The Schwarzschloss

High above the Emperor's District, resting atop a hill, and lying in the shadow of the Grauberg sits the ancient seat of House Blackstead, the Schwarzschloss. An intimidating structure, it stands high over the city of Qyr. A single bridge is all that connects the city to the castle. Settled over a thousand years ago, the Emperor's District remains a testament to the complexity, intricacy, and elegance of Ardisian architecture. Tall spires, domes, arches, and bronze statues of the Four Fathers and the old Emperors dot the city.

Within the castle, the halls are draped with the golden horse of Qyrys. Ancient tapestries depicting great victories line the marble walls of the Emperor's throne room. At the very end of the room sits the Imperial Throne. Here is the last bastion of the Ardisian Empire.

Emperor Edryk II of House Blackstead
The Imperial Council

Edryk: Lord Jorik, I believe I asked you for a report on the affairs of the treasury.

High Lord of the Imperial Treasury Jorik: Yes, my Lord, you have. The gold and ore continues to flow out from the Qyrysi mountains. Our treasury is doing quite well. The lords have all paid their tax and trade continues steadily. Lord Wertenhaus, however, paid less than what was owed. He has claimed that the harvest was poor this year.

Chamberlain Traubart: Hm, and yet all the other lords have not made such a claim. There may be more to this than what Wertenhaus is letting on to. Perhaps bandits or a dispute between local lords. Mayhaps he does not want the Emperor to be aware. It would weaken his position.

Jorik: In what way?

Traubart: Well, he has be-

Edryk: If I may, Traubart. Lord Wertenhaus has petitioned for the position of Marshal.

Marshal Achim: I apologize, my Lord, but might I ask why I was not informed?

Edryk: It was not your place to be informed. Wertenhaus has been petitioning for the position for years now. While you are an excellent commander, strategist, and organizer, you are growing old. I would not have any other man as Marshal and you can rest assured that you will maintain the position for years to come. However, a handful of Lords have taken issue with this. Younger men who see it as their place to take the reigns. If Wertenhaus cannot keep the peace within his fiefdom, then how can we expect him to maintain the peace within an army, or to manage the military affairs of Qyrys. Chancellor Torik, I require a letter to be drafted and granted to Sir Wenzbruck. He will travel, on my behalf, with a small force to the lands of Lord Wertenhaus. There he will inquire further into the Lords situation. If there is nothing else to discuss, the council is disbanded for today.

Emperor Edryk II of House Blackstead
The Imperial Council

Edryk: Lord Hans, I have summoned you to the court for the purposes of diplomacy. You have served my family in diplomatic functions well. You will, therefore, be sent on my behalf as representative of Qyrys to pursue trade relations with the Papacy of Lancastria. I will dispatch a party of twelve knights and their retainers and servants to secure your travels. I shall dispatch a letter with a rider to explain the conditions to be negotiated.

Hans: Yes, my Lord.

A few kilometres from Qyr, Qyrys...
The caravan was moving slowly now that it had neared the great city of Qyr. The entire group was tired, having travelled for four days now. This Bourtoisse caravan and those inside have been given one simple mission; Begin proper diplomatic relations with Qyrys. Considering the fact that Bourtois and Qyrys are neighbouring nations, the journey had been rather pleasant.

Diplomat Ferand Vestue and Arçon, leader of his bodyguard, were seated in the back of the caravan when they began discussing their orders and their approach. Soon enough, Qyr came into view.

Outside the Gates of Qyr...
The caravan had stopped in front of one of the gates of Qyr and Ferand stepped out. Calling to the gatekeepers, Ferand introduced himself in Common.
Ferand: "Greetings! My name is Ferand Vestue and I am a diplomat from Bourtois. On behalf of the King of Bourtois, King Marcon III, we seek an audience with Emperor Edryk II in order to discuss several diplomatic matters. Would this be possible?"

At the Gates of Qyr

The guardsmen rang the bell at the gate's bell tower twice to signal the arrival of an envoy. A rider set out to the keep to inform the Emperor of an envoys arrival. After an hour the rider returned and the gates were opened.

"Ferand Vestue, his Grace, Emperor Edryk II of House Blackstead shall grant you audience at the Schwarzschloss. You are to follow me to the castle. There you will hand over any weapons your party may have and will be granted accommodation fitting your position as envoy. The Emperor has granted you immunity throughout the lands of Qyrys and you and your men will be treated with respect and honor befitting a lord." The rider said. "Follow me," The rider turned and began to trot his horse up to the keep.

The Gates of Qyr
Ferand looked at the man and nodded in understanding. He spoke once again.

"Very well, my good man. If you would be so kind, may you tell me about the Emperor? This is the first time I will be having a diplomatic exchange with such an important character, apart from my King. I would not want to come off rude or disrespectful."

The Streets of Qyr

The rider led Ferand and his party on and up towards the Schwarzschloss. He turned to face Ferand when the question is asked. "When you speak to the Emperor, you must refer to him as 'Your Imperial Majesty'. When you enter the throne room you must bend your knee and tilt your head. You must not make prolonged eye contact with the Emperor unless he has accepted you as his equal at a table. Aside from that there are some Qyrysi subtleties but nothing will be held against you if you do not obey them."

Streets of Qyr
Ferand nodded and looked at the other members of his party, making sure that they had all paid attention to the rider. It  became apparent that they had all understood. Ferand replied:

"I will be sure to make note of such things. Thank you."

Ferand and his party continued to follow the rider through the city as they neared the Schwarzschloss.

