thick iron door locked. Then they plunge forwards, hand in hand, trying to see in pitch black darkness. That moment they get the idea that there are no servants putting up lights for them and ultimately they are moving forwards as blind as bats. Emilia being the most experienced –ands certainly boldest- adventurer takes the lead after putting up a light to a handkerchief with her kindles. Then there is Radegund with her sword under her belt. Julia does not like this at all but she is next to Radegund as she has the dagger. Agrippina is the last and she mutters prays to Mitra endlessly trusting that He will save them all. Julia isn’t so sure.
After noticing that keeping one’s hand on wall helps them to go forwards Emilia leads the now fierce adventuring party to their target –a bed where bony skeleton of a man lies down. Just as Radegund plunges forwards hungrily to pick the sword Emilia giggles nervously. She notices that a hand now grips her arm -hard. Scared Emilia drops the burning cloth to floor and darkness falls like a veil. They all scream.
Radegund raises her sword and Emilia grabs one from the bedside. They all panic and run for safety. Emilia is least lucky she feels another hand touching her and she kicks and bites the bone and inhuman scream is heard –then more screams- beasts underneath have awoken! The grip on Emilia’s garb is loosened and she bolts towards the door and safety of the night. Radegund swings her blade right and left like her older brother had shown her and she thinks she hit something and she turns to run away. Agrippina is the last and fastest and she is nowhere to be seen!
Emilia and Julia run towards the knights outside the gate. Surely they know how to deal with the underworld beasts. Screaming on top of their lungs they cause ruckus loud enough to wake up even the dead Atlantean kings. The three knights are all naked but alert enough to grab torches alongside their swords. There is no time for armor for Princess is in danger and her death means their death as well. Temple or no, they will storm the place for hearing most hyperbolic explanations of dead monsters from hysteric Julia and Emilia. The fair headed knight seizes the opportunity for right to get in head first. Behind him go two other seasoned killers with their blades exposed –hungry for blood like wolves of the forests.
Meanwhile Radegund keeps her composure as a princess –admittedly scared out of her wits- and goes right to the Mistress to raise alarm. She is shivering of fear but manages to collect enough calm to tell that the temple is in great danger for there are inhuman monsters under the temple. Mistress laughs and slaps Radegund and proud princess falls back on the floor of the temple –and she suddenly realizes that things are not what they seem to be. Mistress barks orders and suddenly the maidens plunge for action –not to storm the cellar but to seize Radegund!
More orders come. Their Temple has been violated and secrets exposed. Mistress orders Radegund’s entourage arrested. Her underlings whimper as she has bodyguards –knights.
Yet report that three men went through the iron door brings good news they can use to their advantage. Three knights steel themselves in the darkness. The fight underneath will be hard and bloody for sure. Then their hearts sunk as hear how iron door is closed behind them and bolts locked. Three men look each other and their torches- they had been sold out like cattle to the slaughter.
Meanwhile Emilia and Julia have stayed in camp and searched for the young priest. Emilia’s future and unsuspecting fiancé puts on his clothes hearing from sobbing and gasping girls what they’ve seen. It is impossible! What kind of a deviant harlot would keep such monsters lurking underneath Temple of Mitra? The girls drag him to two directions. Julia wants to stay in safety of the close proximity of temple walls no matter how scared she is but Emilia is stronger and pulls them both with her to safety of the forest. What monsters cannot see, they cannot find and eat. Suddenly all the bed time stories of wicked little girls being eaten by fierce monsters come crashing to shoulders of Julia and Emilia.
As the temple maidens arrive to confused camp they round up the Radegund’s entourage –all servants. It is a small matter for Mistress’ women as they tell that people should stay in the safety of Mitra’s temple and palisade. People follow maidens sobbing and scared –happy to get into safety of walls. However, the three youngsters also see how the temple maidens are picking up everything left behind –and soon there will be nothing left to show passersby that some group had stayed beyond the wooden palisade of temple. It is as if no visitors had ever come here.
Finally in the eye of the storm to all of this is Sister Agrippina. She is huddled into a small insignificant ball under the bed of their chamber. She is wet from her own pee and trembling and weeping and praying. She has heard enough of the talk to recognize the things from Radegund’s anger and Mistress’ wrath. Now her eyes have opened to see what treachery there is. The statues did not worship Mitra. The old frescos were not old left out of respect to kings of Atlantis but lovingly created in long hours. The symbols of endless mercy of Mitra were secretly and deviously accompanied with disgusting false idols!
They are no maidens of Mitra! They are harlots of false idols!
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
As the temple gets quiet the four adventurers get to their serious work of robbing tombs. Sister Agrippina may not readily agree to principle of robbing tombs but it is for the good cause –might makes right and thus King is always right.
Since this is their first night they have no clue of the layout of the temple. Subsequently Emilia walks right at a statue of Mitra accidentally making it fall –very loudly.
Then follows the cane. Then follows no bread or water for the next day. The small dungeon can fit all four girls quite uncomfortably but they do get out to join prayers and to show the knights that Radegund is still in one piece. Despite her red fingers she is more determined than ever to make amendments for her ways and to become a proper temple maiden. After all, she is quite sure that she noticed earlier a small door outside the temple leading under the temple. It can only be the secret passageway!
A day passes in dungeon and four girls are released. After all, Sister Radegund is a princess and cannot be kept in a murky dungeon. Julia sighs hoping this will go right…
Since this is their second night they have no clue of the layout of the guards outside the temple. Admittedly the biggest threat in the night is a fox coming to tax the chickens or possibly a fierce wolf hungry for a pig but they still keep a watchful eye walking with lone staffs to protect themselves. Subsequently all four walk right at the guards trying to leave the temple from front door.
