Beta Logs
Log of the execution of Vex, pulled from the RoE Forums. I'm a little foggy on this event (probably because I wasn't there), but I think that Vex attempted to overthrow Yurt, and had attacked or killed several guardsmen in his efforts.
This log contains excerpts of posts from the old UL Forum, which explain the events leading up to the funeral of Imperial Guardsman Ferris.
In brief, the story goes something like this: King Cedric II, newly recovered from the illness which laid him low, holds a sparring match before the gates of the Palace to demonstrate his renewed health. Over the next few days, Cedric gives several speeches condemning Yurt's actions during his Regency and pledges to investigate both the treaty with Talone and the sale of the docks to the Vash.
A few days later, King Cedric II dies.
Immediately after Cedric's state funeral, violence breaks out at the Palace; Imperial Guard Junior Lieutenant Ferris is found dead in Vek's room with a knife in his back, and the Crown Prince turns up missing. Select members of his entourage have also vanished -- Governess Sarafina, Royal Chirurgeon Krale, and Imperial Guard Lieutentant Bosen. The knife used to kill Ferris is later identified as having belonged to Lieutenant Bosen. (I think Balken, Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard made the identification, but I'm not sure.)
Lord Yurt assumes the Regency and issues a reward for any information leading to the recovery of Prince Vek or his companions.
Log of Regent Yurt's speech outside the Palace, announcing the 100,000 (!) imperial reward for the safe return of the Crown Prince. You can get a feel for the mood of the crowd here, as there are numerous arrests and even a futile assassination attempt upon the Regent -- one of many, as it turned out. The enormous pile of flowers gradually accumulated at the gates in the days following Cedric's death.
Rumors fly as a golden cufflink belonging to Duke Hasborn is found in an unusual place. To understand the end of this log, you'll need to know that Thal had recently held a Q&A in Malcomb Palace and allowed the players the run of the place afterwards.
Fervent attempts to present Hasborn's cufflink to the guards at the palace gates. Rumor had it that Fervent and Tyrza found the cufflink in Vek's room during the OOC outing mentioned above, but that sounds pretty odd to me; normally the staff was very clear about separating IC and OOC, as seen by the puzzlement of the guards at the gate when Selona claimed she'd been in the Queen's room. In any case, Fervent later presented the cufflink to Lord Yurt at the funeral for Ferris (see below).
Imperial Guard Junior Lieutenant Ferris
Denita's post in the old UL Forum about the funeral is presented here.
During Yurt's Regency, Tax Collector Rade paid frequent visits to the Crossroads Inn. In this particular log, Thibbledorf goes bonkers.
One of the Crown Prince's buttons is allegedly found in Duke Hasborn's quarters, and he becomes a fugitive as evidence mounts against him. In this log, Jurion runs into Hasborn atop the city walls, and the Duke has a brief chance to defend himself before things get crazy. Langret makes an appearance, Hasborn is arrested, and a small group of conspirators begins to form. At the very end of the log, Denita and Rowen explain their connection to Langret, and how the Black Rose became involved with him in the first place.
Rhiovasta's log of the public interrogation of Duke Hasborn and Lord Yurt by Balken, Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard. A bit of back story needs to be explained in order for the end of this log to make sense: a week or so earlier, a character known as Kane Zen had killed and eaten the priest in Blackfish. Quite a few people tried to track him down and execute him for his crime, one of whom (I think) was Grimmlokk. As the trial is concluding, Kane ambushes Grimmlokk in Contrition Square, killing him. Langret attacks Kane, but misses, and when Kane slips into the shadows, Langret's next blow tears Kaneth into bloody chunks.
Picking up immediately after "The Trial of Hasborn and Yurt," this fairly short interim log tells what happens to Kaneth after his unfortunate encoutner with Langret, and follows Langret's group to the cabin in the woods, setting the stage for the next log.
The fateful meeting in the cabin, where the nascent group of rebels first learn the story of Lord Colonel Langret and the Queen's Champion, Lady Sondra.
After their "trial," Yurt and Hasborn were held under guard in the Palace for a few days, but their sojourn was hardly uneventful. While undergoing interrogation by Junior Guardsman Danura, Duke Hasborn kills himself, cutting his own throat with either a weapon taken from a guard or a knife smuggled into the cell (I never found out which). Lord Yurt, meanwhile, asks for Ayron to hear his confession, and this log contains the main points of that confession, from Rhiovasta's point of view.
Yurt spends the day in the stocks as penance for his misdeeds.
