On Cozenage & Hostilities: A Harrowing Alliance of Duplicity of the Mareno and Ferrymen.

[Suicidium 1295]

Harmony with nature, balanced as one. 
Crops to harvest, work to be done. 
Green green fields, fresh mountain air. 
Home cooked meals, elder care. 
Peace and happiness, no despair...

A world of something special, something rare, something nothing can compare. 




To the denizens of Elysium, in times of plight and strife, peace may become difficult, as nebulous agents of duplicity seek to paint a false truth that does not reflect the testament of witnesses and guardsmen alike which were present, and shall be weighed against the annals of time. We needn’t draw arms against men of Mareno and the Ferrymen, and hadn't, for as a realm and community that has been plundered by lies and deceived by the machinations of power that be to have many of our lives and resources be robbed for the benefits of foreigners that only have their own best interests at heart.


May the ardent people of Elysium, through cooperation and the merits of mutual benefit and righteousness that, in tandem, continue to uplift the community as a linchpin of a growing hospitable heraldry that invests in her people and respective families and clans towards greater heights

Though thy adversaries wish to silence thee, Do not falter, defy them to the end. Blockladed, Raided, and Humiliated by the coalition that has been spoken of, the community shall strive to continue to survive and work for a hopeful future in which we are not exploited in such vile manners.




 

A detailed statement on the Elysium affair that fateful evening:


Decurion Togrim Heartstring-Vanari received a missive from the Ferrymen Fortress notifying him that they were coming to raid upon the Norlandic duchy of Elysium. In light of such news, our Rangers were naturally ordered to prepare for said attack which thankfully, never came in a normalized rally against the numerous raiding and hostile activities Ferrymen has conducted on its own homelands.
Already on high alert at this announcement, there was already a rally at the gatehouse when the Mareno Company arrived with a small escort of Ferrymen.. These known bandits have consistently harmed our people time and time again, entering our walls with little provocation and demanding coin and blood alike to soothe their sadistic desires.They were allowed in and had been informed of the missive originating from the Ferrymen Fortress down the valley and was subsequently offering the Maranos a more suitable meeting spot, (the tavern interior was suggested, where two meetings the same year with Jace Mareno and his company has already concluded without any problems ) to which they refused calling our people hostile in turn and growing suddenly irate which surprised the defenders present in shock and awe as they turned in dramatic fashion to run towards the walls, children in tow, and vault over it to return towards the Ferrymen Fortress down the valley. It was then, several patrolmen noticed another group of Ferrymen, an entire warband worth, sitting upon a thatched roofed home, and when they were approached, they ran in the same manner in which the Mareno entourage had left. This clearly established that the Ferrymen associates had mustered within the city and had already shown themselves to be able to be defeated with ease, the defenders of other nations with those numbers alone. To emphasize once more and explain the reason for this behaviour, it was the decision of our military leadership to keep our rally together as we were on high alert for a possible raid and proven right in their warband found within their city moments after the Mareno entourage departed.

Personal Record by the Head Rangers of Elysium 




TO THE INHABITANTS OF ALMARIS
Perhaps these misty woods will shimmer bright

A statement is issued to categorically condemn the disparaging echoes made by one The Mareno Company against the Duchy and Her Humble People.

In accordance with the meeting that Cyrus Mareno has lambasted to have occurred within the Duchy, comes with astounding dishonesty which by its essence is necessary for the outstanding merits required for merchants to practice their crafts with a respectable light. There was a fragrant arrogance that was displayed initially upon entry to the gatehouse, for barely a hour prior, a missive was delivered by bird, originating from the Mareno-Ferrymen Fortress, where the Mareno Family host as their hub of operations and choice location of meeting of mercantile matters, as informed by the esteemed Jace Mareno. 

The missive inked out a declaration of violence and brutality, where the Ferrymen declared their malevolent desire to raid our community that very evening, as they had done many times after the conclusion of the Norland-Oren War.