Schwarzschloss

The rider and the Bourtoisian party made their way up to the gates of the Schwarzschloss. The ascent was steep and the journey tiresome. The Schwarzschloss was located at the top of a hill overlooking Qyr. Surrounded by it's own walls and with gates and defenses dotting the steep path, it has never fallen to an invader. Finally the group entered the courtyard of the castle. The intricate design of Qyrysi architecture was evident everywhere. Well kept gardens and lawns stretched across the massive hillside. Fountains and statues of ancient heroes, kings, and of the Fathers stood all around. On the left side was the Royal Chapel of Qyr. A small but important site for the Faith of the Fathers. Monks and priests wandered about the courtyard amongst nobles and soldiers. The rider dismounted and lead the party into the halls. They entered the throne room where they found the Emperor sitting atop the throne with a supplicant kneeling at the foot of the throne. The rider raised his hand to halt the party.

"Your Imperial Highness, I dispute Lord Wendrick's claim to the farm. The farm lies on the border of Lord Wendrick's land. Wendrick claims that the land was taken a decade prior during the redrawing of the map, and as such I do not have divine right to the land," the supplicant spoke.

"Lord Henry, I hear your plea. While Lord Hendrick has divine right to all his lands. The Father's have granted the House of Blackstead the holy and important duty of being their earthly servants. In turn, the redrawing of the map is the intention of the Fathers and as such Lord Wendrick's dispute is nullified. I shall draft a writ granting you complete right to the farm," the Emperor spoke.

"I am forever in your Imperial Highness' debt." Lord Henry rose and bowed once more before leaving.

The rider beckoned forth the party and bent to one knee. "Your Imperial Highness, I present envoys from the Kingdom of Bourtois. They are here on behalf of their ruler, and come with intentions of diplomacy,"

"Rise, Sir, and return to your duties. I welcome the envoys of the Kingdom of Bourtois to my court and accept you in my halls as equals." The Emperor stood. "The court shall be dismissed. Any supplicants wishing to lay a dispute before the Fathers must return in the morrow. Come," The Emperor lead the Bourtoisians to a private room where they would begin their discussions.

Schwarzschloss
The entire party was impressed by the sheer beauty and elegance of the Schwarzschloss. So large and grand it was, Ferand told his artist to paint it and his historian to document it after their meeting with the Emperor. The chapel was also a comforting sign for Ferand and company. It displayed that, like the Royalty of Bourtois, faith meant something to the Emperor, or so they thought. The Bourtoisse see faith as a defining part of a man's character. Should you have faith, you should have the ability to feel and understand certain things other faithless men cannot. This gave Ferand good impressions about the Emperor's character.

Alas, they had arrived in the throne room. Ferand and his party stopped when the rider had raised his hand. Patiently waiting, they all admired the designs within the building. They stopped when the rider beckoned them forth and bent to one knee. Remembering what the rider had told them, the party also bent to one knee. Once the Emperor had accepted the party as equals, the men rose up and followed him to the private room. The bodyguards themselves left for the courtyard, as they had no place in the discussion that was to follow.

Ferand was the first to speak to the Emperor.

"Greetings, your Imperial Majesty. I am Ferand Vestue, and I, as a diplomat, will be representing the King of Bourtois, King Marcon III of House Mortier. I would like to begin this discussion by thanking you for allowing me to speak with you in your noble court. My King would like to express his goodwill towards you and the whole of Qyrys, and so he has given me gifts to present to you..."

Ferand motioned to his friends to come forth. They held in their hands wonderful yet expensive gifts. Ferand spoke again.

"These, your Imperial Majesty, are some of the products Bourtois is capable of producing.
We have silk tailored products of beauty and some fine Bourtoisse wine. Please, accept these gifts."

All of the men stepped forward, bowing before the Emperor as they offered their gifts. All except one presented silk textiles. For example, one man held a red silk robe with elegant yellow designs imprinted on it. This was made to portray the colours of Qyrys. The one man who did not present any silk held instead a large glass bottle of wine titled 'Saloun'.

Schwarzschloss

The Emperor held the silk robes in his hands. He raised his hand and gestured for a servant. The servant rushed to the Emperor and bowed his head.

"Take the gifts up to my quarters," The Emperor commanded the servant. The servant took the gifts and bowed once more before rushing up to the Emperor's quarters. "I thank you and your gracious King for his gifts. Rise again and join me at my table so we may discuss affairs of diplomacy and trade. Lord Vestue, I welcome you to the Empire of Qyrys and my court. For as long as you remain within my domain, you shall be treated with respect and dignity befitting your title and rank as a lord and diplomat." The Emperor signaled the party to follow him to a hall. The Emperor walked through the elegant halls of the castle and towards the Imperial Council chambers. Flanked by four guards he led the party into the chambers where he took his seat at the head of the table. He gestured for the party to sit.

Schwarzschloss
The party stood back up and began to follow the Emperor. The servants made their way back to the caravan where the bodyguards were. Ferand and several others followed the Emperor to the Imperial Council chambers. They each took their seats at the table, and Ferand spoke.

"Once again, your Imperial Majesty, I would like to thank you for accepting us in the lands of Qyrys and within the halls of the Schwarzschloss. We have several topics we would like to discuss with you; Trade, pacts, agreements and increased cooperation between our realms are all on the agenda - unless you want to speak about a certain topic we haven't mentioned? If not, you can choose the topic we will begin with."

Schwarzschloss

The Emperor listened to the words of Ferand. "I have little that I wish to speak of beyond what you have addressed. I suppose we should discuss trade pacts before the other topics. What would your King desire from Qyrys. Our mountains overflow with ores and minerals. If that is what he desires then we have it in abundance,"

Schwarzschloss

Ferand nodded slowly in agreement. "That is exactly what Bourtois seeks from Qyrys. In return for many metals, lots of coal, certain ores and precious minerals, we can trade Bourtoisse silk, cloth, linen and tailored products as well Bourtoisse wine and products from the Bourtoisse waters, coasts and oceans. How does that sound?"