Llewelyn was... tired. 

While their holdings weren't quite on opposite ends of the map, with the northern passes of the mountains inaccessible this time of year it meant that the fastest way to reach The Rainlands was to ride the Twinstreams into the center of the continent, and then march the rest of the way. The journey alone would not have been so bad- and indeed Llewelyn had been excited at first, an opportunity to finally leave home and see what the rest of the world had to offer- but the adventure  had been dampened somewhat the death of his father.

He was no longer heir to House Ap'Cledwyn, but ruler of House Ap'Arthmael. 

And so the days before his departure had been spent in preparation of assuming his lordship over the Shattered Mountains, and renegotiating with the many bickering factions of each tried to secure more favorable terms of service to their new liege. When all was said and done Llewelyn had been more eager to leave than ever, taking only two more actions before setting off.

First: he placed his mother in charge of the Shattered Mountains as his steward while away, with any important matters to be forwarded to his advisor Malcholar by Korlanthe's Tower. 

Second: He sent letters to each of the Great Houses, accompanied by gifts. He knew that there was no history between his, or any of the houses currently ruling over Handon. At worst, he would provoke offense and learn from the misstep, and the possible benefits far outweighed that risk.

[hider=Letter to House Bosanda][i]To the Lions that guard the realm:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope your Gods have blessed this letter and allowed you to receive it. If news has not reached you then I regret to write of the passing of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn. As the new head of Ap'Arthmael, I will not waste your time on honeyed words diplomatic farce. From one Lion to an entire pride of them: I wish friendship between our houses, and hope this gift helps to foster it until such a time that we can meet face to face.

			~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains[/i]

Accompanying the letter is a tower shield made of ironwood, painted with the banner of House Bosanda. It is fully functional, though its great size and expert paint job indicate that it is probably intended to be put on display.[/hider]

[hider=Letter to House Noire][i]To the Great Healers of the Riene Swamp:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has found safe passage through your lands. If news has not reached you then I regret to write of the passing of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn. Our houses have not had much contact- both living in lands that are so hard to navigate- so I wish to start our relationship graciously. I will not insult the abilities of your house by describing the gift enclosed with this letter, I simply hope it will come in handy when you visit the northern climates that you may not be used to.

			~Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains[/i]

Enclosed with the letter is a pouch of dried herbs, as well as a silver pipe decorated with cranes. The herbs are from the Shattered Dogwood, a rare flower grows on trees near the highest elevations in Handon. When consumed fresh, they are known as a powerful remedy for fevers, but when dried and smoked they are known to warm a person to where no chill can touch them. Natives of the shattered mountains are almost immune to it, but it has an intoxicating effect on outsiders.
[/hider]

[hider=Letter to House Laventis][i]To the Phoenixes in the North:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has crossed the mountains safely into your lands. If news has not reached you then I regret to write of the passing of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn, hopefully to rise again from the ashes in another life. As one of our closest neighbors- and one who also knows the harsh life of the mountains- I wish to foster friendship between our houses. To back up my intentions, I have enclosed a gift with this letter, which hopefully you will receive well. In the southern mountains we have a bird called the Shattered Phoenix, and though it has no legendary properties, it is still a rare sight even for dedicated hunters. While the bird itself would not survive your northern climate, I hope what remains arrives intact.

				~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains[/i]

Enclosed with the letter is a vial of blood, about the amount that could be obtained from a small bird, attached to a silver chain.
[/hider]

[hider=Letter to House Kyros][i]To the Arch-Magus of Cathal:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has crossed found its way safely into your hands. I am sure you have already heard from the mages of Korlanthe's tower of the death of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn- for a magical message travels much faster than a written one. Still, I wished to establish formal diplomatic ties with your help- and express a desire for cooperation between our people in the coming years. We both now rule lands in the place of our fathers, and understand the burden of rulership well. I hope this gift fosters mutual goodwill between us in the years to come.

				~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains[/i]

Arriving with the letter is a staff made of no wood known to anybody outside of Korlanthe's tower. While not magically imbued, it is inscribed with runes of respect- particularly towards those skilled in dueling with magic. It is not a sentiment expressed lightly by those who inhabit the tower.
[/hider]

[hider=Letter to House Verolin][i]To House Verolin, Wardens of the East Marches:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has crossed the continent safely and arrived in your hands. If word has not reached you already, then I regret to inform you of the death of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn. However, the main purpose of this letter is to express a desire for friendship between our houses. The misfortune that has fallen upon you is regrettable, and I admire the work your house has done to try and erase the stain of previous generations. Please accept this gift as assurance that I don't believe that the sins of the father define his descendants, and to help the wealth of your house grow- even if slightly. The metal was mined by the famous dwarves of Tunomungeg, and the quality is second to none.

				~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains[/i]

Enclosed with the letter is a necklace made of pure gold. Hanging from the necklace is the symbol of House Verolin, crafted out of silver and studded with diamonds at the joints. 
[/hider]

For House Vidokar, he would serve as the letter personally, and carried the gift with him on his journey across the continent. A journey that was thankfully almost at an end.

"[color=ec5900]Wa dae you look sae down? We're finally out ay those blasted mountains![/color]"

"[color=ff7e31]Yeah, lighten up, maybe we can finally fin' you a guid wife. Ah hear these lands are [i]fertile[/i], you ken![/color]"

From the right and left of Llewelyn came this assault on his mood, a welcome one in spite of himself. Aillig and Coira Syndwaelin, his bodyguards since boyhood- and likely his closest companions. The husband and wife had been with him for almost two decades now, serving as both his guardians and instructors in the art of combat. Better teachers could not be found in Handon- nor could mouthier ones.

"[color=steelblue]I'm here for business, not pleasure. I can look for a wife [i]after[/i] I've been ruling my lands for more than a few weeks.[/color]"

"[color=ff7e31]Fin' ye a guid wife [I]is[/i] business! Gettin out those wee jimmies an' burds...[/color]"

The woman deftly turned her head so it was her covered eye facing Llewelyn's glare as her husband burst into laughter on the other side of him.

And people wondered why he was graying young.

Still, he [i]was[/i] enjoying his trip away from home. The Rainlands had a climate far more agreeable to human habitation than the Shattered Mountains, and the sheer population of the place seemed to speak of that. It felt like they had seen more people on their journey through just a small section of the territory than in the entirety of his domain. It might had been worrying if he had ruled anywhere else- but invasions were not something the Shattered Mountains feared. 

He just hoped House Vidokar would be easier to deal with than his own retainers.