[Strategikon] War Band of Adventurers

Strategos (Military Rank 8; Status 4)

The General of the Army. Strategos mentioned are Belisarius, and Narses.

Hypo Strategos (Military Rank 7; Status 3)

Second in Command to the strategos, He is the first among the Merarchs and responsible for the center Meros called Promachos.

Merarch (Military Rank 6; Status 3)

Responsible for a Merarch, which consists of 6,000 to 7,000 men. This can vary greatly from 2-3 Moiras. In an Army there are 3 Meros, the left, right and center. A meros is also known as a Durongoi or Division.

Moirarch (Military Rank 5; Status 3)

Responsible for a Moira, which consists of 2,000 to 3,000 men. This can vary greatly from 5 to 10 Tagmas. A Moirarch is also called a Chilliarch, Duke or Dux. An example of a Moirarch or Dux is Eses of the Isaurians.

Tribune (Military Rank 4; Status 3)

Responsible for a Tagma which consists of 300 to 400 men. This can vary greatly from a large 6-8 Pentekons to 3-4 Hekatons. Also known as: Taxiarch, Count, Commitatus or Commes. Tagma is also known as a Banda, Cohort, and Company.

Illarch (Military Rank 3; Status 2)

Second in command of a Tagma, and is first among the Hekatonarchs.

Hekatonarch (Military Rank 3; Status 1)

Responsible for a Hekaton (100 men). He commands 10 Dekarchs and Dekarchies. He is also known as a Centurion.

Pentekontarch (Military Rank 2; Status 1)

Responsible for a Pentekon (50 men). He commands 5 Dekarchs and Dekarchies.

Non-Commissioned Officers:

Dekarch (Military rank 1; Status 0)

Responsible for 9 other men. He commands a Dekarchy which is also known as a Squad or Conteberium. There are 5-10 Dekarchs and Dekarchies in one Tagma.

Pentarch (Military rank 1; Status 0)

Responsible for 4 other men and the vanguard.

There is 1 Pentarch per squad.

Tetrarch (Military rank 1; Status 0)

Responsible for 3 other men and the Rear Guard.

There is 1 Tetrch per squad.

Cape Bearer (Military rank 1; Status 0)

Responsible for welfare of the Tribune, and Tagma Quartermaster.

Flag Bearer (Military rank 1; Status 0)

Responsible for the banner and a place of great honor.

There are 2 Heralds per Tagma, one is the Tribune's banner and the second one is the Illarch's.

Herald (Miltiary rank 1; Status 0)

Responsible managing the morale of the men and communication with the Tribune.

There are 2 Heralds per Tagma.

Adventuring party. The Tagma is one of the best level of military organization for adventuring. Even the name sounds appropriate for adventurers: Band , Cohort, or Companys. There are a diverse amount of roles to be filled in a Tagma as mentioned above:

• The Commander

• Second in Command (illarch)

• Captains (Hekatons)

  • Intelligence Chief (Rec)

  • Vanguard (Heavy)

  • Rear guard

  • Skirmishers

• Quartermaster (Cape Bearer)

• Chief Combat Engineer

• Heralds (Bards and Diplomats)

• Spies (Enemy Infiltrators and Scouts)

Infantry Dekarchy/Squad Basic Kit $4,898.

• Wagon $680, carries up to 638/ 680lbs

• Large Mule $2,000

• Group Basics $50; 20lbs

• Axe $50; 4lbs

• Saw $150; 3lbs

• Scythe $15; 5lbs

• Hammer $15; 1lb

• First Aid Kit $50, 2lbs

• 2 4-man Tents $300; 60lbs

• 18 (2 gallon, filed) Cask $324; 313lbs

• 4 Baskets $40; 4lbs (holds 4 gallons each)

• 2 Hatchets $30; 2lbs

• 2 Picks $30; 16lbs

• 2 Shovels $24; 12lbs

• 6 Plumbata $120; 6lbs

• 30 Caltrops $300; 10lbs

• 360 rations $720; 180lbs

• 2 Servants $675/ mo.

