Lin side-stepped the blow, dashing away and making the assassin hit straight at the table. "Bar fight!" she laughed as she rolled through beer and piss, towards the wall where the mark with daggers was. As she evaded, her Rats rose up on their feet, pulling out various weapons: hatchets, sabers, cutlass. All together, they jumped to defend their queen of blades, intent on catching the assassin, alive if possible.

But it was just the first of many. Five more appeared from various corners and each skilled enough to keep three of Lins at bay. These were not just an enemy gang, these were actually trained. Their garbs pitch black and no insignia, certain somebody knew they could fail against Lin and didn't want to leave a proof to lead back to them.

Fact is. Lin's group was drunk, these assassins were not. It would be a long and tough fight, even the bartender was heard yelping before the throat was slit open. "No Witnesses." was hissed in unison by the foes.

Stroking his chin he looked to his cousin. "Hmmm I have a few ideas. They will take sometime to gather the sufficient facts, but they are not exactly in line with your guiding beliefs." He gave a slit shrug, "To be completely fair it's not as simple as black and white, what I have in mind is more grey."

He looked to his cousins face to try and read his reactions, which tended to be difficult from time to time. "But my suggestion for a current course of action is to send out our caravans inorder to start gathering goods for the upcoming war efforts. And at the same time I will have them gather as much information as they can on their travels."

He tried to imagine how he could get others to help with the Lord's idea. "And if you wish to maintain an air of weakness we could send priests to the other lands asking for resources to rebuild homes for any number of different disasters or famine or disease." Raising a fresh glass of wine, he swirled it staring into the goblet as he spoke. "But that is less than Noble and we wouldn't want to ruin the Lionheart's good name." Raise his gaze from the goblet he looked at the others assembled. "If only someone would step forward and offer a better option or even to take this deed upon themselves." He continued to eye the others over the rim of his goblet as he drank.

<Alexander Hohenzollern>
"Glowstone is always grey, which makes you lot so suspicious!" A drunk Alexander exclaimed. "But how can one dishonor the Lionhearts more than having a damn bastard as the heir anyway?!" He roared, standing up. "And a Champion too!" He pointed his finger at Uchiha.

"I SAY WE GO TO WAR! THE HEINRICHS AND WE HOHENZOLLERN ALONE SHALL CONQUER NEVERDARK AND SLAY ALL THOSE ROTTEN PEASANTS OF RYLEH! WHO CAN STAND BEFORE OUR MIGHT?!" He was forced back into his seat by his own son and then got a lecture by his own mother, Cecilia Hohenzollern.

<Lucius II. Glowstone>
The man literally facepalmed himself and shook his head, ignoring the Hohenzollern. "Lord Lionheart. It is evident we need to gather goods to be ready for such campaigns. Though the small folk is scared enough. We should fortify churches and ensure food and water supplies are strong so that the small folk has nothing to fear. Along with that they need military training. Not to march in the army, but to defend themselves. Sure we have not enough weapons to arm everyone, but their Pitchforks easily are effective like a spear."

"You wish to appear weak? Then let's use tortoise tactics. Hide the nobles in the forts and send unimportant messengers, they will see us as cowards. But bare in mind, that most likely will trigger an attack, perhaps even from all sides. Therefor I suggest we go straight to the Kharonis for proposing a temporary alliance between their and our realm. We shall claim the realm of the wolves together, them coming from north, us coming from east. The Wolves are a lot and nobody will be able to kill them alone. Even they should see it."

He leaned back as the last point was yet to made. "You are family with theirs, use it."

Antonio spoke with his mentor greatly,not seeing him for more then five years.It seems that he and all he brought from the South,is actually the last to be left from a civilization.After the fall of de Vergara familiy,in the coming power vacuum,chaos and anarchy ensued.None took the upper hand and all that is left of the South are howling wilds and smoldering ruins of hamlets and cities.

Antonio didnt took the news well,even as the old mentor tried to consolidate him,putting his frail and overly thin hand on his shoulder.The overly lavish clothing that Armando wore spoke the lenght of what wealth de Vergara once had,trading in exotic spices and services that only the tutors of the South wielded.Sunspear was once a capital of wealth,prosperity and tangible sense of power that lured every man and woman to the nigh impregnable castle,its fortified walls stood more so to protect the knowledge guarded within then its lucrative traders and de Vergara family.Their success was their downfall,as every power-hungry savage and lowly noble,turned their hungry and ambitious gazed toward Sunspear.With the death of his father,chaos ensued,but since his escape,Antonio hoped,even tho his family was dead,at least the land would be spared.Since this momentous evening,Antonio vowed to stay away from pesky politics and bickering nobles,devoting his life fully to knowledge and helping others.There is enough suffering in this world without him.Yet guilty constantly warded the peace away.What if he stayed?Could he stop the madness that the priest of the God-Emperor`s church couldnt?That the Sunspear guardians couldnt?

