The Plot Thickens

The Feast of Flowers was a disaster. Though the party that answered the call of the Duke was able to rescue one of the King's sons, they were unable to recover the other. 

I, Comes Elias, after an unfortunate delay, finally arrived at Duke Etienne’s castle after this incident. I found that the drawbridge was closed and the Duke was ensconced inside. Just then, Jayden Rannal, one of our scouts, approached me.

This is Jayden's tale:

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I was approached on my journey back from the Feast of Flowers by an old friend, a female dark elf from my childhood. As my loyal mustang approached my home, her figure emerged from the tree line. As the rain fell, each drop was an explosion compared to the uncomfortable silence between us. 

"Haven't seen you in a while....", I said without turning my head and unpacking my horse. Still, she stood and said nothing. I continued to remove my bags and carry them to the house. I turned to look at her, standing in the gentle shower. "Well? Was there something you wanted?" 

She turned and began to walk back into the forest. I shrugged and turned to walk into the house when I heard her say, "They were hired..." 

I froze, my mind spinning at the possibilities opened by those words. "By who?". 

"...by us," her words stung into I and I turned only to find wet trees. Orcs, hired by the dark elves. But why? Ransom? Negotiation? I walked into the house and dropped my bags on the floor. As I walked deeper inside, I found a wrapped item on the table. I stepped towards it and picked it up. It was lighter than he expected. Was it empty? As I untied it, all I found was a symbol, which looked like a magic circle of some kind. I placed it in my pocket and left the house. Mounting my horse, I rode through the rain. Each drop felt like a thorn on my cheek. Luckily, the Duke's carriage was still near after the Feast and rescue. I road until I caught up to them. As I approached, the guards turned to stop me. 

"Duke! They were hired by the dark elves!" I yelled so that it could be heard in the carriage. The Duke opened the door. "Let him approach," the Duke ordered the guards. I approached and entered the carriage. I saw the Duke with concern in my eyes, and my rescued nephew wrapped in a blanket next to him. "What do you know?" I handed him the wrapping with the symbol, "The orcs were hired by the dark elves. I'm not sure why, but it has something to do with that marking." The Duke opened it and his eyes grew wide, "The seal!" I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it was something important. I did not ask, as it was not my place. "His blood, they need the King's blood to break it. But if they do...they can't be allowed to!" 

The Duke looked up and proclaimed, "We must take action now!" 

"But your grace, your nephew is most likely in an Orc den. That's if we are lucky. If we are not, he could be anywhere. Going into a den is dangerous. That's why we normally set fire to the entrance and kill them as they come out escaping the flames." 

"It doesn't matter how dangerous it is. The alternative is unthinkable." 

The Duke stood and leaned out of the carriage, calling for Gaston, his right-hand man.

“Gaston!” the Duke commanded, "Blow the horn and gather the troops. Whoever answers the call will have to do."

"To rescue your nephew, your Grace?" asked Gaston.

The Duke looked back with a mix of fear and shame in his eyes, "To stop the Dark Elves. If you can save him, do it, but his death may serve us better. In the meantime, I must protect Omri"
With that, the Duke ordered his carriage to proceed back to his castle. With a crack of a whip, the carriage was off.

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After Jayden gave his report, another scout approached me. Someone they tracked down the orcs involved in the raid and found their den. I am not sure what the dark elves are up to, but we now have a target. I shall prepare my men for a raid on the orc den. Hopefully, we can rescue the prince.

OOC NOTES

This story is a prelude to our event next Saturday.

Jayden's tale is courtesy of RJ. I made some minor tweaks to fit it into the planned narrative (specifically to allow Elias a role).