More of Yurt in the stocks, this time from a post Edana made to the old UL Forum. Denita reveals some of what Langret told the Renegades in the cabin, and Yurt fingers Hasborn for the disappearance of Prince Vek.
After his time in the stocks, Yurt is restored to the Regency. This log contains his first public appearance after his penance, and his promise to right the wrongs he committed against Kaezar. At the end of his speech, he collapses and is carried into the Palace.
Four citizens are allowed into the palace to treat the wounds Yurt recieved during his time in the stocks. This log was originally posted to the old UL Forum by Selona and overlaps the end of "The High Council Has Decided," above.
As the plot thickened, Selona created a mailing list for the players involved in Langret's plans, and this log was originally posted to that list. In it, Langret meets with Pariah and Selona, revealing that he has learned where Prince Vek is being held... and plans to storm the Palace to rescue him.
Langret leads an armed raid on Malcomb Palace to free Prince Vek from his prison in the West Tower.
The Renegades escort Vek, Sarafina, Bosen, and Krale south of the Fenway and put them into the custody of Lady Sondra.
Official scroll announcing the raid on the Palace, as well as the murder of Balken, Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard. A reward is offered for the capture of Langret, Lady Sondra, and the rest of the "group of rebels." This log is pretty entertaining, if only for the spin Lord Yurt tries to put on Vek's second disappearance from the Palace.
Denita, Pariah and Jurion bring Kitten, Thibbledorf, and Berich into the conspiracy. During the conversation, they hear that the Regent will be giving a public announcement the following evening... presumably regarding the raid on the Palace.
Log of Yurt's speech about the vile acts committed by the rebels, in which he offers his rather interesting theories about what happened the night we broke into the Palace. Suspicion falls on Rowen, tension is in the air, and a very drunk Selona puts the moves on an Imperial Guard Ensign.
The rebels begin to fracture. Jurion intercepts Selona speaking publicly about her involvement with Langret, and reports her to Rowen, Pariah, and Martaigne. Several days after this log, Selona did it again, except this time she was arrested and slapped into the stocks, which leads into what happened next.
Before the events of this log, Selona had been arrested and thrown into the stocks in Punishment Square. A crowd gathered, she was questioned, and Yurt arrived to take her into custody at the Palace. Before she could be taken away, Langret intervened, fought his way through the guards (killing one of them), and rescued her. They fled to Kemstead, where the rest of the rebels were holed up in the inn. Unfortunately, pursuit wasn't far behind. This log begins as they are fleeing from the guards.
Log of a letter Jurion wrote to Dara. At this point things were in total chaos -- the orcs were on the march towards Kaezar, the orcish assassin mentioned in "The Inn at Kem" had redoubled his attacks and was now mentally assaulting Rowen, Dara, and Kitten, and suspected associates of the Renegades were being arrested and beaten at every turn. Previous to this letter, Strider and Kitten had been taken into custody; Kitten was released with the news that Strider would be killed if the Renegades did not surrender. Strider was beaten to death in jail before Langret could rescue him, but his body was recovered and he was resurrected.
Jurion had more or less rejoined the Renegades, as the group opinion seemed to be that it was only a matter of time before they were found out anyway (mainly due to Selona), and whatever had happened to him in jail was nothing he needed to be ashamed of. Of all the Renegades, Dara and Denita were the only ones who took Jurion to task for his confession; Dara especially gave him one hell of a tongue-lashing after he said something rude to Strider, which resulted in this letter.
Talone's forces overrun Kaezar, and the Regent strikes a deal with the Ghundkind. This log is very long and is for the most part undedited.
Runic had been named Traitor for attacking Yurt during his surrender to the Ghundkind. In this log, Hagar attempts to tell a story with a happy ending, but a melee with Runic and the guards provides an unwelcome interruption. Near the end of the log Jurion has an altercation with an Imperial Guard Colonel, and tells Erden what's been going on.
Debates raged among the populace as guard fought Renegade through the streets of Kaezar. Most of the Renegades moved across the Fenway as the violence around them increased. A conclave was held on the rocky outcrop outside the city to address the situation, attended by a number of Renegades and citizens. Among those present was Junior Guardsman Morlos, who in this log is meeting with Leilyn, Kitten, and Jurion atop the outcrop to discuss some of the theories he'd put forth earlier.
After witnessing Morlos' death, Jurion goes down to the Crossroads and gets very, very, very drunk. An oddly edited log about two ragged old ladies, a rusty pin, and spilling the beans to Rhiovasta and Junior Guardsman Cresen.
