You pass the guards through heavy oak doors into the keep.

Serpentis Keep, Kashfa(#8163RL)

        The central headquarters of the barony is Serpentis Keep. This large, ominous structure is clearly a military fortification. Two guards stand inside the doors at all times, armored in full plate, armed with wicked halbards. Serpentis Keep serves as offices to the officers, as well as a central meeting place. It is fully staffed with servants and a small kitchen. The brick walls offer no warmth, nor the marble floors. The occasional sconce holds lanterns that shed only enough light to get around in. The various rooms are better lit with firepits.

Obvious exits:

Baron's Solar Parade Grounds

You walk through the door.

Baron's Solar, Serpentis Keep (Kashfa)

        This room is not as cold or dark as the rest of the keep. A fireplace and heavy decorative rugs keep it in warmth. Hard leather couches and studded chairs are arranged around the hearth as well as the middle of the room. Oil lanterns provide a textured light. A small bookcase holds several of Dalt's journels, written by hand. A shield with his coat of arms (the lion rending the unicorn, both on hind legs) hangs between twin battle axes on the wall. A painting of Baroness India depends above the fireplace.

        Wood-framed doorways lead to a bed chamber as well as a nursery. An older woman named Maura with ice blue eyes and pale blond hair tends the nursery. She wears stiff leather armor and is heavily armed, despite her function.

Contents:

Dalt

Wulf

Obvious exits:

Door

        This man is big, larger than even the Baron himself. He acts as a sentry and personal guard to Baron Dalt and his family. He is a young man, bald, with tanned skin and large blue eyes. He wears armor made of a combination of chain and hides, almost nomadic in appearance. A warhammer is lashed to his back while a large knife and small crossbow depend from his leather belt.

Erika enters, being escorted, and then looks at Dalt as she sees him.

Dalt sits comfortably with some fruit. His gauntlets lay beside him, as does his blade. Wulf is near the door, and you. "Where the fuck you blow in from?"

Erika looks at Wulf, briefly, then Dalt. The voice is frighteningly similar. "Vrokk."

Dalt says "What does some Vrokk-trash want in Serpentis."

Erika replies, finally pushing her collar down now that she's indoors, "To talk to you. My mother's dead, and she said to find you when that happened."

You say "And it took a fucking long time to find you."

Dalt says "Watch your mouth in my home."

Dalt says "Who's your momma."

Erika says, after a moment, "Sorry. Vierna."

Dalt frowns, looking down to the grapes in his hands. "Vierna...fuck. You here to haunt me her death?"

Erika runs a hand through her hair, and says, voice controlled and hiding the fact that the news about her mother still hurts, "I guess. She said she owed you, and that you wouldn't let her pay you, and that she needed me to. And I love her, and I'm here."

Dalt sets his fruit aside. "You here. To pay her debt. What makes you think I would accept you instead of her."

Erika mutters, "I don't know. Maybe she thought you could always use an extra sword. Or an artist. She taught me to be both. I did tattoos in Vrokk."

Dalt says "I don't need any tattoos. Swords are dime a dozen. Your blood, if it's real, too fiery."

You say "I'd bet my blood that my blade's better than your dime a dozen."

You say "I'm not Mother, but I'm better than anyone not of the blood you can muster."

Wulf snorts, very Dalt-like.

Dalt says "You got a deal Vrokk. You take Wulf here, I consider giving you a job."

Erika turns, and looks up, and at, the big man.

Wulf makes a big grin.

You say "Fuck."

Dalt says "Blades, to second blood, outside."

Dalt rises.

Erika takes a step back, as if just to make sure the man isn't going to crush her, before waiting to be shown out.

Wulf leads the way.

Wulf has left.

Dalt walks out the door into the greater keep.

Dalt has left.

You walk out the door.

Serpentis Keep, Kashfa(#8163RL)

        The central headquarters of the barony is Serpentis Keep. This large, ominous structure is clearly a military fortification. Two guards stand inside the doors at all times, armored in full plate, armed with wicked halbards. Serpentis Keep serves as offices to the officers, as well as a central meeting place. It is fully staffed with servants and a small kitchen. The brick walls offer no warmth, nor the marble floors. The occasional sconce holds lanterns that shed only enough light to get around in. The various rooms are better lit with firepits.

Contents:

Dalt

Obvious exits:

Baron's Solar Parade Grounds

Dalt leaves the keep, going out.

Dalt has left.

You leave the keep.

Serpentis Parade Grounds, Kashfa(#8132RJ)

        This fort sits on a vast stretch of flatland that is heavily trampled by boot and hoof alike. The ground is mostly fine dirt and near-dead grass. High walls of timber and stone mark the borders of this new base, twelve feet tall, and shaped as an octagon with high guard towers built at each of the eight points. The gate is always kept closed, it is made of thick oak, reinforced with iron bars. Archers are at the ready in all of the towers, which are connected via the wall top. A two story brick keep dominates the western potion of the grounds. A banner hangs from it, the lion rending the unicorn, Dalt's standard. To the south stands the barracks also created of bricks. Between the barracks and gates the stables can be found. Mounted patrols arrive and leave regularly.

