A Grand Design 41.

Winter. Oaklynn. Girdane.

They've had to relocate to the south of the city of Oaklynn, to the Grove Inn. For the simple reason the northeast quarter of the city, where the Ironmonger Inn is located, has too many dwarves.
While here in the southern part of the city, where many of the streets are treelined, where houses are more abundant as the neighbourhoods are predominantly residential. There's hardly a dwarf to be found.
Much to the annoyance of Dorc da Orc who was looking forward to doing a bit of casual murder in the northeast quarter of the city where there's plenty of dwarves.
Now he has to stick close to lord Farque, and go where ever he goes. If not the large ork risks getting knocked out again by the undead warlord.
And as they walk through the streets in the south of the city, on this cold winter's morning. The ork warleader rubs his chin at the memory of being punched by the heavily armoured deathlord when they first entered Oaklynn the day before yesterday.
As they head north through the southern part of the city, Dorc da Orc asks "Where we fucken going?".
"To check out the palace and the council building" replies lord Farque.
The ork weaponsmith grunts, then asks "We gonna kill any cunts there?".
"Not yet" wryly says the undead warlord, which causes the ork general to chuckle, as there's clearly the prospect that they will kill at either the palace or the council building.
Following behind the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, and the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. Are Tovis the war engineer, and Beldane the cleric.
And while the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell has visited the city of Oaklynn before. This is the first time the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic has been here.
"Me fucken been here before?" asks Dorkindle, who can't remember if he's been here in the capital of the kingdom of Girdane before.
And after a while, cities. Especially those in human kingdoms, kind of all look the same to him.
"Yes" dryly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who is also known as Draugadrottin by the people of his lands.
"Plenty of times" adds the lord of the death realm, who switches to the ork language and says "We used to rob the fucking counting houses here all the time".
The warleader of the ork race grins at the memory of that. As he, along with lord Farque, and Mira Reinholt the mage would travel across the Southlands. Robbing counting houses, royal treasuries, army paymasters and the like.
"And just north of here, is where you lost your fucking arm a number of years ago" says the undead being, who has the elven name of Des'tier, or The Destroyer as it's translated to common.
The grin is wiped off the broad, green, brutish looking face of Dorc da Orc at the mention of that, and instead he scowls, and growls a muttered "Fuck". As he remembers when he lost his left arm in a battle.
And only got a new one, when Helbe the elven thief found a greater healing potion for him.
The undead warlord gestures to their right, and they cross a residential street, and turn the corner onto a street that's a mix of houses, and businesses. And the end of which is a square.
The streets here in the south of the city aren't as busy as elsewhere. All the same, they garner plenty of attention whenever they go.
For the simple fact lord Farque is a large human being, who is head to toe in a suit of dark, heavy plate armour.
But more so, because of Dorc da Orc. Who at seven and half foot tall, weighing at least seven hundred and fifty pounds. Is a large ork to begin with. Who sticks out like a sore thumb. Not to mention most if not all people have never seen an ork before.
People stare at them as they walk by. Others quickly cross the street when they see them. For the ork warleader looks demented at the best of times.
Added to that he's covered in scores of weapons. Enough to equip an army company. To say he's an intimidating sight is an understatement in the extreme.
People think he's some kind of troll. Though if they really knew what he was, they would run away in a hurry.
As they pass through the square, a trio in the regent's army briefly think to stop them, to see what they're doing in the city.
But one look at the big, burly ork who is from the southern polar region of the world, they think better of it.
"Probably think we're mercenaries joining the army" quietly says Tovis the war engineer to Beldane the cleric as he looks back at the regent's men as make their way out of the square.
The fighting cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine, nods his head in agreement with the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic.
The powerful spellcaster who has been told by lord Farque not to cast unless absolutely necessary.
From the time they've been in the city already. Has seen that it's basically a waypoint for soldiers and mercenaries at the moment. Who go on their way, heading out west to fight against the dukes of Dalmar, Girnath and Falosen, who have rebelled against the crown.
He's seen mercenaries, singly or in pairs, and in small groups, to companies, hundreds strong.
Who join the crown's army, then head west across the kingdom.
The same goes for soldiers in the armies of the nobility here in the eastern duchies of Girdane.
Many of whom stop off in the capital city Oaklynn, before continuing on their way westwards.
Lord Farque leads them down some steps between two buildings, to another street.
And though they're heading to the center of the city where the king's palace, and city council building is located.
Both Tovis and Beldane have noticed the heavily armoured deathlord is taking a roundabout way through the southern part of the city to get there.
The young war engineer from the kingdom of Druvic, where he served in the army of a baron Harkonin.
Is just about to ask the undead warlord why they're going through some many of the streets here in this part of the city.
When he realises the lord and ruler of the lands Farque is checking things out. To see the best way for their army to come into the city.
As the southeast, is by far the easiest way to enter, and move a large amount of people through it.
The war engineer, who is a captain in the armies of Farque, is sure of this. For the lord of the death realm will occasionally point something out to Dorc da Orc and say something to him in the ork language. And the large ork, who is a general in the armies of Farque, will respond with something in the same language. A language that only the two of them speak.