A war in which the Ferrymen served as allies, taking payment of 5000 minas, and occupying the very entrance of the Kingdom of Norland, (given to them by then-Marshal Donovon who has since disappeared) seizing control of its river to Lake Eada, and subsequently transforming a fort into a Fortress after which the Ferrymen coalition constructed a barricade into the Kingdom and charging a toll of 50 minas and relieving many travellers, including Norlanders regardless of their place or origins of their belongings. Upon the removal of the checkpoint by Norlanic Leadership, its leaders only received death threats which are very much achievable for the same men standing accused of having killed the High Pontiff of the Canonist Church during the war.

It is true, that the war caused a great measure of hardship and blood spilled for the Norlandic people, left suffering the brunt of Orenian warbands and reprisals, with tens of thousands of minas forked out by the Kingdom as reparations to Oren through a truce never materialised, with the Ferrymen willing to assault whomever they wished to on a whim upon usage of the roads besides their Fortress to plunder and extort an incredible amount of wealth for themselves.

As relentless as it was, there also stood an incredible overlay of danger, where members of the Ferrymen Faction, upon brutalizing and beating up a soldier of the Northguard in front of the Keep, informed them of their right decision to live in Varhelm, of its superiority, and subsequently bashed and humiliated Elysium to the young soldier, before sending him on his way. This was frankly an unsurprising notion of, and now established mantra, of inciting further war and conflict to further their own agendas.

As disheartening as it is, the pendulum swings harshly in their favour, for in the months prior to this incident, the Mareno Company has paid visits to Elysium with escorts of Ferrymen, which was allowed in good faith, to discuss trade matters and discuss a roadside stall option for the Mareno franchise  and a decision had to postponed in light of extensive renovation works being continuously conducted to strengthen the roadside regions, and gatehouse in which they were insistent to have against the designated marketplace.

These discussions would never conclude, for upon the men and women of the Mareno Company arriving to an active military curfew in effect from the raiding declaration issued from the Ferrymen Fortress, Cyrus Mareno proclaimed that no raid would happen whilst he was in the city, and did not entertain the prospect of delaying the meeting for a more appropriate time. They were allowed into the city, to meet with the Elysian representatives and as the tavern was prepared with offerings of mead and food, the children mentioned in the declaration tactlessly insulted the defenders present with claims on their hygiene, and it was swiftly followed by accusations of the defenders present to be threatening the Marenos.

It is astonishing, and once more, a completely unreasonable agenda pushed by the Mareno Company for their own benefits that the defenders present which were under strict orders of non-aggression by both Elysium and Norland to have been aggressive. The Mareno adults present grew increasingly irate, behaving similarly to their own Ferrymen counterparts in insulting those present and left the city by their own accords, leaping from the walls as, without warning, a warband of five separate Ferrymen and having appearances similarly to the raiders that had often raided Elysium,  were found sitting within the city by the returning defenders, swiftly running and leaping from the walls in a similar fashion than the Mareno Company earlier.

Truth be told, the embargo was made to devastate smaller communities like ourselves, and has seen the poisonous blade of allegations and degradation to continue in tandem with the enforcement of an atmosphere of fear and beleaguerment to plague the roads and people of Elysium and to continuously flaunt their might and activity as a warlike faction of formidable warriors under the mask of banditry, and their ties with the Mareno Company has created a coalition of epic proportions that can only be rivalled by the greatest of nations on the realm.

Once more, we’re left to the whims and selfishness of the Mareno Company to dictate terms and terrorize the community similarly to the men they had hired, using our people, and resources as mere actors in their play and rise for power and wealth.

It is truly unfortunate. Yet it remains, to suffer their devilish ploys and ideations when the diplomatic channels were completely open, when absolutely nothing has been conducted with the Mareno company ever since and their stalls just as frequented by Elysians elsewhere on the continent such as Vortice. Their union of Ferrymen and Mareno Traders operating out of their fortress have demonstrated their martial strength and control of the entire valley, and now even a humiliating trade embargo and once more seeks to devastate the community. 

We shall hold resilience, and keep an olive branch open to our neighbours, however violent and aggressive, to return to the meeting table to break bread, share mead, and conduct business once more.


