Knights of Kaldor: Adventures & Background

The Baron's Progress

Some time during the campaign, summer comes and the Indamas' political obligations require that they travel through Tashal to attend the royal court at Olokand.

The Baronial Route

The Indamas gather in Getha for the trip. The trip to Tashal is short and usual uneventful.

The Baronial Train

The Baron isn’t going to empty the Hundred to accompany him, but he’s got to travel in a manner befitting his station. I did a quick scan through the articles to come up with the Baron’s entourage. I suggest the following:

In the end, there are 24 from Getha, 3 from Sezaze, 3 from Blixth, 3 from Emerule and 6 from Drilen (to represent the Lournays), for a total of 39. The Baron would only be paying for his 24, of course, but they’d all travel together.

Side plots during the trip:

• Sir Marby is infatuated with Lady Erlyn. If the two of them sneak off to be together, who is watching Lysella?

Those that stayed behind:

• Sir Taerq might tag along but he won’t have servants (a tacit admission of how poor his family is) or he might stay in the Hundred.
• Sir Haradoc will probably stay in the Hundred and attend to his duties
• Other folks from the Hundred will attend the RCT but will travel separately. The Dolastars, for example will be there, as will Sir Shorka Kobarney. Both accompany Sir Tommas Kobarney.
• The Laranians have other obligations, so I’m not sure that they would send a delegation or not. Sir Luisan might send a token pair of knights, but the others are involved in duties and the Solyana council that takes place at the same time.

If you use the 4 days of travel to get to Tashal, it’s another two days from Tashal to Olokand (don’t forget the stop in Heru). In all, I’d have Baron Indama leave at the end of Nolus, spend a few days in Tashal. Get to Olokand for the tournament and the big Laranian celebration of Saint Ambrathas (sp?) and then work his way back home through Gardiren (or maybe back through Heru and then north through Bidow and Gardiren.) I think the length of the trip depends on how many side encounters you want to deal with.

Another option is to get the Baron to Olokand, see the sights, get back to Heru, and then take a boat back to Uldien. I haven’t counted the hexes but I bet that wouldn’t take more than a day or two by talbar. Maybe something big and exciting happened in Getha and the Baron has to rush back?

In Tashal:

• The Rynsel circus has their wagon painted with the family's device. The performers (the Rynsel brothers) don't realize it but they are related to Saint Freden. An observant PC will notice that the circus' symbols was the same that they saw at Vorsten.
• There is a playwright, Silas of Darin [Tashal #J6], who ran away from his family in Getha to join the artistic crowd in Tashal. His father, Bainin Darion [Getha #26](the boy changed his name to hide from the family) has offered a shilling for news about his wayward son. Oldial recognizes the young man as the PCs enter the city. If the PCs are able to make his acquaintance and diffuse his concerns that they are there to return him to Getha, he could be a good guide through the city. No matter what happens, Oldial might tell the father and collect the shilling.
  
  Silas is enjoying a prolonged period of popularity (and prosperity) in the Tashal theater scene. He has no interest in reminding himself about the life he left behind in Fethael Hundred.
• If the PCs have been to Elmeze, they might run into Sir Starin Dolastar, the heir of Elmeze.
• If the initial impressions are very favorable  (CS), Sir Starin asks the PCs to stay with him. They learn that Starin is romantically involved with a courtesan from the House in the Medrik section (this is a secret and is not common knowledge in Fethael Hundred).
• If the initial impressions are good (MS), Sir Starin recommends a place to stay (if the PCs aren't staying with the Baron) and goes out to dinner with the PCs. They will not learn of Starin's girlfriend but he might introduce them to people in Tashal.
• If the initial impressions are less favorable (MF), Sir Starin is polite but extends no invitations or make no introductions.
• If the initial impressions are bad (CF), Sir Starin spurns them and makes jokes at their expense.

Side plots (Getting Lysella married):

Looking through my notes, I’ve tagged a couple of folks as potential suitors for Lysella. The Indama’s major focus in this trip is finding Lysella a husband.

1. The big catch would be Sir Urian Caldeth. The Baroness would love to get his name on a marriage contract. Politically, it would join Curo and Indama to the Caldeths, forming a very powerful bloc in the east.

2. After that, there are 4 secondary candidates, in order of the Baroness’ suitability:

• Sir Lotar Tesla is the Baron of Esenor’s nephew and heir. While the Baroness does not want to become embroiled in Baron Tesla’s family problems, his wealth and political connections with the king’s Privy Seal and the upper levels of the Laranian church make him worth courting.
• Sir Helifar Valador, Earl Caldeth’s nephew, is in the running as a poor second to the Caldeth boy but still offers a link to the Caldeths that the Baroness wants.
• Sir Prodral Verdreth, a son of the Baron of Ternua, would be acceptable politically but would tax the patience of the Indama clan, who view the Baron of Ternua as something slimy.
• Sir Dalrolf Caran, a vassal of the Earl Caldeth. The family holds Lezter manor and is wealthy but is not as politically connected as the other candidates.
  

If none of these matches works out, Lady Myrtis has decided to approach her brother to find one of his vassals to marry Lysella. Rich, older widowers are not out of the question.