Mythodea / Winterwacht and a Ball
Each year Zweiwasser hosts the Winterwacht Festival at the start of the new year. Baron Dagger of East Blackwood traveled south on a supply run to Glutbucht. While there, he attended the Winterwacht Festival in the new home of Baron Varek Aestus of Zweiwasser and, his wife, Lady Molly Aestus the Right Hand of the Duchess of Validar. The festival included honored guests from Münzquell, the Southern Seal, the Western Seal and more. It included ceremonies, a war council, a ball and revelry.
Note from the scribes of The Ambassador
As of the start of this new year, The Ambassador will change its format to focus on the whole of the Duchy of Validar. In previous years the focus has been on East Blackwood. Today, as of the writing of this document, that evolves.
Paintings by @mx_novice
The Festival Begins
Baron Varek of Zweiwasser and Lady Molly the Right Hand of the Duchess of Validar welcomed their guests to their new home due West of Glutbucht in the Duchy of Validar. Baron Varek gave a speech to his attending guests finishing around the time Baron Dagger of East Blackwood made his late arrival. Baron Varek announced a special guests, a knight who was representing her lord, to those gathered. The guest, Sophia von Krähenschlag, declared that her lord Ruben von Rabensberg
wished to join his force to the crusade but first she Sophia von Krähenschlag
wanted to test the steel of the Knights in Validar. She challenged Baron Varek to a duel of which Varek, as was his noble right, chose a champion, Sir Marcus Tulius to stand for him.
Sir Marcus left to don his armor while Ser Sophia von Krähenschlag
was already prepared for combat. Baron Varek led his guests outside of his hall to the grounds where the duel would take place. The duel itself commenced as soon as Ser Marcus, First Knight of Roses and Thorns, was ready. The fight was quick. Ser Macus displayed his advanced experience which surely played a role in him being named First Knight and was victorious. Ser Sophia yielded and said she would deliver the news to her lord.
Baron Dagger of East Blackwood Adopts Lowis and Feuerbell of the Western Seal
During the first night of the festival, Baron Dagger presented the adoption contract to Lowis of the Western Seal who promptly signed it. This made the adoption of her and, by relation, her daughter Baron Dagger's immediate heir until such a time that the baron have natural children of his own. It also officially granted Lowis and her daughter Feuerbell noble titles and are from that day forward to be known as Ladies Lowis Arkenstone of Blackwood, Diplomat of the Western Seal and Feuerbell Arkenstone, Maga of the Western Seal and the Magic Citadel Fort Galdu.
War Counsel of the Crusade of the Elements
On the second day of the Winterwacht Festival a War Counsel for the Crusade was held in the great hall of Baron Varek's home. The status of the war was announced with both victories and losses being reported. Each Barony and individual crusader holding then presented news of its current situation within the war and within the Duchy. Important points of concern, such as the progress of the Ice Witch, was discussed.
The
Barony of East Blackwood has secured and maintained its territory with
some issues involving voices and visions and a rumored visit from the
Ice Witch. The voices were said to have been a result of damage done to
the land after the Cataclysm and were effectively solved by the guests
of the Festival of Life and the Crusaders of Validar. The Barony of of
Zweiwasser's settlement of Glutbucht was recently attacked by a large
force from the Black Dynasty but defense efforts were successful and the
attack was thwarted.
The Barony of Gorasia had been spending most of its time on military campaigns in central-east Kahl'Hatra and defending Glutbucht but were now ready to search for suitable land up one of the river tributaries of the Mother Stream to establish their own lands. Further south at the mouth of the river Mother Stream at Benedickts Harbor, the settlement was raided by Skargen successfully. Currently reconstruction is underway.
A New Page of Sir Balor
Young master Constantin
of Waldesleben, the son of the Reeve of Waldesleben, Toman Marbrück, approached the Knights of Roses and Thorns and expressed his interest in becoming a squire to the knightly order. The younger Marbrück
had just become old enough to fight as one of Waldesleben's soldiers but was still very young at 14 years of age. Ser Maron expressed reservations of taking the young man as his squire before he was able to test him. He suggested that the boy be tested later in the year by him before a decision could be made. Ser Balor offered another option to which the Knight Commander of the Knights of Roses and Thorns, Baron Varek of Zweiwasser himself, called for a meeting of Knights.
The present Knights of Roses and Thorns gathered and invited Sir Dagger, the Baron of East Blackwood and a Knight of Blackwood, to join them as well. There, they discussed the young Marbrück's request and the options presented by Sers Balor and Maron were discussed by the Knights present. Knight Commander, or Grandmaster, Varek granted Constantin
time to think on his decision and the young man accepted. The meeting was adjourned until later in the evening.
During an interlude in the festivities, the Knights were once again called to attendance and the hall was silenced for the decision of the young Master Marbrück
. With great difficulty and respect for both knights, Constantin
chose His Grace, Ser Balor the Red to be his Knight. Ser Balor welcomed Master Marbrück as his Page.
A Ball for Baron Varek
A ball was hosted in honor of Baron Varek within his great hall. Tilia Luna De la Rocca presided over the ball as Dance Master. The Lords and Ladies and honored guests in attendance took each other hand in hand and performed a verity of dances to the traditional melodies of the courtly ballroom. With the guidance of Tilia Luna De la Rocca, each participant smiled and enjoyed their time. Among the first dances even saw Baron Dagger of East Blackwood Dancing with Rii Liandra zu Wolfenau the later the being the baron's formor employer from many years prior.
Halfdan of the Münzquell's Path to Flamebrood
Halfdan of the Münzquell was called forth to the Flames before his Flamebrook master, Ser Balor the Red. Quickly the courtly yard filled with the guests of the festival including Halfdan's own countryman Féwaé Méllinar Vitèz. Many held torch in hand while His Grace Ser Balor spoke about Halfdan culminating in Halfdan seeing the Flame and was seen by Ignis. Halfdan reportedly felt change within him as mystical energies could then be felt.
The scribes of "The Ambassador" congratulate Flamebrook Halfdan on his progress.
Ignis Blesses the Crusade
As the second and final night of the Winterwacht Festival wore on into the later hours of the evening, one of the guests retired to a private meditation. Through the windows of the Great Hall, some guests noticed something peculiar about the woman who was locked in deep mediation. The area around her seemed to glow strangely. Soon as more and more observed the strange phenomena, most followed His Grace Ser Balor to the site of the mediation. There many guests saw the flames of the mediation circle come to life with the light of dancing fireflies while some saw nothing but the flames of the circle. Some, however, saw a spirit appear.
Ser Balor and others attuned to Ignis announced that Ignis interpreted this as a sign of Ignis favor for the Crusade. Baron Dagger rejoiced at the news as he was among those who saw dancing fireflies. Although the lands of Mythodea had been weekend, at the Elements potentially with them, after the Cataclysm, small signs that the Elements are still with the people of Mitraspera are still a welcome occurrence. This was reported as such a sign. The crusaders will go forward into the new year with renewed vigor and commence with their work of cleansing Kahl'Hatra and Tir'Naral of the Forsaken plague.
The crusaders rejoiced at the blessing. Luckly the talented painter Mx Novice has left us with his rendition of the spirit some had seen in the flames.