I wish kindness to the rest of the realm, and our friends in Krugmar, Oren, Urguan, and Vortice, and in light of such mercantile deception waged harshly against us in unison of the Ferrymen, the community shall work together to formulate a means to work against suffering great financial hardship under the embargo.

 

Duke Eugeo de Astrea
Elysium Trading Commission

[YaBoyJay_ 395]

[!] Absolon reads the missive while enjoying a cup of fresh mead. Upon reading the end, the mead is spat out in a sudden rage of laughter. [!] 

"Financial hardship! Meh pockets an' Elysian's pockets're doin jus' fine! An' they'll continue teh be jus' fine!"

He looks to the tavernfolk around him, shouting:

"Go down teh my shop by theh river. Speak teh me fer bulk prices on all yer combat equipment. As far as eht stands, theh prices are better than most, ef not all of theh lands of almaris. Theh blockade of theh ferrymen aint theh only highway robbery goin' on!"

[Charbi 398]

 

Aylin de Astrea set down the notice and nodded with pride before remarking to her betrothed, Esmond ( @SpaceOddity) "From our blood being spilled in times of war, to countless banditry attempts, to now businesses attempting to defame the good people of our duchy, the Elysian fields remain as gold as that of the treasury." She carefully folded over the notice and turned fully to face him, "let us hope our neighbours do, indeed, seek to break bread with us and take the offered olive branch." 

[SadBeanQueen 209]

Éléonore O'Hara de Astrea, Chamberlain of Norland, sits at her office desk. She reads over the missive, and a slight snicker escapes from her. "Et's their loss." She tosses the missive across her desk. She picks up her wine glass and takes a long sip of Velvet Sorrows, its bittersweet cherry flavor lingering on her tongue. A smirk would slowly form on her lips. "Elysium will not falter."

[chezel_ 264]

Penelope de Astrea's gaze reads over the missive, a sigh leaving her as she sees Eugeo's name at the bottom.

 

"Your writting is lovely, uncle." She mutters to herself, humming as she folds up the missive and pockets it, moving to pick up her bow and throw it over her shoulder to begin her long trek home.

 

[AnonymousAlexa 3877]

“Their prices were far too high anyways!” remarked financial genius, Elsil’Ceru. 

[Javert 5560]

Ragnvald Eiriksson Ruric sat within the Varhelm hearth as he read the missive from Elysium, a confused expression coming across the young child's face.

 

"But...aren't we all in Norland? We should be friends!" said the child, whom did not yet understand the complexity that was world politics.

[Sonico_fate 40]

Sinsio chuckles as he reads the missive as he walks through the streets of Elysium. He takes a breath of fresh, Elysian air before addressing the bastard monkey Jeff on his shoulder. "Good riddance to the bastards, those prices were ridiculous." Jeff nods in agreement, not understanding a single word that he said, because he's a monkey. Sinsio looks over at the nearby stall where reasonably priced armor and weapons are sold. "I know a much better place to purchase such things."

[MopoTheStranger 27]

Ok.

[Capt_Chief26 1205]

Reinhardt Barclay finished reading the missive from his father in law, he eyed the Mareno company with more suspicion, he’d have to pay the duke of Elysium a visit and see if he negotiate some trade deals.

[ohbother1 546]

[!] Rebeka la Waevra sits, sharpening her various blades in the production room of her company, only pausing to respond to the constant incoming birds, sending away frantically written letters before returning to her bladecraft. "Much work is to be done for Norland” she said with a chuckle and a lingering smile. 

[Heart_Spam 281]

Matilda's usual cordial smile twisted downwards into an intense frown. A hand idly crept upwards to rub irritably at her right ear; she almost crumpled the missive in irritation at the words she read, but finally simply folded it and stowed it away with the other bulk of letters she hoarded. First Oren, now the Ferrymen - would peace ever return? She was too old for this.

[HobbitForHire 205]

Malii'evarir lets out a sigh after reading the missive. "First they make me take the long way to town, now they're making me read. Someone needs to sort out these Ferrymen. HEY!" As Malii was thinking out loud the dog that had stolen her seat in the tavern snapped up the missive and was tearing it apart. She'd need to have another chat about this animal.