Yurt addresses the crowd and condemns Langret for the murder of Junior Guardsman Morlos. A grand funeral was held for Morlos in the park at the end of Prism Road, east of the Southron Gate, and I think it was at this event that clemency was granted to the Renegades.
A fire sweeps an area south of the city, driving a pair of pixies from their forest home. More about the pixies was posted in the old UL Forum, but the fire is important for another reason, as this official scroll relates.
Lady Sondra meets her fate in Punishment Square.
Immediately after the execution, Yurt announced that the Palace would be sponsoring the annual Maedin Tournament, which was taken by some to be an attempt at "bread and circuses" for the unhappy citizens of Kaezar. This log contains the complete text of the treasonous drawings which circulated in Kaezar in the days following Sondra's execution and the official scrolls announcing the Tournament.
Royal Chirurgeon Biton appeared in town several times to report on Sarafina's condition. This very short log contains part of one of those appearances.
The tail end of a discussion with Chirurgeon Biton about Governess Sarafina's condition, and ends with a quick look at the Tournament signups with Guildmaster Bison and Lady Ambassador Caritas. After Jurion found out the matches would be held in Kemstead, he dropped about a dozen books in the Maedin Society booths.
This is the official scroll posted at the Crossroads Inn regarding the "treasonous materials ... being distributed around our fair town." Copies of the scroll were also up in the usual locations.
Some time after the second book was circulated and the official scroll appeared around town, the Imperial Guard began a campaign of random searches and arrests. Anyone found with a book was held and questioned, and all writing materials were confiscated. In this log, Tax Collector Rade is looting citizens outside the Crossroads, and it becomes publicly known that the Guard has issued arrest warrants for Kitten, Shadeark, and Grandever for suspicion of "treasonous activities."
As the heat is turned up, the conspirators get twitchy. This is a short log of a discussion Jurion had with Vurlak in the Silver Tankard shortly after the Guard began their crackdown.
Following the production of the second book, Shala and Jurion discuss potential subject matter for the third volume. Afterwards, Jurion runs into Calen and asks him to soothsay.
Since I Plan to Pull the Lever
A rather lengthy log which begins when an Imperial Guard asks to see the (book-filled) contents of Jurion's knapsack. Panic! Incarcerations, accusations, and a surprising test of artistic talent.
Another short view of "Since I Plan to Pull the Lever," in which Vurlak is searched after Jurion flees the Tankard, and Imperial Guardsman Lendel is introduced.
Official scroll announcing Jurion's capture and date of execution. And in "other more exciting news," the schedule for Aislynn, Dreinin, and Strider's semi-final matches for the Maedin Tourney.
Martaigne Shardleigh wrote his own version of The Broken Crown in the hopes of directing suspicion away from Jurion, who was in jail at the time this fourth volume appeared. I don't know who this book was finally attributed to, or whether Martaigne (the character, not the player) turned out to be involved or not. My copy is from an IM conversation, but another copy was eventually posted in the old UL Forum.
Dara and Strider Morden meet Aislynn and Governess Sarafina, and a substantial donation is made to a desperate cause. Sent to me by Dara's player, and logged from Dara's point of view.
Log of Jurion's botched execution and flight from Kaezar. This is all from Jurion's point of view, beginning when he's led out of the jail to Contrition Square, through Aislynn's daring rescue and his adventures in Setter's Bog (don't ask) and finishing up with the next best thing to a fairytale ending.
After Vurlak is arrested for inciting a riot, an Imperial Guard shows him why Yurt is such a benevolent Regent. This log overlaps "I Love an Execution," and takes place after Vurlak rushed the guards at the scaffold.
Official parchment announcing the reward for Jurion's recapture and the apprehension of "the vulfen woman seen fleeing the square." Lendel's fate is also proclaimed here, as well as the schedule for the final matchup of Aislynn and Strider in the Maedin Tournament.
Aislynn wrote her own book in the style of The Broken Crown after she rescued Jurion. The first and last pages were written in Grawlik, but luckily Ethan knew the language and managed to get a look at a copy while Jurion was in Sunte.
Official parchment announcing the presumed demise of Jurion Tamerlaine and the unidentified vulfen woman thought to be traveling with him. The schedule for the final Tournament match is repeated here as well.
The final match of the Maedin Tournament, with some unexpected surprises
Posted on the gates, this is Vek's proclamation congratulating Strider Morden for the Maedin Tournament win.
Vek makes Sarafina a titled noble and gives her Green Apple Gables, and the Beta phases end.