Mythodea / Fall of Ankor Mortis
During the siege much more transpired within and around the war camps of the Great Host. This is article is an account of what happened during the Siege of Ankor Mortis.
Diplomacy
Captain Varn Delany of CrestGrath squired to Sir Dagger of Blackwood
Sir Dagger of Blackwood called Varn to stand before him moments before Captain Varn of the Embassy Guard was to be married. The guests of the wedding took their seats at the benches that flanked the walk to the four chairs at the end of the lane; a lane where the groom, bride and their witnesses would later sit. Varn, in his finery, walked forward to stand before Sir Dagger. Dagger addressed Captain Varn and those gathered.
It had been three years since the knighting of Dagger of Blackwood into the Knightly Order known as the Knights of Blackwood. Dagger claimed it was time to take a squire and that one person from among those gathered exhibited the promise expected of one who may one day become a Knight of Blackwood themselves. Sir Dagger asked Captain Varn to be his squire and Varn accepted becoming the first new Squire to the Knights of Blackwood named outside of the Realms.
Painting by Wintergrafie
Captain Varn married Medina Delany taking her last name
Immediately following the Squiring of Captain Varn, Varn's whiteness, Commander Anthem De Vigil, took his seat at Captain Varn's right while Varn stood before his chair and the end of the lane and awaited his betrothed. Medina Delany with her witness, Annabel Iron Skull, approached the line of benches leading to her betrothed, Captain Varn of the Embassy Guard, Squire to the Knights of Blackwood. Sir Dagger of Blackwood presided over the Blackwood Civil Wedding Ceremony. Once Medina Delany and her whiteness were in place, Sir Dagger read an excerpt from the Book of Blackwood.
As the text concluded, both parties were asked if they would take the other's hand in marriage and both agreed. The two exchanged rings and were declared married in the eyes of the Kingdom of Blackwood and Edeone.
After the conclusion of the formal ceremony, Varn declared that he would take Medina's last name, as he himself had none. Together, Varn and Medina Delany took their seats and received gifts and best wishes to their future together. SLIM of CrestGrath forgave Varn of his debts as a gift, Corporal Bodvar BeerHunter gave a gift of wine, while Sir Dagger offered the couple, a house in East Blackwood administered Drachenbrück district of Schwarzhweim.
Lordas Palatinus promoted to Captain of the Embassy Guard
Lordas Palatinus; former Champion of the Embassy Guard, was promoted to Captain after performing very well when given temporary command of the line during a battle with the Black Ice in front of the walls of Ankor Mortis. After receiving a head wound, Captain Varn delegated control of the line away from himself. Sir Dagger offered Lordas the chance to prove himself and prove himself.
Lordas took command of the line and rallied the battered troops of the Embassy Guard. Lordas stood in front of the unit, provoked, and taunted the enemy to come forward. At first, the Black Ice unit stood their ground while their archers took turns attempting to bring the heavily armored Lordas Palatinus down.
They had failed but it had been a ruse to buy time. Moments later another unit of Black Ice reinforced the first and together, without even saying a word, they charged forward. Lordas gave a handful of hasty commands to the Embassy Guard and promptly led them to victory in a bloody exchange. Following a day of battle with Lordas often coming under temporary command of the line, the Commander of the Embassy Guard, Anthem Devigil, promoted Lordas Palatinus to Captain.
Painting by: Wintergrafie
Trade
A Year of Slander
Western Seal vs. The Kettle Family and the Northern Seal
This year has been one full of headaches for East Blackwood and the East Blackwood Company. From the end of last year moving on to the summer of this year, reports of harsh words being spoken of East Blackwood and the Kettle Family by nobles and officials of the Western Seal of Mythodea reached the ears of Sir Dagger of Blackwood, Blackwood's Ambassador to the Lands Far East and the Leader of the East Blackwood Company. These reports came from trusted sources, one of which, a Nova Bretonian and Western citizen, was under investigation for having allegedly made a deal with a reportedly criminal organization on behalf of a Western Fiefdom.
The trade deal in question was for horsemeat made between Nova Bretonia and the Northern Seal Protectorate of Lunorth. The agreement was made through the East Blackwood Company and Kettle Family respectively. The Kettles signed the trade deal on behalf of, and with the permission of, the Lord Protector of Lunorth while the East Blackwood Company signed nothing. They claimed they were only there to help feed those in need in the Western Seal.
When a slanderous story detailing how the Kettles were an unsavory crime family and their products were detestable and not fit for consumption reached the West's primary newspaper, the East Blackwood Embassy and Company stepped in to clear both the name of their Nova Bretonian scribe and that of the Company. As the article had slandered the Kettle Family, and therefore the Lord Protector of Lunorth and, the Archon of the North, the Embassy went to speak to the Northern Seal at their command pavilion during this year's Convent of the Elements. The North decided to deal with the issue directly and attended the Western Seal's next investigation meeting into both Nova Bretonia and the East Blackwood Company Scribe who had written the deal.