Cavalry Dekarchy/Squad Basic Kit $77,742.5

added to the basic infantry when for cavalry. This is for 41 horses (11 mules, 20 reserve horses, and 10 in use horses).

• 10 Wagon $6,800; carries up to 5478/ 6800lbs

• 10 Large Mule $20,000

• Feed (41 horses 10 days) $102.5, 2050lbs

• 28x 15gal-Barrels $840 280lbs.

• Water 3157lbs (1 day without forage)

• 20 horses $50,000

• 8 Servants $2,700/mo.

Strategikon: Teasing out and its Details

The winds have died for my Crusader Era write ups. I'll wait till the winds blow back at them again. Meanwhile.

The translation problems are plenty in the strategikon and history of wars I to VI. Its hard to understand what is being said when the writers don't have paragraph breaks because they trying to save space.

If you look at the History of Wars I to VI, you will notice that it was written in huge blocks of paragraphs. Imagine how it looked like in old parchment or vellum, where the scribes had to compress everything being said. Conversations were not broken up to lines and ideas were not separated by paragraphs, things we take for granted in our medium rich era.

The History of Wars V: The Gothic War part I is a great example of a military campaign for Gamers. I highly recommend reading it. Although, bringing up a richness of detail to the drab writing may require a ton of prior reading about everything else medieval and ancient.

What I can do to fill this blog up with my commentary regarding the History of Wars. Particularly interesting Game-Related pedantry regarding what is going on in the chapters. I've teased carefully

1 Stade = 185m
1 Centenaria = 5lbs of Gold or 7200 Nomismata or 360 Justinian era Solidi or $100,000 in GURPS 2004 dollars. You will notice inconsistencies often, using 1-3C, 6-7C, 9-10C terms. Remember that that scribes had to rewrite these books in different eras when the quality suffered and new leaders came into power with their own generals. So there will be an inconsitency in the terms.

1 bowshot is 300m

I was going back and forth with Strategikon and History of Wars and there was a lot of things that finally made sense to me.

The significant commanders named are typically Tribunes, Counts or Taxiarchs (or in the Latin Comitatus or Company Commander). It is implicit that these guys have with them 300-400 troops or horsemen. So the names mentioned, Constantinus, Bessas, Peranius, Valentius, Magnus, Innocentus, Herodian, Paulus, Demetrius, and Ursicinus are Tributes and their Bands (Banda/Tagma/Cohorts) are assumed to be with them.

Each Tribune has his own entourage. He has with him a number of Hekatonarchs or Captains for every 100 men he has. One of these captains are his second in command and has is own Banner, in case the Tribune falls. The 2nd in command is called an Illarch.

Each Band or Company has 300-400 men. For Cavalry 20% is heavy cavalry, 20% well-equipped horse archers or medium cavalry, and 60% inferior heavy cavalry or light cavalry.

The entourage is composed of the Illarch, the Hekatonarchs, the Cape Bearer (Orderly/Batman or Personal Servant/Steward and counts as the Quartermaster), 2 Scouts (consider them light elements and Intelligence Officer), surveyors (with the baggage, they count as an engineer elements), 2 heralds (public relations officers), 1 servant for every 4 soldiers, 1 mule for every 10 soldiers, 1 baggage guard soldier for every 4 mules, 2 extra horses for every horseman, 1 grooms for every 4 horses.

By my calculations a Bandon (cavalry) of 400 would have: 300 servants, 40 mules, 800 horses, and 40 non combat personel.

