Jarl Evar Varvudda was pleased indeed when the court herald announced the arrival of the Goldwood delegation. The arrival of the masters of the Golden Grove marked the end of nearly a fortnight of waiting for the Masters of the Broken Lands to answer his call for a Moot. In return for invoking a Moot, the High Queen and her court had offered only as much hospitality as the law of the realm required. As a show of respect for the the elderly Vignar, the former Jarl was housed and attended to by the queen's chamberlains and servants, but Evar and his thanes, huscarls, and shiphands spent the nights aboard their longboats in the harbor. It was abundantly clear that Evar was not welcome here. Even if he had been treated well, the Jarl of Sentinel would have no love for this putrid-smelling town. Evar was eager to leave this place.

"All parties have arrived, or at least all those we can reasonably expect to attend," Evar began as the Goldwood Jarl and his companions found their seats. "The Jarl of Sepulchrave is indisposed with matters in the South. We have waited more than a reasonable while for Clan Shattered Moon to send a representative in their Jarl's stead and none has arrived even after ample time was given. No one shall think our intention was to exclude them. Let us begin the Moot in earnest."

Evar took to the floor, standing before the Jarls of each corner of the realm as he continued.

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEFsxnQBq20]((Suggested listening))[/url]

"As Jarl of Sentinel, I invoke my right to call the masters of these lands together in a Moot when the course of our realm is unclear," Evar began as he set about a slow, swaggering pace before the throne upon which the bored youth Aigoth II sat. He could almost feel the queen's icy gaze as she followed him across from her padded seat at the right hand of her son, but paid her irritation no mind.

"Such a time of uncertainty and peril has manifested itself with the passing of Aigoth Stone Foot. The royal son will doubtlessly come to be a capable ruler of these lands. But for now, however, Aigoth II is merely a child and our realm must have sound leadership until the boy has come of age. Leadership we will not find in our High Queen."

Only the crackling of the fires of the Kingshall's twin hearths could be heard as an uncomfortable silence settled over the throne chamber. Men had been beheaded for uttering kinder words regarding the master of the Broken Lands. Evar half expected an outburst of dissent from the guards or perhaps the queen herself, or perhaps one of the Jarls. But there was nothing but silence for a seemingly interminable moment. The lack of protest encouraged the Jarl of Sentinel.

"I have no ill will against our High Queen. She has served our king graciously and given him a strong and healthy son. But it is not within her purview to rule our realm. Indeed, she is not even a native of these lands. How can we expect a noble from the Rainlands who has scarcely left these halls to rule competently over our lands? What does she know of the Broken Isles, the Northlands, Necroleste, or Debensfeld? Until Aigoth II is old enough to serve as our king, the Broken Lands must be governed not by some foreigner, but by a peer. Only a native of these lands can ever hope to command any respect over our peoples."

"Let that peer be me. Evar Varvudda, Regent of the Broken Lands."