With the arrival of the North in the Western camp at the festival, all parties involved discussed the matter. The Western investigators claimed that the problem was with the anonymous writer who gave the article to the newspaper to be begin with and agreed to investigate who wrote the article and to have them apologize for the act of slander. To this date, this has not yet happened.
Blackwood vs. Münzquell
This was not, however, the only
slanderous rumor that spread during the Convent of the Elements. Féwaé Méllinar
Vitèz of the Münzquell reported that there had been dark rumors making the
rounds. The first of the two was that
the East Blackwood Company had been trading with the Undead Flesh. This of course was too far from reality to
even be considered and the matter was instantly dismissed as nothing but bad
rumor. The second rumor, however, was
more detailed. The rumor had it that Sir
Dagger of Blackwood had been speaking ill of the Münzquell. This of course was also not true according to
Sir Dagger but the East Blackwood Company launched an investigation to find the
origin of such rumors but to this date, no culprit has been found. At the end of the Convent, Sir Dagger sat down
with the Regent of the Münzquell for a couple hours to discuss these rumors and
to put them to rest.
The Rodent vs. Blackwood
Convent of the Elements was a stressful time for East Blackwood but all hopes that the stress would stop there ended when the Lunorthian newspaper "The Rodent" published an article, which claimed the man known as The Duke was part of East Blackwood and that he had attempted to play the gangs against one another. As the article has published slander, by Northern Law the slandered has the right to defend themselves. The East Blackwood Company has reported that they will approach this situation by legal means in the near future. As this story develops, we at The Ambassador will keep our readers informed.
The Drei Ponnies Brauhaus has a New Braumeister!
Corporal Bødvar "BeerHunter", proprietor of the Drei
Ponnies Brauhaus, granted William Klatch his brewery in Zweiwasser to run in his name. William is now a merchant and tradesman of the East
Blackwood Company.
Events
Dragonfly Queen
Painting by Wintergrafie
Siege of Ankor Mortis
The Embassy Guard, and by extension the Kingdom of Blackwood, fought as part of Viribus Unitas's Banner 2 under Lady Protector Taskaja of Weissenfels. The Viribus Unitas army was mainly used to hold the center and left flanks or to defend points of strategic value. The Viribus military stayed on the field until either their objectives were fulfilled or until the state of their force demanded that, they withdraw. Often, when Banner 2 left the field, Taskaja would give East Blackwood the option to stay behind if they so wished to continue fighting. Often East Blackwood did as was allowed.
Captain Varn Delany and Captain Lordas Palatinus led the Embassy Guard, more often than not, to victory. The overall siege went well as Taskaja reported. Half way through the course of the siege, most of the important objectives were either complete or were in the process of being completed. Finally, the body of the Heretic Saint Barnabas was found and destroyed and the city was sacked. So long had that city stood defiant and corrupted by its Frosaken Hosts but finally it can be left to sink into the land and become one with Terra once more.
Painting from the Live Adventure Photos Stick of Conquest of Mythodea 2022
Tournaments
Logaan, Squire to the Duke of Aven, New Champion of the Embassy Guard
Every year, typically before the start of the Summer Campaign in Mythodea, the East Blackwood and Realms Embassy hosts the Champion of the Embassy Guard Tournament. This year marked the third ever tournament and saw great competition from across all of the participants. The tournament was broken down into three disciplines, Single Handed Weapon, Weapon and Shield and Any Weapon Combination. The top three placing fighters were granted points corresponding to their placement, 5 points for 1st, 3 points for 2nd and, 1 point for 3rd respectively. At the end of the tournament, the four top earning fighters were called to face each other in the longer Any Weapon Combination Semi Finals. The winners of those two fights moved on to the final to face each other for the title and honor of Champion of the Embassy Guard.
In the early going, the prior champion Lordas performed very well as did Westley Black, Captain Varn and Logaan. Later as the tournament moved on, SLIM of CrestGrath made a surprise showing in the Weapon and Shield but was defeated by Lordas toward the end. Finally, the Any Weapon discipline took place, which saw another surprise in Corporal Bodvar BeerHunter who won the Any Weapon using a glaive and throwing knife.
As the points for the Disciplines were tallied, the top four fighters of the day were chosen, Squire Logaan of Aven, Corporal Bodvar BeerHunter, Westley Black and the then Champion, Lordas Palatinus. As had been the case throughout the tournament, names were drawn at random by Gideon Klaud pairing Westley Black against Logaan and Bodvar against Lordas. Logaan and Lordas defeated their respective opponents earning themselves a spot in the final. Lordas fought to a valiant defeat losing to Logaan 5 to 6.
Squire Logaan to the Duke of Aven and Embassy Guard of the East Blackwood and Realms Embassy is the new Champion of the Embassy Guard. He was granted, for a year and a day, captain's pay, a champion's purse and the Sword of the Embassy Guard to hold until such a time as he is no longer champion.
Congratulations Logaan!
