Adventure, Diplomacy, and Politics

The Kings Herald announced the six members of the party as soon as the king was seated.

"Be known unto the assembled worthies of the court the combine Special Sarthican Diplomatic Delegation and newest heroic party of the kingdom. Your Majesty Will of course Remember his Nephew, Duke Renault Alonso Francis Philip ye Bretaña of the house of Alvescot and his wife Duchess Solarina La Votonz ye Bretaña," the herald said indicating the young and fresh-faced man of about 22 years with the already thick, dark haired beard and chest like a barrel dressed in the Sarthican royal colors of blue, red, and gold: and his half-elf wife dressed in the Bretaña colors of White and Pean*. His wife's skin was nut brown and her hair had a greenish cast, while her massive tits strained against her bodice... "These others I doubt are yet known to Your Majesty, but they will no doubt become so soon: let me make introduction to Your Majesty:" the herald began to indicate people one by one.
*(Black with yellow Ermine Spots...)

"The Dowager-Duchess Sylvia de Halansa," the herald indicated the oldest of the group, who wore the yellow and blue habit of a nun of Alvara, the goddess of healing. She stood five-foot-four, looked to be around 50 to 60 years old, and carried herself like one on whom the wight of the world had settled heavily, but was determined to bear up under it.

"His Lordship Alphonse de Castor ye Savone," the herald indicated a burly and scarred man in his late 30s who seemed to radiate menace towards anyone standing closer to the group than the herrald. He was attired in the style of the Sarthican Court, puffy sleeves, short pants and hose, and a pair of boots that came to mid calf against scorpions and snakes, which were fairly common in that hot and sometimes arid country. The whole outfit was made up in the Red and White of Savone, an important fortress along the Sarthican border.

"Dame Calisa Maria Isabella Monro de Sular, heiress to the County of Genova and member in good standing of the Most Holy Sarthican Mages Order of The Golden Rose," The herald indicated another woman, barely out of her teens, but already wearing the yellow and Green robes of a Journeyman of the Order of the Golden Rose. Her eyes were a fetching golden-yellow, and her hair likewise, were all the rest of the party's hair was black or dark brown.

"And Finally: Squire Lenice Rebecca Chalicia ye Imprezzio, their traps mistress," The herald said indicating the dark brown haired and short woman with shifty eyes and calloused hands dressed in leather armor and a tabard with the two red and one white stripes of the Savonese arms.

"Well Met Adventurers, welcome to Our court; and welcome to Our court once again Duke Renault. Would that we had more time to exchange pleasantries but if you present yourselves as an adventuring party it is, as you no doubt are aware, most of you being yourselves of noble birth, Our duty to assign you a quest with as much speed as We can muster. We therefore have the following options to present you. It has recently come to our attentions that several situations have reached a critical point: One: The bandits of the north east border have begun to unite behind a charismatic leader, this cannot be allowed. Two: The Caverns of Khayos have appeared again, and unless their cargo of monsters can be slain they will begin sucking the life out of the surrounding region. Three: Master Hengast Marduk of Our own 'Order of the White Hand' has denounced his oaths of obedience to the crown and closed his tower to anyone but his students. We fear he is conducting forbidden research and/or summoning daemons. If you take this quest you are to go there, slay the traitor, and subdue his apprentices: I say 'subdue' so they may, We hope, be returned to the paths of light under new masters."

"We will confer and chose shortly but first there is a diplomatic matter to discuss:" Duke Renault began.
"As your majesty is in his forties and still both unmarried and childless, as well as your elder and younger brothers having died: it is the request of your sister / my mother Queen Katie of Sarthica that, should I complete this quest for you, instead of gold and gems you name me as your Heir Designate to the Dornoch throne in the event that you die without male issue. You must of course be aware that Sarthica does not have salic decent laws, and when Queen Isabella the First married her husband King Philip the fifth of Sarthica, he was the second son of the King of Dornoch, and Queen Isabella the first was the last time Sarthica had a female succession. Thus, under the laws of Dronoch, I come from a line that has a legitimate claim to the throne, and could legaly be crowned without a special session of parliament to repeal the salic decent law, should your majesty fail to have a legitimate heir. By ensuring that the succession will occur without bloodshed among lesser claimants you secure the future of your realm in the face of that unprecedented disaster. Think of your duty to your people; and remember, the moment you have a living male heir my direct claim to the throne would be null and void, so you put your realm at no additional risk thereby."

"Your proposal..." The King began...

Questions To Vote On:
(If you pick any item with an asterisk on A and B You must ONLY pick items with Asterisks for A, B, and C. You can pick items with asterisks for C even if you did not pick ones with asterisks for A and B.)

A: The Adventure The Duke And His Party Picks Is...
A1: The Bandits.
A2: The Caverns of Khayos.
A3: Slaying Master Hengast Marduk.
*A4: They Don't, The King Assigns A Bigger Quest...
*(A4: part dux:
If picking A4 you must also pick a quest:
A4I: Slay The Dragon.
A4II: The Caverns of Khayos: V2. (It will be a much deeper and more expansive set of caverns.)
A4III: Brave the "Maze of Madness".
A4IV: Cure the "Wailing ****".
A4V: Retrieve the Fruit of Wisdom.
A4*: Write In...
*(Write in votes must be extremely concise: any write-ins more than five words long are disqualified, as are any using words of more than five syllables which are not proper or semi-proper nouns. Also please number your vote as though adding it to the end of this list, [Roman numerals,] not with an asterisk.)

B: Does the King agree to his Nephew's proposal?
B1: No.
*B2: Yes.
*B3: Provisionally.
B4: He Says he has to think about it and consult the parliament.

C: The King will assign the following additional resources to the party to protect(?) his Nephew.
(Pick up to three.)
C1: 20 to 100 Men-at-Arms (Also pick the number you think appropriate in that range.)
C2: 10 to 30 Royal Cavalry. (Also pick the number you think appropriate in that range.)
*C3: Mistress Mellody Arlanthia (An Assassin...)
*C4: Dame Valarie Sharlane (The King's SECOND favorite whore.)
*C5: Sir Valiant Marcone (One of the King's Bodyguards)
C6: Mistress Deborah Westerly of the Order of the White Hand.
C7: Reverend Jacob Gloaming, Priest of Abadar, god of Civilization.
*C8: 50 to 150 Mercenary Troops (Also pick the number you think appropriate in that range, & the composition of the Company. It will include a mix of Line Infantry, Cavalry, Archers, and both arcane and divine mages.)