But fate has a strange sense of humor and cares little for his wishes.With one glance from Lord Maximilian,the most powerful Lord in the realm and his great patron,Antonio knew,he will be pushed right in the thick of it once more.

"Enjoy the evening Armando,i`ll see what i can work out with Lord Lionhearth concerning our troubles.Excuse me..."spoke young man apologeticly as he stood away from his seat.As he fixed his overly hefty robe of rust-red red,a mark of a Scholar and moved to the esteemed part of the table,were already few nobles gathered like crows in the nexus of power.

Hearing the conversation and the twice-twisted words of Lord Glowstone,ambition oozing from them,young man intervened.

"Pardon me my Lords,but if i can offer my advice in this matter?"spoke young man,bowing deeply,as he withdrew his hood,revealing a handsome face that was lavish with hardship of last few years.Great sorrow was still tangible in his dark,alien colored eyes.His overly darker skin of a southerner painted him a foreigner,but his works in Lionhearth lands was already known,saving the lives of many with the power of his intellect and skill of medicine and alchemy.A small silver chain trailed from his neck and around the left hip in a loose pattern.Rings of various sizes and shapes,glittered with various materials,from bronze to white gold.Each with a inscription in High Gothic.Each ring symbolized an area of knowledge he already mastered or was Adept in,tho truthfully,Armando had more of them,marking him a High Scholar,but it didnt suit wearing it on his noble attire.One must dress in prospect of attained knowledge as humbly as can,lest arrogance take him.

He shook his head at the drunken fool. "I agree with my Brother. I will gather the resources and information as well as find potential allies." He sat in thought for a moment before continuing. "But until we are ready for war we must train our peasants for defending their homes. If the other.... Well let's call it like it is, when the other houses spies report back they will see that the Lion is preparing to defend its lands. We will be seen as weak enough not to be able to attack but strong enough that only fools would Attack." Sitting back again, "But I will let the true military minds form the correct strategies while I focus on resources."

Nodding slowly and obviously still a little distraught, the Lady moved from her seat. "Yes, milord", she said and ran a hand through her black hair. "I shall look after him."
A Kharonis realized it when an ally gave them the opportunity to scurry away from danger, intentionally or not, and Pythiaere was no exception. This was a definite opening. She left, hurrying through the rooms of the spacious estate and avoiding serfs as well as guests, ignoring those who intended to talk to her until she found Ser Roland. The general was entertaining a few others Pythiaere did not know, and by their mannerisms, she assumed at least one of them to be Glowstone and the rest seemed Hohenzollern - exactly the kind of people she'd preferred to avoid for the rest of the evening. The lady sighed as she moved closer and audibly cleared her throat, causing the men to stop talking and her to shrink down considerably as they looked at her, the hate apparent in the gathered foreigners' eyes.

Roland on the other hand was a good man. Older than herself yet young compared to Lord Maximilian, tall and broad from tireless training for war - he was a leader of men who led from the front, a general who was trusted by his soldiers. Kindness, patience and wisdom shone brightly in his grey eyes. And even though she had seen him fight before, seen him return from the field of battle dirtied and unclean, sometimes heavily wounded, at court he was always impeccable both in manners and appearance, treating the girls with respect and polite even to foes. In general, Ser Roland was one to be respected, and both Lord and Lady Lionheart held him in high regards. It did not surprise Pythiaere that in a discussion of war, he would be invited. "A visit by her Grace, and she greets us with a rude interruption. Obviously this is a test of yours to make us mindful of proper etiquette, is it not?", he said softly, his deep, baritone voice without a trace of being offended or indignated. Whether it was in joke or he truly thought this of Pythiaere, she did not know, but was once again quick to take any advantage given to make her look good.

"Obviously it is, Ser Roland, but tis just as obvious that no act of guile or cunning can escape your watchful eyes. Just as well, for your liege has called for your presence in the Great Hall. My deepest apologies for breaking up your delightful conversation."
Her words were accompanied with the slightest hint of a smile that had been drilled to her as the standard facial expression, no matter what her state of mind truly was. Roland simply nodded in acknowledgement and said his goodbyes to his acquaintances before he left for the Council. The lady herself slinked away before the visiting lieutenants of other houses had time to address her.

Practically fleeing and not stopping until she'd reach the regents' living quarters, where their youngest was kept in his room, watched over by the nursemaid, a large woman with old and joyful eyes, and a maternal wrinkly face, a woman who'd done a part to raise the Kharonis girl herself when she became a Lionheart - Governess and nanny at once, she'd taught the then newly-made Lionheart lady that certain Kharonis sayings like "Your treason would disappoint me greatly" or "Yours is blood worth spilling" were not suitable to the House of the Lion, whose courtiers preferred turns of phrase with similar meaning but different words (oftentimes the simple "You are a true and honourable man" would suffice for them). This woman had taught Pythiaere and Pythiaere had made sure she would be well-fed and well-kept for her service, especially after the births of Xalia and Delphi, for their mother insisted that this nurse by name of Helga was responsible for them too.

