>>5686263“Now, about these humansss, in the valleysss below…”
Below Bloodrise are three baronies—Redwell, Blackpine, and Sunset Lake. Redwell is centred on a well-garrisoned settlement around a mine and above a series of underground springs. Blackpine is a loosely-scattered settlement of farmers, homesteaders, and hunters, with a baron who is (you understand from your time in Hawksong, and conversation with Eka) a knight and huntsman of some renown. Sunset Lake is a populous trading-hub (well, by the standards of this underpopulated region) and famed for its beautiful vistas and good fishing in its titular lake.
“They are weak, disorganized, and poorly defended,” the Pit-Guard notes. We could easily beat them, slaughter and steal. But to hold them… Well, maybe if we lowered the populations substantially.”
“We could do it,” asserts the Throat-singer. “We could rule this whole land.”
“It wasss one thing to attack the outposstsss of distant dwarven corporationsss,” you remind them, “but these sssettlementsss are part of the Paxxx Ferrum.”
The Pax Ferrum—also sometimes called more euphemistically the Pax Argentum. Eka and her brainwashed brother Rufos explained it to you. The Paladin Kings of Hawksong long ago established this so-called Steel (or Silver) Peace, enforced by armoured knights and silver-flashing swords. Its backbone is a guarantee of Paladin defence for any human or demihuman settlement under his aegis. The dwarves’ settlements were arguably outside of it, but these baronies are indisputably under the protection of your father-in-law and brother-in-law back in Hawksong. One is sickly (maybe even dead by now? One can dream…) and the other is a thrall to your demonic ‘aunt’, Irinnile. You could essentially forbid Hawksong to intervene… But that would break the Pax very openly, in spectacular fashion. It would no doubt shatter the Northlands asunder… if it did not simply result in an immediate coup by those blasted Paladins. It is a move you should consider carefully before undertaking. A population of 1200 is no match for the tens of thousands which the Pax could muster…
You turn from this to other subjects for a time, while you consider your options-from one troubling future foe to another.
“You have heard my edict of idnependenccce, yess?” you ask. “The Ssserpent Priesssthood… They hold no ssway here, anymore.”
(Well, except your beloved Sseztlussth, your Novice, and her oath-enforced right to veto… But she doesn’t count. She’s barely even an initiate to their political machinations, and she’s loyal to YOU over even her own sire.)
“Thoughtsss?” you ask, encouragingly.
