"They did what!" Ar Urlic shouted loudly causing Orlo to shrink back.
"Our scouts report that two of Urenbachs generals have attempted to raise Delburz your holiness."
"That fat fool! That fat, incompetent idiot!" he yelled increasingly louder. "How dare he!"
"Your holiness..." Orlo interjected carefully. "...He may not have known of their actions, he has long been besieged in Grosseferre."
"That is worse!" Ar Ulric responded furiously. "He has lost control of his troops, troops who think that trying to destroy a major city is acceptable, is there any end to his failures?" Orlo shuffled uncomfortably indicating that he had more to say, Ar Ulric grunted and gestured that he should continue."How did they attempt such foolishness?"
"Gunpowder was deployed in areas of the town and set off. Had it been in summer the destruction would likely have been devastating however the fires were put out by the weather. Several major structures were destroyed as well as his statue. Augustus troops with Rusdorf support arrived soon after the attempt and restored some measure of order."
"They even fail at that. It alone clearly shows how Ulric regards them. Is there anything they can do right?" Ar Ulric said grumpily. Orlo continued to shift. "Don't tell me there is more Orlo?" a flash of anger in his voice. He moved over to a nearby table and poured a glass of wine for himself none to carefully.
"They moved on to Untergard your holiness. It is reported that they were exacting revenge on the dwarfs there for siding with Titus.. by all accounts it was a massacre. Much of the population was executed, bodies hung from trees and rafters. When our messengers arrived to deliver the ceasefire command they turned around and retreated, instead they..." he was interrupted by the sound of a smashing. Ar Ulric had hurled the vessel against the wall.
"Those...those morons! Is there no end to the idiocracy!" he raged causing Orlo to shrink back. "Send my bloody guard out. Find the fat lord and bring him to me. He will explain himself. I care not, he will answer to me! By Ulric I will know what he was thinking, was Kislev not enough? There will be Dwarf ambassadors knocking at my door before bloody dawn." Orlo hurriedly took notes and rushed out the door, after a few minutes he returned having given the command. He found Ar Ulric slumped in his chair drinking from the decanter. The old man looked up at him unenthusiastically knowing they had not finished yet. "Get on with it then. Who else has been waring." Orlo reluctantly started to speak.
"Fort Schippel once again was the site of a confrontation. von Tiefen men defended the fort against Sangerhausen soldiers. The fight was brief as the invader quickly realised the futility of the assault. It is said there were so many Tiefen men they even outnumbered their assailants. Defences too had been erected to defend the town, it was as though they were warned." Ar Ulric nodded in response absorbing the statement.
"Ever the competent soldier there. He has been the paragon of virtue so far in this negotiation." he said to Orlo.
"Indeed your holiness, he has been very kind."
"I was not being complimentary." Ar Ulric replied unhappily. Orlo did his best to ignore the comment.
"Much of the east has stopped their fighting. Kerpen troops briefly moved near Esk before retreating from the site. Apparently Altenberg troops had arrived and deterred Kerpen men from an assault."
"Ulric forbid that Altenbergs men actually have to fight something." the priest said sarcastically.
"Actually your holiness they did. Altenberg men met troops led by von Rusdorf himself outside of Kuttenholz and were defeated." There was a sharp grunt from Ar Ulric in response.
"His only battle so far and his men were beaten by the coin counter? That must sting. Kuttenholz was a Urenbach town was it not?" he asked rhetorically not waiting for an answer. "Another display of folly."
"Indeed you holiness." replied Orlo. "However that is all of the warring complete, all other electors merely stayed behind walls and defended. It appears that the rest of the negotiation must be done politically."
"So be it." Ar Ulric said before taking a big swig. "Soon we will have an Emperor, chosen by Ulric himself." he said dramatically. "Prepare for their arrival." he commanded waving his assistant away. It was time.
