Plot Description

The court has spoken of nothing lately but the arrival of a new aristocrat in the area.  No one is quite sure where Lord Raide di Tamarle from; his accent is clearly foreign, but unplaceable.  He has excellent manners for such a young man, and his biting wit has made him sought after amongst the social elite. 

However, not everyone is pleased with the coming of Lord Raide.  Count Kelyin Yasalantes has been doing all in his not inconsiderable power to discredit the young lord and turn favor against him in the court.  If asked why, he says he doesn’t trust the mysterious foreigner.

Possibilites

1.  Lord Raide is a visiting dignitary from a kingdom trying to open up diplomatic relations.  Unfortunately, he’s something of a ladies’ man, and Countess Yasalantes is very beautiful.  She’s also annoyed by the fact her husband doesn’t pay much attention to her.  The count has suspicions about the affair, but can’t prove it, hence his hostility.

2.  Lord Raide is a professional guest, relying on his wit and charm to open doors for him.  He has no money of his own, and makes his living off of bored aristocrats looking for something new at their parties.  He said some very insulting things about the Count at one such party, and being an arrogant man, the Count will not tolerate it.

3.  Lord Raide is an unclaimed son of the aging king, exiled years ago.  He’s returned hoping to claim his title of a prince of the realm, and his place amongst the heirs to the throne.  One such possible heir is Count Yasalantes, who married a distant cousin of the king’s.  And he knows very well who Raide is.

Tales of Adventure

are brief adventure plots or story elements, presented in a few paragraphs. What separates a Tale of Adventure from other plots is that it gives three different directions for the adventure to play out. They may be minor twists in how the original situation is presented, or they may turn the whole scenario upside down.