Three Must Decide.

Part 1 Dark Harbour

Before this epic begins you should take note and understand that each faction is controlled, to a degree, by a real life person, so decisions have to be made as the story progresses. The first 3 chapters will introduce you to them and from then on the decisions that have to be made and any hidden consequences worth mentioning will be set out at the beginning of every new chapter. 

chose your faction, follow the choices made by its leader! for good of ill.

Read on to see what they have decided.

The journey across the narrow sea had been an easy one, Marquess Diegou had received the ring from the Grand Duchess in the winter and now the plans had been set in to motion. He had been advised that the best time to make the crossing was early summer and on receiving the written word of Lord William Godbolts the Marquess had set sail.

Diegou walked to the stern of his ship looking back down the line of his flotilla. The sea and the blue sky framed the six ships, as many as he could build without raising questions. They were approaching Dark Harbour which the Grand Duchess had made her home. Two treasure ships, with their holds full of coin, part of his vast fortune, and four to guard them. The fortune was enough to employ his childhood acquaintance Lord Godbolt, binding him to their path.

As their alliance was now gathering Diegou was not going to arrive simply as the money lender, he had built six of the finest ships you could ever have seen and crewed them with the longest serving members of his house. All received new chain armour, round iron bound shields and short swards, with his Coat of Arms of a white castle on black for their tabards. The expense was enormous but Diegou was comfortable in the knowledge that still the greater part of his wealth was held below his homes foundations. The Marquess Diegou looked back towards their destination, dressed in elegant formal wear, not flamboyant, but showing the classic expensive cut of his heritage. Broad in the shoulder and a little more at the waist, and with a surprising iron grip, he could stand with soldiers if he ever wanted to but there was no need. He frowned a little as his lead ship entered the dark waters that leached in to the sea from the small bay that was Dark Harbour, the closer he got the more foreboding and unwelcoming the strong hold and surrounding lands looked. He did not plan to stay too long.

The Grand Duchess Carolines deep beautifully dark eyes were fixed on the horizon out to where Marquess Diegous small fleet had begun to weigh anchor in the bay. Anyone watching her would assume she was still watching the fleet coming in but her mind had drifted to the memories and events that had made this gathering necessary. Caroline was still young, but her experience over so few years had given her responsibility and wisdom beyond her years. People had looked to her and she had proved herself able to lead and take council. She turned away from the Harbour, back in to her chambers, the light was failing and the days were made shorter by the clinging dark of the damp forest that pressed up against the walls they had built to surround the halls and harbour down to the bay which was her new fortress. Caroline was not tall, her jaw line and slight nose complimented her eyes with a result of easy beauty. She walked to the large oak table in front on the fire with strength and grace that revealed that she could move from a formal engagement on to the training field with practiced familiarity.

Caroline looked around, she was pleased with what they had created where no one would plan to build a fortress. In the beginning it was hard and dangerous work for them all but now the halls were complete and the ground inside the walls planed out and neat, where people could go about their business. They had achieved much from this safe haven were no one would think to or even want to look for them but the land was inhospitable and now that they were ready their numbers would be far too great for them all to remain. She looked back at the plans spread across the table, the room was becoming darker by the second, she called for light, and her ever present handservant Lady Jane appeared and began lighting the candles. The flickering light brought her attention back to the table. Lord Godbolts messenger had arrived 3 days ago, He and his army had landed further up the coast on a small peninsula. She had thought of building there herself but in the end she had chosen what had become Dark Harbour and so further away from the light.