As the messenger scrambled away, Klargus realized that while the steel of a sword was sharp, a well-placed letter could bleed a kingdom dry without losing a single knight. He sat back down, picked up his quill, and began drafting a marriage proposal to a lady with a very large dowry and even larger land holdings.

"Accept the trade," Klargus commanded. "And send a to King Harlaus. Tell him if he feasts one more time while our villages are raided by forest bandits, I’ll use my 'Persuasion' skill to convince the other lords to start a faction for a new claimant."

Suddenly, the doors burst open. A scout rushed in. "My Lord! The Vaegirs have declared a ! They claim our patrols crossed into the snowy passes of Rivacheg."