GURPS mass combat:
8 Merc. Fine Horse Archer elements $576 (TS 32)
8 Merc. Good Horse Archer elements $432 (TS 24)
8 Merc. Horse Archer elements $288 (TS 16)
16 Merc. Light Cavalry Elements $480k (TS 32)
$1,776k (TS 104)
$888k for TS1776 baggage

For a Tagma (infantry) of 400, that would just be 100 servants, 40 mules, and 40 non-combat personnel. Romans have a ratio of 2/3 heavy infantry to 1/3 medium infantry or bowmen

12 Bowmen elements $96 (TS 24)
8 Good Heavy Infantry elements $96 (TS 42)
18 Heavy Infantry elements $144 (TS 64)
2 light infantry elements $16 (TS 4)
2 Engineers $12 (TS 1)
$364k (TS 135)
$182k for TS364 baggage

Interesting tidbit, Theodatus asked for a bribe of an estate that would be worth 12 centenaria a year. This equates to 1 cenenaria a month or $100,000 a month. At TL 3 it would appear a wealth multiplier of x140 or 50% greater than Filthy rich. If it was GOLD and not "earnings" then converting the earnings would generate a loss of 90% and one would assume a x1,500 wealth multiplier. This makes it more likely he mean, "earnings" and not gold. At x1,500 that would be as wealthy as a Baron with his own armies.

House Baldwin Territories

House Baldwin. There is a lot of area that makes up the relatively small but significant Kingdom of Jerusalem. In the setting, House Baldwin lived on and the kingdom of Jerusalem became stabilized because of the man power generated by the Latin exodus.

Millions of Europeans tried to escape the Nomad Horde. This increased the capable manpower available for sustaining and establishing the Latin Kingdom. As the population swelled, there was pressure for greater organization and fairer distribution of the limited resources of Palestine.

House Baldwin was in a decline towards the 13C, bowing before more powerful nobles and houses that arrived from the west. It was in the outbreak of civil wars where the house matured into a cohesive middle ground between the European and the Palestinian inhabitants.

Interestingly, the inheritors of House Baldwin legacy are not related by blood to the original line, instead it has become a common practice to adopt capable heirs regardless of blood relation. This is because of the savagery of the civil war, that attempted to unify the fractured lands against the threats of their neighbors as quickly as possible. This meant the soldiers were forgiven, but their masters, the heirs, and families, were punished severely

Instead of organizing it per City or Town, I feel the organization is best achieved through groups of various networks. A group of settlements strategically depend and culturally connected best represent a fiefdom, more precisely than by individual city or town.

There are too many unknown villages that exist within each of these territories to be completely ignored. These villages can serve as the background of so many potential adventures. Characters who are men-at-arms will need these obscure villages as part of their background.

The title has a link of the "Best" map for running this game I have found so far. Looking at my copy of GURPS Fantasy Harkwood inspires me to do a much better job.

Next Up... (hopefully)

Random Village Generator - *(what I want out of a village generator) This should be able to roll up the following: Village main economic produce/role, secondary economic role, power center (religious, military, bureaucratic, noble), condition (wealth, morale), current problem in the minds of the population, current problem of the "power center" (which can be different from the people) and... anything else that will speed up GM improv...

Random NPC Generator - Looking for one online that will do European names (germanic or french).

Principality of Antioch (16 locales)

• Antioch (town, now city)
  

• Albara

• Marra

• Apamea

• Zerdan

• Artasium

• St. Simeon
  

• Laodicea /Latakieh
  

• Gibellum

• Alexanderetta

• Castle Biza (oldenbourg p. 312)

• Castle Athareb (oldenbourg p. 312)

• Castle Kafartab (oldenbourg p. 312)
  

• Artasium

• Zerdan

• Artasium

County of Edessa (10 locales)

• Edessa

• Ain-Tab

• Coris

• Ravendal

• Madrin

• Melitene

• Hisn-Keifa

• Samosata

• Turbessel
  

• Tulupe
  

Principality of Damascus (16 locales)

• Damascus

• Adratum

• Bostra

• Assalt

• Baalbec / Baalbek
  

• Emesa

• Tadmor

• Hamah

• Gadara

• Homes (oldenbourg p.301)

