Mara and Lukas Meeting (October)
Mara Agrees to Meet
Sulieman has visited Cariene and persuaded Mara to meet with Lukas, who will travel north with his two body guards to meet her in City. The meeting is arranged about a week after Mara met with Yuri and Charrek.
Mara has her Orog guards in attendance. She greats Lukas, telling him he was impressed with Sulieman, they seem powerful and have a plan. Also, she is constantly frustrated with Charrek and they have tested her patience. Her meeting with them did not persuade her to stay with them. They are unaware she is considering switching sides.
She asks Lukas what the plan is. Lukas says he is a pawn still in this game, but his plan is to keep control of Lyssan. He wants to stop Yuri killing him.
Conditions for Betrayal
Lukas asks what Yuri’s plans are. Mara says her conditions for co-operating are that the Council of Leaders remains in power and running the country, Cariene keeps its current level of independence and that the Brother Mages visit her and keep their end of the bargain.
Lukas says he does not trust the Mages entirely, but they are powerful and they have the Chimaera on the back foot. They are likely to win the magical war, it’s just what they will do then.
Mara welcomes his honesty and reveals that Yuri and Charrek are trying to infiltrate and retake Lyssan. They are trying to muster an army, mainly in Rourke, to do this. Lukas confirms he has found some tunnels under the City and is working to secure them.
Making Plans
She offered to secure the main road and she will use her Cavalry to disrupt them. Yuri and Charrek currently think her Cavalry is on their side though and she does not want to play her hand yet.
They are also trying to recruit Hakim. She went to see him to try to get him to join Denerick, but he is not interested unless Sulieman goes to see him.
Lukas does not know what Denerick is going to do, he has returned to Mhowe. He has the army and the money. They will need his help to hold off any attack. They agree to send word to Denerick with her Cavalry to get that help, perhaps hold a new Council meeting at the start of November.
Mara is confident she could reach a Council meeting in Mhowe by travelling under cover with her agents.
Lukas asks about Hamein. Mara confirms Yuri is in control there and there are soldiers stationed there. She plans to send some of her spies into those soldiers and try to get the people who were recruited from her province to defect and return home.
Deceive the Others
Mara proposes they make out she has infiltrated Denerick’s Council and may try to deceive Yuri and Charrek.
Hamein seems to be the main threat at the moment. However, without orders and plan from Denerick or the Brother Mages they are a little powerless. Lukas says there are the Goblins, but they are not much good.
Mara suggests telling Yuri and Charrek that Hakim has joined Denerick, which may help drive Hakim to actually join Denerick if he is attacked.
The meeting ends with Mara agreeing to send cavalry messengers to Mhowe asking for orders. She will attend a meeting there in disguise. If Yuri and Charrek call a meeting, she will send a deputy to attend that meeting.