Autumn song.

 If there was a theme to the weekend it was 'Bodyguard'.

I arrived without mishap and this time knew where I was going, Hello Bastardi! Hello world!

Collect pack, go for a wander, collect money for a couple of newspaper articles I sent in and meet some fellow Oathwrite journos. 

Then the big event of the evening, Senator Uberto's party to celebrate his election, many guests, much fizz, beer and bards! But I had taken on the role of bodyguard and general aid to Uberto. Long knife tucked in against my forearm. No one, myself included, really thought there was much danger of an assasination attempt or even an angry citizen/rival but it was fun to play out and added to the 'West wing' kinda feel. 

Saturday was hot and with a 100% chance of wasps. I forget people get really angsty about wasps because I just ignore them. 

I was kitted up and ready for battle relatively early and wearing my waffenrock because I didn't want to die in my shirt sleaves. I am from the league you know!  

A contract had been threshed out at Guise tavern for us to fight for Dawn, and prioritise protecting one of their Earls. 

Through the gate, the enemy were the most dispised of orcs, the sneaky Druj.  

Two of us Bastardi were to stick close to the Earl although we couldn't stop him doing a bit of fighting and just joined in as support.

Then something clunked me in the head. Whut? Had I been hit by an orc from the bush? No. It was an arrow. I stumbled back. Was there anything terrible about being hit in the head by an arrow? They disable limbs after all. No, just damage. (Hitting people in the head is discouraged but can't be helped with missiles)

All missions complete and me sporting a bandage, we got the Earl back home in one piece. 

But one of our company almost didn't, having been poisoned and barely making it, assisted, off the field to the hospital where they were initially stumped as to what the poison was.. just coming up with an antidote with about a minute to spare.  However we didn't know that until he later showed up alive! 

I did a little trading with brooches I'd painted, some with generic designs, some with a particular house, guild or family symbol I'd found online. Sure enough the latter sold quite well, targetted customers! 

An amusement of the afternoon was a tournament in glory square but very much spruced up with football chants and squires duelling wits.

And also on amusments that evening saw 'The Empire song contest' with an act from each nation performing, all vocal or acoustic, I would love to find those songs on spotify to hear them again but obviously they exist only there. I fell asleep to the sound of voices singing from the woods. 

Sunday. Monstering day for us, the Anvil breakers marched again, and part of our brief.. be a bodyguard to the generals impetuous son in his first battle! and defend the Jotun army standard. Both of these aims would fail, it's a hard life for a monster, though orcs have feeling too!  (I sometimes think another word should have been chosen because (Druj aside!) these orcs can be honourable and some even fight for the empire, they are not Lord of the rings orcs. 

I suffered one comedy death when hit in the back of the head (this time) by one of our own archers, I turned around slowly and shouted 'You're on my side!' at the guilty archer, then toppled over like a fallen tree.

The rest of the day was largely sitting under our sun awning in camp until mid afternoon when the weather threatened to turn into a storm and less robust tents came down before it came, and went.

Goodbyes were made and winter plans suggested, most regions have froth-meets for drinks or even social in character events, but the four big summits were done.

A last tale is the strange and tragic case of the mithril man. Shortly before the end of the day shouts of alarm and a chase was seen from the Navarri wood across our League camp and into Marcher territory. Rumour escalated. The mithril man had been murdered! 

Apparently the bodyguard he had employed all weekend had been dismissed as it started raining and the day was nearly done. Five minutes later he was dead. Killed in cold blood by two Vuruskans, although a rumour persists of a third assailent behind a grassy knoll. 

The remarkable thing has been the huge outpouring of sorrow and rememberance of this long standing character and his cry. Completely eclipsing the news of a new ruler of the entire Empire!  Rest in peace Mithril man. I almost feel tearful, it's ridiculous! 

Only my second event but I felt so much more that I knew what I was doing and how the world worked. Still many mysteries out there though. 

And now it is 'the long dark'. The months until spring when the next summit occurs. I have invested in more materials for making more brooches and pendants and maybe one day I shall be Joachim the merchant prince! And shortly after that, the Emperor! Mu ha ha ha ha!