• Rasheiya (oldenbourg p.301)

• Kiswe (oldenbourg p.301)

• Ezra (oldenbourg p.301)

• Mazerib (oldenbourg p.301)

• Bosra (oldenbourg p.301)

• Jerash (oldenbourg p.301)

Principality of Allepo (6 locales)

• Allepo (town, now city)
  

• Artasium
  

• Manby

• Harran

• Rakka

• Shaizar (oldenbourg p.301)

Principality of Armenia (5 locales)

• Adana

• Tarsus

• Tunor

• Mamistra

• Marask / Marash
  

County of Tripoli (10 locales)

• Tripoli (town, now city)

• Arqa (oldenbourg p. 375)
  

• Margat

• Tortosa

• Castle Rouge

• Bortoun

• Gibilet

• Mons Ferandus

• Chaedes Chaveliers

• Apelias

Principality of Jerusalem (20/sq km; Pop 420,000) (39 locales)

• Jerusalem (Pop 12,500)

• Beirut

• Sidon

• Tyre

• Banias

• Acre

• Cesarea

• Arsuf

• Jaffa

• Ibelin

• Azotus

• Ascalon

• Gaza

• Daron

• El Arish

• Kerak of Moab
  

• Segor

• Kerak of Monreal

• Elim

• Belfort

• Toron

• Montfort

• Safed

• Castle Jacob

• Hattin

• Tiberias

• Nazareth

• Belvoir

• Baisan

• Sebaaste

• Neapolis

• Maribel

• Lydd

• Jerico

• Ramleh/ Ramla
  

• Blanche Garde

• Bethlehem

• Hebron

• Daron

A better map of 12C Crusader Palestine

The title is a link to a better resource for the Kingdom of Jerusalem 15C.

4950 Villages
30 towns
6 Cities
1 Capital city

I have to organize them into "districts" where the surrounding lands and their lords follow a chain of command centering to the Town or City. That's around 7 Major districts, and further divides into towns and their surrounding villages.

I came from a lasik evaluation and laser eye correction (reinforcement of my retina walls). So I can't do a lot of reading and writing, because I lost my near sight because of pupil dilation. Its been 7 hours since I left the clinic and the meds haven't worn off yet.

Kingdom of Jerusalem List

Basically using the guidelines and exel sheet of Medieval Demographics Made easy I'll work with these settlements. Basically for simplicity their major centers and the region is named the same. So the small villages around Jersulem will be simply referred to as Jerusalem. They will have their individual names which is free to be made up since alot of these maps are unreliable and it is an altered history after all.

I have not yet arranged the key fiefs according to their population. I plan to roll randomly what became what, then make up the rest. Since its random I don't have to worry about trying to get it accurate and saves me HOURS researching the actual political power. I'll just base the power structure after I roll up the value of each fief.

Population will be the most key determinant for political power given the era. The map in the link is a nice LOTR-ish map. There are more maps if you use Palestine as a search term and look form maps bigger than 2Mpix. Given a population of +2M I can't possibly make enough NPCs. I'll just have up to the GM rule of 7 key figures (GURPS mysteries) beyond the ones i've already fleshed out in my previous write ups.

To the other GMs out there. If it gets Boring reconsider the amount of time you are budgeting or do it at smaller increments (which go faster). What I'm doing is that I'll just use the exel sheet and bulldoze my way to filling up the Political crap out of these centers. Probably 2 hours TOPS!

Note that because of the climate these "Nation" is very "eastern" with their armor and dress. They wear very light and fight based on endurance and speed.