"Look at this, young Lord Richard", she said with a wide smile, the kind of smile that just warmed your heart once you saw it, a smile the lady of the house was painfully aware she could never manage to imitate. "Look at this, your mother has come to see you. She's probably longing to hold you again, he?"
And before Pythiaere could even reply, the massive woman had already placed the happily giggling boy into his mother's arms. She couldn't help but wonder whether his happiness stemmed from Helga's administrations or her coming, but regardless, it put her into a less gloomy state of mind. While the lady softly stroked Richard's head as he buried his face in her chest, she smiled - genuinely - at the woman that eclipsed her diminuitive, slender form. "I admire how you can read me like a book, Madam Helga. He truly is a gift, is he not?"
Helga simply chuckled as she took a seat in the large chair she'd often sat on when she'd told the younger Pythiaere stories of heroes and knights, and the damsels they rescued. It was painfully obvious to her that she was out of breath now. Helga too was getting older, and already very old for a woman not of noble birth.
"He is, milady. He is indeed. Looks like his father, and shows much of his temperament, too. Were it not that he had your eyes, I'd assume there was witchcraft at work, turning the Lord into a child again!"

"I am decidedly not enough of your superior that 'milady' would be proper adress, Madam", the lady replied, carrying her son to the bed, sitting on its edge to face the old matron. "But I keep telling you this and you do not cease, so why do I still bother?"

While her youngest found rest in her arms, kept away from the noise the visitors were making (for alas this room was quite unfortunately friendly to the sounds from the rest of the Den, and so haunting, far away voices, laughter and music could be heard faintly), Pythiaere found entertainment and happiness in talking to her old nurse, forgetting about the impending war and suffering for a while.

<Ser Royland - Supreme General of House Lionheart>
"And that would be me!" He announced loud, marching into the room clad in his honorable, ceremonial, shining knight armor. "Hohenzollern, Heinrichs and Glowstone combine their armies to lead the war to House Noctiger while Lionheart watches the western border. We will play defensive until we are ready to march for war."

<Maximilian Lionheart - Ruler of House Lionheart>
(@kanila ) "I am certain the Glowstones will succeed in the task, you shall receive more gold and luxury items, such as the finest silk in order to make your negotiations more effective." The lack of clarifying it's use was a sign of trust, given that it is what loyalty was based off. And if the Glowstones would use the resources to their own strength, it would only show their true colors. The attention came then to one of his best friends but also talented warriors. It was Royland who trained both older children of Maximilian, and that showed in their talent.

"Glad you could join us Ser Royland. Please have a seat and thank you for your input. But it seems someone else has the guts to actually participate in this Grand Council, unlike other minor houses." He glared for a moment at the Guttenbergs and Wuerttembergs before turning to the Scholar (@High_Adept_Zeth ). "Speak up."

The young lieutenant General Samuel Heinrich was wandering the empty streets of the city, he unlike much of the rest of his family seemed to be the only person who had not received and invitation to the grand council despite his fathers influence in getting him this lofty position. He had kept his Zweihander on hand in case of bandits on this clear night yet so far his self imposed patrol seemed relatively peaceful, he had gone through the drill with the city garrison leaving them to maintain the peace even as the nation mobilized for war. As it was even the scum of the hovels around him seemed unsure to operate out in the street for fear of the increased patrols everywhere watching for signs of espionage on this eve of conflict.

Continuing to walk the streets Samuel noticed a tavern over in the distance that seemed to be engaged in a fight, looking closely it seemed that this was no average bar fight but a massacre on a grotesque scale. looking around Samuel signaled to a nearby patrol of five night watchmen and they came running, marching on the tavern the nightwatchmen close behind him Heinrich drew his Zweihander and hefted it over his right shoulder. as they drew closer the fight did not seem to get any less intense in fact the chilling screams of the people inside left Samuel no hesitation as with his shoulder he rammed the tavern door open allowing the nightwatch patrol to storm inside leaving heinrich to follow closely behind. noticing the carnage Samuel wrinkled his nose in disgust, the filthy peasants seemed to be killing each other with a loud clear voice he declared to the entire tavern.

'By order of the statute of peasant conduct set aside by the king everyone in this tavern is ordered to cease your fighting, failure to comply will result in capture and immediate execution without trial at dawn.'

<Feast outside of the Great Hall>
@Grall_Stonefist
Taku Cao, as he was walking to his camp noticed something off. He heard someone talking, somewhat loudly, coming from one of the Guttenberg tents...