Sparks Lead to Fire
Story Emits
Oathlands Abandoned tribes that had family killed in the Siege of Arx have been granted safe conduct by Prince Edain Valardin to burn their dead in pyres outside the walls of Arx, justified under the hope that the old enemies will bend the knee and become prodigal. House Valardin and its Oathlands vassals observed the rites of the dead, present to keep the peace. As the delegation rides up, dissenters in the crowd try to start trouble but it's quickly quelled by Prince Fiachra who turns them over to the Rivenshari who are policing the event. Underhill shaman invites the delegates to the stage to say a few words. Princess Sasha and Lady Eirlys give a few words to the crowd as Prince Edain stands in example of House Valardin's strength. Lady Eirlys even gives a prayer for the deceased. Afterwards, the Underhill shaman continues the ceremony by calling the first fallen Oathlands shav, the Iron Foot. Serid, a thirteen-year-old boy and the 'last' male heir, steps forward with his sisters to see his people off to their final journey. The boy sings like an angel with his sisters, and then tries to light himself and his sisters on fire. The watchful delegates are downwind of the boy, smell the oil on the children and step in to prevent the tragedy. Prince Edain steps stops the boy by using his battle robe to subdue him. Princess Alis and Princess Marian act as a blockade between brother and sisters. Princess Sasha grabs one of the sisters to shield her in case the boy gets loose. Prince Valerion steps forward to calm the crowd.
At first in all the confusion, the Oathlands shavs think that the delegates plotted to disrupt their rites (and probably murder them all) and are attacking the boy. Lady Eirlys' and Lord Valerion's attempts to calm the crowd fail. A large Underhill warrior tries to pull Prince Edain off the boy, but Princess Marian puts him down on the ground before tragedy can occur. Just as it seems the delegates will be overwhelmed by the enraged crowd the Prince of Sanctum calls out over the crowd and silences them with the Gloria's blessing behind his words. Silence... The Oathland shavs are stunned to silence by Prince Edain's leadership and charisma. After some questioning by Edain, Serid admits his Uncle Tuscak and his cousins put him up to it. An Oakentree elder tells Prince Edain that the only way to secure succession was to have all three children die, and when they searched for other Iron Foot, they found none. The three men had removed their mantles to hide what tribe they represented. Tuscak's aim was to reginite bloodshed between House Valardin and all the Abandoned tribes left outside the gates of Arx, and prevent any of the Oathlands shavs from bending the knee. The delegates take the children into the mantle of their protection in case other conspiring Iron Foot are mixed in the crowd, and the Abandoned that violated safe conduct into custody. The matter will be dealt with by Sentinel's laws.