Contents:

Wulf

Dalt

Obvious exits:

Keep Gate

Dalt and Wulf walk out a few paces. Several soldiers take notice, pausing to see what is going on.

You say "What's this guy do anyway?"

Erika points at Wulf.

Dalt pulls his blade free of its scabbard. "He's my personal bodyguard." He hands the sword to Wulf, who trades Dalt his warhammer.

Erika withdraws her own sword, clearly a trump blade, though it's glitter is gone, indicating a trump that no longer works. She also sheds her jacket.

Wulf takes a few test swings and steps towards you, brimming with confidence.

Erika drops the point of her blade to the ground, drawing a straight line with a smooth motion that kicks a little dust up. She looks at Wulf, and says in a purr, "Come an' git me, big boy."

Wulf's muscles flex in a massive swing, his blade arcing towards you just as he steps towards the line.

Erika skids back in the dirt, dropping rapidly; a bit of her hair is 'swept' off, and she grabs the coat she discarded and throws it at Wulf. Her blade begins to come up, then, in the other hand, an inverse of the big man's arc.

While Wulf is swift for his size, not as swift as you. Your coat catches him in the face, his blade is knocked to the side wildly. He grasps at the jacket with his free hand.

Erika reaches out, madly slashing at Wulf's hand, though she steps back too rapidly, off balance, to score anything other than the lightest of cuts. She's afraid of that blade coming around and cleaving her in half.

The blade doesn't come right away, and you score blood. However, his hand tears the jacket away from his face and he looks mad. Wulf growls and squats, swinging low.

Erika propels herself, throwing herself over the blade. However, her blade connects, and rather than let go her slender flame goes flipping, hitting on her back /hard/, as breath goes out of her. her already dull eyes look glazed.

Wulf pins your blade down, his backhanded fist hurtling towards your jaw.

More than just a few soldiers have begun to gather and watch. Even the guards on the wall and in the towers.

Erika tugs, and tu- the sound of a mallet hitting skull is clear and dull. She goes flying again, hitting the ground a good couple of feet away. She gets up, jaw already bruised and her pretty mouth smeared with a cut lip.

Dalt smiles, watching closely. "Next blood wins."

Wulf shifts his sword from hand to hand, grimacing with determination. he has a good game face.

Erika looks at her blade, under Wulf's foot; touches her cut lip, looking at the blood. And promptly reaches down to her boots, pulling previously hidden stilhettos from within them. She stays crouched, looking at the larger man, knives at the ready.

Wulf snarls, and charges.

Erika back pedals, and then drops the knives, promptly realizing that was a stupid move. Of all things she tears part of her shirt, enough to get a long strand of cloth, and charges to meet him.

You paged Dalt with 'brb'.

Wulf's swing comes from the side, powerful and without regard for your health.

Erika reaches out, clawing blatantly at Wulf's face with nails sharpened, a la Vrokk. The cloth? Used to try to take the edge as she presses her hand against the flat of the blade. Does it work? She pushes herself in so the brunt of the blade will be behind her, and attempts to push the flat of the blade down; the resulting sound indicates her hand promptly breaks, which adds a shriek and more power to her fingers.

Wulf grunts as his mass takes him in the direction you take him. Your swipe breaks the skin of his face, his sword slicing your hand open.

Dalt squints.

Wulf steps back, out of engagement, and lifts his hand to his face. Wiping, he looks at his palm before showing Dalt "Blood."

Erika falls to her knees, then, hoping that Wulf doesn't beat the hell out of her. Her eyes are clenched shut, and she clasps the cut with her otherh and, using the cloth to stop the blood, or try. However, almost immediatly it begins running down her arm and onto the ground.

Dalt looks over Erika. Wulf just stands there.

Dalt says "What's your name, girl."

Erika says, voice distorted by pain, "E-Erik-a." She opens tear shot eyes, blood now more profuse; she can't press hard against the snapped bones.

Dalt nods.

Dalt says "Wulf."

Wulf looks to Dalt.

Erika looks between Wulf and Dalt.

Dalt says "Take Erika to the infirmary, have the medics patch her up. Then take her to the Pigs Snout, get her a room and a meal."

Wulf nods.

Wulf steps over to trade weapons with Dalt again.

Erika pushes herself to her feet, and walks towards her blade.

Wulf says, "Your lucky Erika. Sword isn't my weapon." He moves to kindly help you towards the infirmary.

Dalt says "Erika."

Erika accepts Wulf's help after getting her blade with her good hand, her scrap cloth now red rather than black. She turns and looks at Dalt, tryign as hard as possible to hide the pain she's clearly in.

Dalt says "Get all that shit out of your face and into some period clothing. Wulf will bring you to Begma after you heal."

Dalt says "You got a job."

Wulf smiles and congratulates, "Het Erika, you got a job."

Erika says through clenched teeth, "Great." She leans against him, partially, trying to simply not pass out as she walks.