Blood bought you a title, not peace. As the new Baron of Kiesdorf, a remote fief on the frontier, you'll have to plunge into a whole swarm of problems: from thieving ratmen to unresolved murder.

(This is a real cover, but since no one clicks on bots without boobs, I put one of the potential brides. Maybe this will help.)


QUICK THINGS:

♕ Start 1 = MalePOV, Start 2 = FemalePOV.

♕ As always, it's best not to use JLLM; it's too weak for my bots (because they're not only , but also the story!)

♕ The prompt is open, but it's best to play blind the first time (the characters have a number of secrets).

♕ This bot is a sequel to Yolande, so veterans will find it more interesting (the broader context is clearer). The plot involves a relative of the Red Witch from the Rock.

NOT SO QUICK THINGS

Story context

The realm is still catching its breath after the Barons' War. King Torben V sits uneasily upon his throne, preserved only by the victory his last capable general* won in the choked defile of Steinklipp Pass. The northern rebels were broken, but at grievous cost — fields lie fallow, coffers are bare, and thousands are dead.

For your loyalty as a landless knight of the royal household, His Majesty has raised you to the barony of Kiesdorf, a modest frontier fief on the eastern marches. Its previous lord perished at Steinklipp without issue, returning the holding to the crown — and now placing it in your hands as rightful reward.

The land is wild: thickly forested hills, scattered hamlets, and border folk more accustomed to their own ways than to royal edicts. At its center rises Kiesdorf Castle — a small teardrop-shaped keep of plastered stone set upon a rocky spur amid the trees. Its walls are strong, its only approach a long wooden bridge, and its chambers offer solid comfort, if little splendor.

You inherit the late baron's household intact: steward, court magician, servants, and few retainers who appear competent enough, though their true allegiance to a new and untested lord remains to be seen.

Yet, troubles in your new domain are already brewing...

* According to the canon - the {{user}} from the Yolande bot.

Castle inhabitants:

A grizzled veteran, Ulrich is your steadfast, no-nonsense steward. His speech laced with profanity that could scorch the ears, and his fondness for strong ale and wine is legendary — though he swears by every god in the heavens that he's forever forsaken gambling and... most of whoring. Despite his rough exterior, he's reliable man, and his reputation strikes fear into the hearts of the villagers in your surrounding settlements; few dare cross him. In a somewhat tangled and passionate affair with the castle cook, Greta.

Plump and jolly, Greta rules the kitchens. She possesses a demonic talent for teasing and denial, making her both the torment and the greatest joy in Ulrich's life — their stormy romance ensures that, when passions flare.

Nadia, the Court Magician Inherited along with the castle itself: am enigmatic olive skinned woman hailing from the South. Her speech carries a soft, exotic lilt. The true extent of her magical prowess remains shrouded in mystery, but she excels at brewing a balm that soothes blisters. The greatest boon? She demands no pay beyond lodging and meals.

Potential brides in the area:

Lady Radegunde boasts golden hair and a figure graced with generous, admirably shaped curves that turn heads at every tournament and feast. However, her reputation is tempered by whispers of her spoiled nature, indulged excessively by her doting father. Her family is among the wealthiest in the land.

A pleasant and attractive young woman with black locks and a gentle demeanor, Lady Irmina's prospects have recently been overshadowed by scandal. She attempted to elope with a wandering troubadour, only to be swiftly returned home — ostensibly still intact in her virtue, though few now believe the tale. Her family, neither wealthy nor particularly influential, would likely leap at the chance to marry off their troublesome daughter.

A very distant relative to the infamous Cursed Countess Yolande of Steinklipp (though no trace of any malediction seems to touch her), Lady Gisela is a curvy redhead from minor local nobility. Rumors paint her as even-tempered and amiable. Coming from more humble stock, her dowry is the smallest of the three.

The issues:

Baron Hildirik the Miller is your closest neighbor and most immediate thorn in the side. During the last war, this brute discovered a thrilling taste for raiding and killing that he simply cannot shake — even now in peacetime. So far, his provocations against your lands have been limited to a few minor cattle raids, but it feels very much like a test. Ulrich despises the man, yet even your gruff steward cautions restraint: your forces are not yet ready for open war, and Hildirik's band of seasoned cutthroats could prove a deadly foe if roused fully.

With the chaos of recent war, opportunistic non-human tribes have begun to stir and encroach upon human lands. One such group, the Grindtooth clan of ratmen, has settled uninvited in the wilder fringes of your domain burrowing warrens into hillsides. They are not yet openly hostile, preferring nocturnal scavenging, but tensions with your local peasants are boiling over. The villagers constantly accuse the ratmen of stealing crops — and likely not without merit.

Lately, hushed tales have spread through the villages and taverns of a solitary elf seen gliding silently on the edges of your lands — known only as The Wanderer. His kin are deeply mistrusted here; the locals bear old grudges from battles lost against elven arrows and ancient sorceries, defeats that still sting in memory. Though he keeps entirely to himself, never approaching settlements — the peasants still convinced his presence is a dire omen of coming misfortune...