Changes to the Neighborhood

[King Redgar Karligar]

Cause for concern regarding the Skandia had finally come to a head when they had taken over Rosterford. Concern was replaced with urgency when the Skaldi named the city New Skaldira. That small change was enough to cause Katrina to send the Duke on a mission. With the Karligars economy crippled and a dearth of craftsmen willing and able to help, the Skaldi could pose a considerable threat. Redgar levied the forces he could and set out to New Skaldira with a small vanguard of fifty men. More troops would follow if it was necessary.

Redgar didn't think it would be. The Skaldi respected strength. The Karligars had shown just how strong they were. They held a choke hold on trade in the region between Korasus, and the rest of the country, and soon they would control major crossroads in the heart of the country. They had been strangling the surrounding area for months, depriving them of necessary Korasuan aid.

This chokehold he had come to understand was militarily important for the Alliance. They needed it to stop. They couldn't legally do anything about it. Other routes were too dangerous or time consuming.

Therefore Redgar had a simple objective in New Skaldira. A trade. Craftsmen for looser restrictions on Skaldi traffic and goods through his land.

He and his vanguard awaited outside of New Skaldira then. They would not just break in. That would be disrespectful.

[Azuloth]

It would be some time before the guards of the town would pass along the message that there were forces camped outside the walls. They had already patched the holes in the defenses from when they took the city over. The Skaldi Resistance Front had most of their military strength positioned in the city. A few hundred cavalry was nothing compared to what they could mobilize. Those humans could wait.

And wait they would, for two days, before an envoy would come out flanked by a pair of Saurian Berserkers. The envoy was a male serpent skaldi. His tongue flicked back and forth, in and out, of his mouth. He scanned the lord with his heat pits and smelled the air.

"Who iss the leader of thiss contingent? Is it you... canissritter?"

[King Redgar Karligar]

Lo, finally!

After some days of loitering outside the towns walls there was an envoy sent to receive the Duke. He stood up, dusted himself off and went to meet with them. The Skaldi was a viper type, an interesting twist on what he had thought the Skaldi resistance front was about. He expected more Saurians than anything, like the two berserker that were flanking the envoy.

"Yes! My good... snake. I am Duke Redgar Karligar. I've come to negotiate a trade."

[Azuloth]

"Am not snake, ape. I will relay your message to our leaderssship. Remain here."

He slithered back to the city leaving the two berserkers there to be menacing. The envoy proceeded directly to Karvan's home, which was the main tower that dominated the town. Let's be honest, after the Skaldi's assault it couldn't be considered a Keep at all. The halls were still stained with blood. It would be over an hour before Karvan would see the envoy that had been sent out. Obviously this wasn't on his list of things that were important. The envoy would find Karvan languishing in the middle of a room, chewing on the bones of some kind of animal, unidentifiable by the bits in the gigantic Skaldi's mouth.

"There is duke Karligar here at the gates."

"What does he want?"

"He wants to negotiate trade deal between us."

"Hmm. Good. See what he wants."

"I will my chief."

The Shadowscales envoy returned to the town and took his time shopping before heading towards the gates. He finished his lunch before leaving to meet with the Duke again. In all, the man would have waited a good five hours before receiving the envoy a second time.

"The chief is willing to listen to your demands. What are they? I will relay them to him, and return with his answer."

[King Redgar Karligar]

"Ah."

Redgar was a little surprised. He'd thought he'd be welcomed in, there'd be food and drink involved, maybe a warm bed or some for of other hospitality. The Skaldi's diplomatic response left the Duke feeling put out. But Katrina would try to kill him if he failed, and in turn he'd have to murder her.

"Yes. Well this leaves some hospitality to be desired. Very well. My conditions are this. I will loosen regulations for you and your kind passing through my land and being on my land in exchange for a mutual defensive agreement and access to your town and craftsmen."

---

Diplomacy check:
Negotiator I (unlearned)
Threshold: 10

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[Azuloth]

The Skaldi snorted and hissed, then turned and left once again. This time the berserkers came with him. There was no response otherwise. The Skaldi would not let Duke Redgar into the city. After several more hours, close to night fall, an answer would come to the Duke in the form of a Skaldi Berserker. This one was different from the ones before. Large, with red scales, and armed to the teeth. He looked like he could take on dozens of men on his own. He snarled at the duke, and pointed to the road.

"Karvan the Devourer is not impressed by your offer or your attempt at insult. You are to leave immediately or die."

---

Diplomacy Check: Failed.

Saurian Berserker
HP: 620/620
Stm: 217/217
MP: 340/340

The Saurian Berserker will attack if the order is not complied with.

[King Redgar Karligar]

Once again he was made to wait an inhospitable amount of time and once again he was negatively impressed by it. It was as if the lizards had no concept of negotiation or civil discourse. This setback was infuriating. He stood there feeling helpless in front of his men. He wanted to attack, but his tactical part of his mind told him that he'd lose against the Skaldi standing before him and all his troops would die.

The Katrina would be the Duchess of Karligar.

That thought brought him to a cold sweat.

"Farewell then, Skaldi. Perhaps another time."

That was the most diplomatic thing he could think to say. He rounded up his men and marched them back to Karligar.