A Secret Meeting

Jun 7, 2017Burning Wheel

My name is Eran Bruno. I am a Sergeant at Arms in the 2nd Company under the Lowe family standard. I occasionally have the honor to serve as a personal guard to our commander Lord Sabri Lowe. It all began at a secret meeting of unaligned city states and territories at the winery estate of Lord Sabri Lowe. Count Robert Lowe had called the meeting in an attempt to unify the various houses. With civil war brewing in Grandahl, it was important to secure these critical alliances.  There were representatives from eight families in attendance: the houses Selander, DeMarest, Laurent, Devier, Bourbon, Castillon, Desmond and the Westerlinds. Also in attendance were representatives of the Church of Honor and Justice and the Church of Justice though they were not invited.

The meeting was scheduled to last three days. The representatives of the various families were housed at carefully selected guest manors around the estate. The uninvited representatives of Justice and Honor and Justice were housed in the officer housing at the edge of the estate. The first day of meetings went as expected. There were no incidences. Count Robert Lowe met separately with members of the houses and tried to resolve the various differences. By the time the tables were being set for the welcome dinner it was clear to this humble soldier who was on board with an alliance and who was not.

The Dinner

I was stationed with a few of my men behind the Lords Sabri and Robert Lowe at the great table. I had a very good view of the cavernous wine cellar that served as a dining hall. The mood was largely relaxed with the exception of the representatives of the two churches. The Church of Justice sent the uncompromising High Priestess Angela Bianca. She glared across the hall at High Priestess Stora Ward from the Church of Honor and Justice, who arrived with a Richter named Sebastian and the half orc Fury Erela. They also were accompanied by a strange, twitchy man covered in arcane symbols and talismans. I later found out that his name was Chambers Chamberlin and that he was a member of an ill fated minor noble house. I watched as Lord Robert circulated amongst the guests. I could tell that he was still trying to convince the wealthy  Bourbon family and the military family of Desmond of the benefits of an alliance. It did not look like it was going well. Lord Sabri’s estate manager known only as Carver maintained a firm hand on the event occasionally sending his assistant – a new arrival by the name of Mouse, on various errands. The DeMarest family arrived with a guest of their house: Lady Elindra Lawlor. They were particularly vocal in being in favor of an alliance. All in all things seemed to be going as well as one might expect.

The Carriage

I was standing to the right of Lord Sabri Lowe when one of our perimeter guards: Thayne burst into the hall. He told Lord Sabri that black carriage emblazoned with a crest of three ravens in flight had been stopped on the road passing the estate. The carriage had been going at full speed. Lord Sabri was more that a little suspicious that they were on the private road that ran next to the estate and not on the main road.