You troop up to the Square of Marshalls again for the challenges and Ravenclaw Darkwood decides to enter the contest. She is first up that day to fight Dieter Schmiedenhammer. Unfortunately she is more used to smacking her opponents as hard as possible in order to kill them in the quickest possible time, so struggles when she has to pull her blows. Dieter knocks her unconscious with a couple of hits.
Dieter also wins the second bout and comes to visit you in the arming tent. He congratulates Ravenclaw for stepping up and apologises for nearly putting a permanent dent in her head. You ask if there's any chance of getting a ticket for the garden party and he says he'll see what he can do.
At day 3 of the archery, Hilda Eysenck again gets an improved score, but noone can keep up with Allavandral Fanmaris who runs out the winner of the day and the whole tournament,
As you’re getting ready to leave the square you see Kirsten Jung approaching, accompanied by the Elf you noticed giving the good natured abuse to Allavandrel.
“Hello!” she says cheerfully. “I saw you shooting, Hilda! Well done for taking part! It was a good competition this year."
“This is my friend Rallane Lafarel- he’s the Court MInstrel. I was telling him all about your adventures because Dieter said it might make a great song!”
“A pleasure to meet... most of you” he says smiling at everyone apart from Thrumir. and making a short bow. “I always like to hear a story of adventure and derring-do!,”
Some passing dwarfs spot Rallane and start giving him abuse “There he is- that knife-eared no good! Only an elf could be so bitter as to come up with a tax like that on hard working dwarfs. But don’t you worry, you’ll get yours!”
Rallane rolls his eyes, he’s heard this before.. “Of course, such a terrible thing that you would need to crowbar open those purses of yours and let some of that money be spent doing some good for the city, rather than gathering dust in the piles you keep in those holes you call houses!”
One of the dwarfs looks like he’s about to swing for Rallane, but a couple of his companions pull him away. “Not worth it,” they tell their friend. “At least while he’s got his connections” .Then back to Rallane ,”But eventually the Graf will get tired of you singing he same old Elven bullshit about trees and glades and you’ll be out on your pointy ear. Then we’ll see!”
“Oh, do go disappear back down your mine” replies Rallane.
“Ignore them, Rallane”, says Kirsten “They’re just looking for anyone to blame, you’re not responsible for setting taxes. “
“Can’t say it disappoints me too much, to be honest. They’re way too fond of the accumulation of gold. Maybe it is a good thing to liberate some of that and use it to do some good.
To think I would have such influence over the Graf” he laughs.
“Your boyfriend seems to think it’s a good idea! Quite vocal on the subject too, if a little repetitive, in his argument.” In a semi mocking tone he says ““Very fair, dwarfs are thrifty and can afford to pay””
Kirsten shoots Rallane a look
“And yes that is a bit strange given his bizarre respect and admiration for them. One of his few flaws, I think”
“Anyway, perhaps we can meet some evening and you can tell me some of your tales” he waves his hands in the air “of battle, hardship and camaraderie “ he looks at Thrumir “and avoiding baths”
“Enough!” says Kirsten, we’ve got to be getting along to the Royal College of Music for the Elven Lightsingers.
“As you wish, my Lady” replies Rallane with a little bow “I’m sure we’ll see you around” to the rest of you and they vanish into the crowd
You hurry back to the
Templar's Arms to get into your finery and return back through the streets to the
Konigsgarten which are part of the palace grounds.
The crowd gets a bit less busy as you get closer to the Royal Gardens. There is a queue waiting for admittance. Everyone is well-dressed and, some people have their servants with them. Listening to the accents of people in the queue you can tell many are from the upper crust of society, though there are a few voices that suggest their owners are maybe new money.
Eventually you reach the front of the queue there are a couple of well armed and armoured men at the gate. From the heraldry you guess they must be Knights of the White Wolf. Beside them stands an official and his underling, who is carrying a large book.
“Your names and invitations, please” The official asks.
He examines your invitations whilst the other man quickly scans through his book. He gets pretty much to the last page when he finds your names and nods to his superior.
“Please enjoy your evening” he says.
You go through the gate and into the gardens. The gardens are large and there are areas separated off by walls and hedges. There are a lot of people in the garden and mixed in with the sounds of conversation, laughter, clinking glassware you can here a small group of musicians playing refined tunes. There are a few small tents around the gardens from where drinks and snacks are being served.
Deciding a drink is in order you make your way to one of the tents. You over hear various snippets of conversation as you pass through the crows. Some are tales you've heard before, like the collapsing castle in Reikland, or rumours about the Emperor's health.
“Marienburg seems to be the place for traders at the moment. Business is booming and looks set to rise further over the coming months. The port is operating at nearly full capacity and orders for grain from Bordeleaux are at record levels.”
“And, I hear it is the fashion there to pin a tulip to one’s lapel...”
“Yes I heard that the cost of tulip bulbs there is astronomical”
“Grand Duke Gustav von Krieglitz of Talabecland has sent emissaries to Grand Prince von Tasseninck’s palace. The Duke denies the accusation about the murder of von Tasseninck’s son. He’s also angered by recent attacks on his border patrols by the Prince’s soldiers.”
“The Black Pool Illuminations might not be so grandiose as they have been in the past. The Scroll Tax has been an unpopular move, and it’s causing real headaches. Peter Kramer, a popular wizard who led the annual Red Arrows flying display for years, has already left the city.”
You try and ask the officials at the gate if Gerhardt von Wittgenstein (or any von Wittgenstein) is on the guest list but he tells you no.
You see Dieter and Kirsten talking to a small group of people. Dieter notices you and steers Kirsten in your direction.
“You made it!” he says with a smile “and it looks like you did a not too bad job of sprucing yourselves up. That said, it does look like you’re more comfortable in travelling clothes rather than all this!”
“Well, this is the Garden party. All the great and good of Middenheim will be here at some point over the course of the next few hours.”
Suddenly, Kristen hisses at Dieter. Oh Sigmar preserve us! It’s him.”
“Who replies Dieter”
“Him?” asks Dieter gesturing to a man almost as tall as he is, but larger. He’s like a bit of a tornado as he passes through the gardens. He has thick black curly hair and a beard and is wearing bright, flamboyant clothes.
“Ah I’m a sorry I’m a late” he says in a loud, thick Tilean accent to the clerk inside the gate. “But I wanted to look a da bees a knees-a for di ladies!”
And with that he plunges into the party meting and greeting as he goes. As he barrels through the crowd towards the drinks tent he leaves in his wake a whole lot of people wondering what just happened.
“He is just so crude!” mutters Kirsten
From the drinks tent you can hear some roars of raucous laughter, of the sort that suggest something crude has just been said.
Asking Kirsten who he is, she tells you he is the new Baronial Physician, tasked with looking after the Graf's ill son,
Stephan Todbringer. She tells you she doesn;t know him well, but he is getting a reputation as a man of dubious moral character.
Deciding this is someone you should meet you head to the tent. PAvarotti sems delighted to meet some new women and tells wrapping a large arm around Ravenclaw, tells he that she is indeed a beautiful lady. You ask how long he has been in Middenheim and he says not long and he is a doctor, looking after the Graf's son. He doesn't know anyone called von Wittgenstein and hadn't heard about the castle collapsing in Reikland. After feeding you all several more drinks you take your leave and Pavarotti vanishes into the crowd.
After saying goodbye to Dieter and Kirsten, you go back to your inn for a couple of drinks before turning in.