Kerith stand and clasps Aren's arm before hugging him. "Done!" Drusilia comes and takes his head and stands on tiptoe and kisses him on each cheek.<br/><br/>Hedred turns in his seat toward Ted. "Ya see, lad, the Count can't go to war with just Tiernly the Younger. He's got to deal with his father, Tiernly. Tiernly can't just let his younger son and heir twist. Tiernly and old Harkess were great friends and Count Harkess bears him no ill will. There's also his elder brother, Erosh, called , strangely, Tiernly the Elder. It makes no sense to me either," the lord mayor makes a face showing his facetiousness. "And Tiernly the Elder fought by the Count's brothers at Rel Mord. And if Tiernly and Harkess war, Orberend and Talnith must follow; or crush their vassals in turn. Now Erosh and his Lady Almira are expecting their third child, who, gods willing, will be the new Tiernly the Younger. Then it will just be Jhagan of Tiernly, not Tiernly the Younger who's insulted Harkess. This marriage and a son for Erosh should give Tiernly the leverage he needs to muzzle his whelp. In any event, he no longer has any claim to the lady. We try ta help our friends fix their roof, not tear down their house."<br/><br/>Gareph adds, "It's like your recent feat. You don't take a dozen men yourself; you herd them toward your own score and ten. Wars aren't won by valor on the field. They're won by enlisting the field in your army."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Aren and anyone else who makes DC20 Listen and Spot checks</div><div class="spoiler_body">Drusilia slips a folded piece of fabric into Aren's hand and whispers as she kisses him, "You'll need this now, little brat."</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Dora's checks</div><div class="spoiler_body">She doesn't know why a shadow might do that when all the others don't. It could be a manifestation of her curse, but if so, she has seemingly done nothing to end it. You'll just have to wait and see if some fatal misfortune soon befalls Tiernly the Younger. It's a fascinatingly <em>curious</em> phenomenon regardless.<br/><br/>Drusilia's curse is also too vague to identify exactly who or what she invoked. Many gods and fiends bear swords and many are called father and the twain often meet.</div></div>