It's still well before midmorning, when they're nearly in the center of the city. And that stop at a park. A small space really, that has a handful of trees, and some shrubs, along with some bench seats beneath the trees.
It's empty this morning, due to it being one of the, if not the coldest day of the winter so far, here in the city of Oaklynn.
Turning to Tovis the war engineer, lord Farque quietly asks him "Think you'd have any trouble launching an assault upon the southside of the city?".
The young engineer, who knows the lord of the death realm is referring to an assault by war machines, slightly shakes his head no, then quietly says "Not really".
Tovis follows on from that with "Apart from that old wall further back, this side of the city is wide open to a bombardment compared to the othersides of the city".
Dorc da Orc grunts in agreement with the captain in the armies of Farque.
The undead warlord shakes his full helmed head no in response to Tovis quietly asking him "You think it will come to that?".
"Best to plan for all eventualities anyway" quietly says Draugadrottin, who after a few moments of silence, quietly tells the others "With so many mercenaries coming in, and soldiers belonging to local lords all heading out west, the city will be unprotected".
The undead being who is known as Des'tier to an older generation of elven kind, quietly continues with "They can't protect the city anyway, it's too damn big, and it has no outer defences like walls".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque, then quietly says "The only thing we'll have to worry about is the regent's army who'll no doubt be on the streets" he briefly pauses before adding "From what Mira and the others have seen, the regent won't be sending anymore of his battalions out west, so they'll all be here in the city when our forces get here".
All three of them, the ork warleader, the war engineer, and the fighting cleric nod in agreement with what the undead warlord just said.
Then the four of them make their way out of the little park, and continue on their way to the center of the city of Oaklynn.
They're soon in the center of the city, and in no time, they're on the long street that cuts through this part of the capital city of the kingdom of Girdane.
They're on the left side of the street heading north, while along the right towards this end of the street, is the city council building, with the mansion that's the regent's residence, next to it.
While towards the other end of the long street, is the palace of the king of Girdane.
The heavily armoured deathlord slows down as they draw level with the city council building.
And as he looks across the street at it, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque senses.
After a moment, he slightly nods his full helmed head. And after seeing a number of people enter and exit the council building.
He and the others continue on their way. Slowing down a few moments later as they draw even with the regent's mansion.
Draugadrottin has a raised right eyebrow after sensing the mansion, and finding very few people in it for a building of it's size.
And as the lord of the death realm and the other three continue on their way again. Lord Farque wonders if the regent has moved his people into the palace. And just left the necessary staff behind in his residence next to the city council building.
They don't walk very much further down the long street, as the undead being turns left into a side street.
Before any of the others can ask him why they're not continuing on to get a closer look at the palace.
Des'tier points to a building, on the otherside of the street they're now on, which is a bit further down, and he says "That taverna".
Dorc da Orc brightens at the prospect of getting something to drink and eat. Even though he drank a copious amount, and ate an awful lot, a little earlier at breakfast in the Grove Inn.
The large ork sniffs, then he sourly smiles as he catches the scent of someone familiar in the taverna they're heading to.
The ork general is just about to complain, but the lord and ruler of the lands Farque has already crossed the side street, and is entering the taverna.
He's followed by Tovis the war engineer, Beldane the cleric, and finally Dorc da Orc.
"Move" says lord Farque to a pair of council workers by the look of it, who are sitting at one of the tables in a corner of the taverna.
One look at the large, heavily armoured figure in dark blue, black heavy plate. They get up and move away fairly quickly.
Draugadrottin drags the table closer to the other table in this corner of the taverna, and sits down. Followed by Beldane the cleric and Tovis the war engineer.
While there's a hush in the establishment, as the other customers stare at Dorc da Orc who makes his way to the corner where the others are.
After the lord of the death realm points at the floor next to the table he along with the war engineer, and the fighting cleric are sitting at.
And the big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world sits down where lord Farque has pointed.
The undead warlord looks at those sitting at the other table in this corner of the taverna, and dryly says in the elven language "So this is where you've been spending most of your time, here in Oaklynn".
"Pretty much" replies Mira Reinholt the mage in the same language, as he sits at the other table with Shur Kee the monk, and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, along with sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
And as the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic scowls as he looks at Dorkindle sitting on the floor, calling out to a serving woman for booze.
The once powerful mage from the city-state of Vexil who is a member of lord Farque's personal council, quietly tells the heavily armoured deathlord "A lot of people from the council building, and others at court frequent this place at all times of the day".
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, quietly continues with "Found out more information here than just about anywhere else in the city, because it's the closest taverna to both the council building, and the palace".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque nods his full helmed head, then he looks at Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who gets up and quietly says "Excuse me".
The elven spy originally from the principality of Laerel makes his way to a table towards the front door, where a young man has just entered the taverna and sat down.
"Who's that?" lord Farque quietly asks Mira Reinholt, as the new arrival greets the spy Tanith like a friend, and gestures for him to take a seat at his table.
"Larn" says the exiled Vexilian mage "He's a bit of a drunk" adds the highly skilled swordmaster.
And as Dalinvardél Tanith and the young man named Larn start chatting away, Mira Reinholt quietly says "He's also a court official who likes to talk a lot when he drinks" he then adds "He's been our main source of information since we've been here in Oaklynn" . . . . . .