Then follows the cane. Then follows no bread or water for the next day. The small dungeon can fit all four girls quite uncomfortably but they do get out to join prayers and to show the knights that Radegund is still in one piece. Despite her red fingers and bottom she is more determined than ever to make amendments for her ways and to become a proper temple maiden. After all, she is quite sure that she noticed the guard’s pattern of movement. It can only be that they try to hide the huge treasure!
A day passes in dungeon and four girls are released. After all, Sister Radegund is a princess and cannot be kept in a murky dungeon. Julia sighs hoping this will go right…
Since this is their third night they have no clue of the layout of secret tomb under the temple. They do succeed in opening the heavy bolts keeping the thick iron door locked. Then they plunge forwards, hand in hand, trying to see in pitch black darkness. That moment they get the idea that there are no servants putting up lights for them and ultimately they are moving forwards as blind as bats. Emilia being the most experienced –ands certainly boldest- adventurer takes the lead after putting up a light to a handkerchief with her kindles. Then there is Radegund with her sword under her belt. Julia does not like this at all but she is next to Radegund as she has the dagger. Agrippina is the last and she mutters prays to Mitra endlessly trusting that He will save them all. Julia isn’t so sure.
After noticing that keeping one’s hand on wall helps them to go forwards Emilia leads the now fierce adventuring party to their target –a bed where bony skeleton of a man lies down. Just as Radegund plunges forwards hungrily to pick the sword Emilia giggles nervously. She notices that a hand now grips her arm -hard. Scared Emilia drops the burning cloth to floor and darkness falls like a veil. They all scream.
Radegund raises her sword and Emilia grabs one from the bedside. They all panic and run for safety. Emilia is least lucky she feels another hand touching her and she kicks and bites the bone and inhuman scream is heard –then more screams- beasts underneath have awoken! The grip on Emilia’s garb is loosened and she bolts towards the door and safety of the night. Radegund swings her blade right and left like her older brother had shown her and she thinks she hit something and she turns to run away. Agrippina is the last and fastest and she is nowhere to be seen!
Emilia and Julia run towards the knights outside the gate. Surely they know how to deal with the underworld beasts. Screaming on top of their lungs they cause ruckus loud enough to wake up even the dead Atlantean kings. The three knights are all naked but alert enough to grab torches alongside their swords. There is no time for armor for Princess is in danger and her death means their death as well. Temple or no, they will storm the place for hearing most hyperbolic explanations of dead monsters from hysteric Julia and Emilia. The fair headed knight seizes the opportunity for right to get in head first. Behind him go two other seasoned killers with their blades exposed –hungry for blood like wolves of the forests.
Meanwhile Radegund keeps her composure as a princess –admittedly scared out of her wits- and goes right to the Mistress to raise alarm. She is shivering of fear but manages to collect enough calm to tell that the temple is in great danger for there are inhuman monsters under the temple. Mistress laughs and slaps Radegund and proud princess falls back on the floor of the temple –and she suddenly realizes that things are not what they seem to be. Mistress barks orders and suddenly the maidens plunge for action –not to storm the cellar but to seize Radegund!
More orders come. Their Temple has been violated and secrets exposed. Mistress orders Radegund’s entourage arrested. Her underlings whimper as she has bodyguards –knights.
Yet report that three men went through the iron door brings good news they can use to their advantage. Three knights steel themselves in the darkness. The fight underneath will be hard and bloody for sure. Then their hearts sunk as hear how iron door is closed behind them and bolts locked. Three men look each other and their torches- they had been sold out like cattle to the slaughter.
Meanwhile Emilia and Julia have stayed in camp and searched for the young priest. Emilia’s future and unsuspecting fiancé puts on his clothes hearing from sobbing and gasping girls what they’ve seen. It is impossible! What kind of a deviant harlot would keep such monsters lurking underneath Temple of Mitra? The girls drag him to two directions. Julia wants to stay in safety of the close proximity of temple walls no matter how scared she is but Emilia is stronger and pulls them both with her to safety of the forest. What monsters cannot see, they cannot find and eat. Suddenly all the bed time stories of wicked little girls being eaten by fierce monsters come crashing to shoulders of Julia and Emilia.
As the temple maidens arrive to confused camp they round up the Radegund’s entourage –all servants. It is a small matter for Mistress’ women as they tell that people should stay in the safety of Mitra’s temple and palisade. People follow maidens sobbing and scared –happy to get into safety of walls. However, the three youngsters also see how the temple maidens are picking up everything left behind –and soon there will be nothing left to show passersby that some group had stayed beyond the wooden palisade of temple. It is as if no visitors had ever come here.
Finally in the eye of the storm to all of this is Sister Agrippina. She is huddled into a small insignificant ball under the bed of their chamber. She is wet from her own pee and trembling and weeping and praying. She has heard enough of the talk to recognize the things from Radegund’s anger and Mistress’ wrath. Now her eyes have opened to see what treachery there is. The statues did not worship Mitra. The old frescos were not old left out of respect to kings of Atlantis but lovingly created in long hours. The symbols of endless mercy of Mitra were secretly and deviously accompanied with disgusting false idols!
They are no maidens of Mitra! They are harlots of false idols!
So Ladies in Waiting finished off their perilous adventure. Many more adventures would be ahead of them. These stories would also be told to young maidens of Aquilonia so that they would learn to become good and decent wives…
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