23rd Vhalar 720 – Kidnapping of Svaria and Myrvia
“When I set eyes on that pesky little lumberjack, I’m going to pierce his spirits-be-damned heart!”
The Jarl clad in furs with wild hair and a look in her eyes to match was pacing the forest clearing amid the fallen leaves of Vhalar. Several members of the guard had gathered hunting dogs, that were yapping at all the activity. Baby clothes and blankets were being shoved at the dogs’ noses in attempt to get them to catch the scent of the trail, but the scene was chaotic at best with more and more searchers arriving.
Jarl Gofrith strode over to his distressed wife and grasped her wrist forcefully to stop her pacing. Although his white shirt was ruffled and out of place, his youth and handsome attire contrasted sharply from her barbarian look.
“Serena, my gulls will be back with information on House Imair any moment now. They were sent the moment we discovered it, but for now the hounds have led us here. I care about Svaria and Myrvia just as much as you do.”
Serena Crovan only gave him a backwards glance and let out an echoing screech of anguish into the sky. With incredible force, Serena threw a small disk of wood that she had been carrying into the ground, and it partially embedded itself from the impact. Jarl Gofrith looked at it uncertainly, but the decided to attempt to console his wife. Should someone pick it up to inspect it, they would find that it was about the size of a coaster with a polished finish that brought out its natural beauty of a tree trunk. However, etched upon its surface were the words, “Actions have Consequences”. With a bit of inquiry, any member of the search party would say that it had been found under the cushions of Myrvia’s empty crib. Neither Myrvia nor Svaria had been seen all morning.
A group of riders suddenly thundered into the clearing. The cries of gulls deafened the forest as a swarm of white feathers surged through the trees.
“What news?! Are the twins at the Imair estate? Are they safe?” Gofrith asked insistently as the leader of the riders dismounted.
“They said Eric Imair was not at home and that they didn’t know anything about Svaria and Myrvia,” the rider replied. “Of course, we didn’t believe them. Our men and our gulls scoured the grounds and questioned servant after servant. We tore the place apart but all we could conclude was that Eric Imair had gone out with a hunting party early this morning. If this is where the hounds brought you, then this must be where he went.”
Jarl Gofrith’s disappointment was clear. It was one trail gone cold but at least they were more certain of their current trail. If anything, it would help keep his wife from trying to dash across the countryside to burn down the Imair estate. Something she had threatened on more than one occasion that trial.
“Fifty gold nel to anyone who finds the trail or whose hound catches the scent!” Jarl Gofrith shouted and there was renewed efforts among the guards and any of the searchers who had joined the party after seeing one of the fliers posted around Raelia.
There were at least two or three dozen people, many of them wrecking havoc on any possible clues such as a snapped twig or disturbed leaves. The Crovans were like fish out of water and even the Gofrith intelligence was struggling. Beyond the immediate clearing, a sharp eye might catch sight of a hint of pink. A torn piece of soft pink fabric had been caught in some thistles growing by a small stream. Further beyond, the faint outline of a boot could be spotted in the mud of the riverbank on the far side. If someone was especially lucky, they might even notice a wisp of what seemed to be a straw-like material caught on the rough bark of an ancient tree.
Calendar Event
On the morning of the 23rd, the two infant daughters of Jarls Jerith Gofrith and Serena Crovan were found missing from their cribs. A frantic search ensues and soon there are posters all throughout Raelia asking for aid in finding the two young daughters. By midday, a formal search party has been organized. Some evidence points towards rival Jarls, but it seems as though the kidnappers went south towards Myrkvior Forest or beyond to Fensalir and the towns to the south.
The Jarl clad in furs with wild hair and a look in her eyes to match was pacing the forest clearing amid the fallen leaves of Vhalar. Several members of the guard had gathered hunting dogs, that were yapping at all the activity. Baby clothes and blankets were being shoved at the dogs’ noses in attempt to get them to catch the scent of the trail, but the scene was chaotic at best with more and more searchers arriving.
Jarl Gofrith strode over to his distressed wife and grasped her wrist forcefully to stop her pacing. Although his white shirt was ruffled and out of place, his youth and handsome attire contrasted sharply from her barbarian look.
“Serena, my gulls will be back with information on House Imair any moment now. They were sent the moment we discovered it, but for now the hounds have led us here. I care about Svaria and Myrvia just as much as you do.”
Serena Crovan only gave him a backwards glance and let out an echoing screech of anguish into the sky. With incredible force, Serena threw a small disk of wood that she had been carrying into the ground, and it partially embedded itself from the impact. Jarl Gofrith looked at it uncertainly, but the decided to attempt to console his wife. Should someone pick it up to inspect it, they would find that it was about the size of a coaster with a polished finish that brought out its natural beauty of a tree trunk. However, etched upon its surface were the words, “Actions have Consequences”. With a bit of inquiry, any member of the search party would say that it had been found under the cushions of Myrvia’s empty crib. Neither Myrvia nor Svaria had been seen all morning.
A group of riders suddenly thundered into the clearing. The cries of gulls deafened the forest as a swarm of white feathers surged through the trees.
“What news?! Are the twins at the Imair estate? Are they safe?” Gofrith asked insistently as the leader of the riders dismounted.
“They said Eric Imair was not at home and that they didn’t know anything about Svaria and Myrvia,” the rider replied. “Of course, we didn’t believe them. Our men and our gulls scoured the grounds and questioned servant after servant. We tore the place apart but all we could conclude was that Eric Imair had gone out with a hunting party early this morning. If this is where the hounds brought you, then this must be where he went.”
Jarl Gofrith’s disappointment was clear. It was one trail gone cold but at least they were more certain of their current trail. If anything, it would help keep his wife from trying to dash across the countryside to burn down the Imair estate. Something she had threatened on more than one occasion that trial.
“Fifty gold nel to anyone who finds the trail or whose hound catches the scent!” Jarl Gofrith shouted and there was renewed efforts among the guards and any of the searchers who had joined the party after seeing one of the fliers posted around Raelia.
There were at least two or three dozen people, many of them wrecking havoc on any possible clues such as a snapped twig or disturbed leaves. The Crovans were like fish out of water and even the Gofrith intelligence was struggling. Beyond the immediate clearing, a sharp eye might catch sight of a hint of pink. A torn piece of soft pink fabric had been caught in some thistles growing by a small stream. Further beyond, the faint outline of a boot could be spotted in the mud of the riverbank on the far side. If someone was especially lucky, they might even notice a wisp of what seemed to be a straw-like material caught on the rough bark of an ancient tree.
OOC
Feel free to get your characters situated and start discovering some of the clues. I'll be taking the lead on the Jarls and any key intelligence officers. Miscellaneous searchers can be used and will generally be helpful in the search for the two infant daughters.