Major Fiefs (Cities, Provinces)

• Jerusalem
• Acre
• Tyre
• Damascus
• Ascalon
  
• Antioch
• Tripoli
• Edessa
• Mosul
• Beruit
• Galilee
• Sidon
  

Great Fiefs (Towns, Large Settlements)

• Nazareth
• Bethel
  
• Berea
• Bethany
• Bethlehem
• Hebron
• Ralma
• Jaffa
• Haifa
• Tiberias
• Siloh
• Gaza
  

House Baldwin: The Kingdom of Jerusalem

I've been reading up on the kingdom of Jerusalem. In the Sins of the Crusades, the altered history made for it to be one of the refuge territories when the Golden Horde successfully invaded europe.

Looking at the area, terrain and climate, it is very hard to fit a migrating populace of about 10 million Europeans in the 12C into the territories of Byzantine Empire, Greece, the Balkans, Norman Italy, Palestine, Egypt, and parts of northern Africa.

Anyway, given the tools used in Medieval Demographics made Easy, the many Palestine maps found on the web, and Google Earth it can be a fairly straight forward method of making the kingdom. It would probably take me 4-5 hours (and good internet). Basic Rule- If Its taking me more than 5 mins to research make it up.

typically Palestine occupies 22,000 sq. km but including Mosul region (the eastern region up to parts of the fertile Crecent) I've extended it to 60,000 sq km but with a density of a near Renaissance level of mercantile efficiency average 30-ish per sq km. This is around 2M. I can actually bolster up that population density if Egypt and Persia acted as granaries to feed that city, but that would mean Palestine had to provide some valuable service or product...
... hmmm.. well the can serve as middle men and be the "England" between the two with efficient taxation, a textile industry, and the first to develop a sense of unity as a source of morale will.

that would work I guess. 2M would mean up to a 20,000 standing forces, another 40,000 rotating forces, and up to a maximum 40,000 aditional with levying. Up to 100,000 swords and not counting the baggage of 30,000 (made up by the families and women).

Religion in Sins of The Crusade. The new Roman Empire, revitalized by Empress Anna Comnena and Emperor Bohemon of Tarranto is a theocracy that had no equal. Unlike that of Queen Isabel where the Church and the Kingdom was seperate, this theocracy had the greatest political strategists (Anna and Bohemon) in its conception.

The Golden Horde's invasion of the rest of Europe stamped "God's approval".

The House Baldwin's Palestine was the only remaining Latin Christian people, surrounded by Powerful Theocratic Orthodox Greeks, a form of Islam that has become very non-religious and more enlightened, and some traditional Islam.

Given the events in the setting and Christian Theocracy, Islam had to change. Fundamentalism vs Fundamentalism created two examples that made secularism an attractive choice. The first to change their view were the Hous aDin and their forays into philosophy and critical thinking which recreated the new islam in the setting (basically the early agnostics). Then a few members of House Osman dared to be different and basically became "wild" and truly secular embracing rationality, something their pragmatism of nomad orgins seemed to thrive in.

Its much harder to be a christian Secular when all the political power comes from a Christian theocracy that tries to control how you thought. The only people who were protected against this assault of irrationality are those who had the freedom to think for themselves.

There was also the Logos, the bureaucrats of the setting who carried with them the tradition of Ancient Academies. Although the truly secular Logos were still rare. House Baldwin's Palestine also had secular because of the inherent meritocracy in its efficiency.

Horde in Europe. in the setting, the horde flourished in Europe, but did so slowly because of the severe depopulation. They have began to also move vast amounts of people from their other provinces to repopulate changing the face of the average European (they look like the Steppe People of indeterminate heritage).

The first to be settled is France for their best arable land and climate. Germany and Spain slowly followed. The horde also could have established the most complete link between the East and the West, but at that distance and size bureaucracies and levels of organization cannot maintain contact and eventually broke off as a separate states.

French lands in Mongol Hands, the kind of Cavalry that can come about can defy imagination. The French industries of metal production, the grain production to breed better horses, the size and population able to support more intensely specialized Warrior class and the higher protein content in their diet and access to Imperial Chinese Physicians. These made powerful Horse Archer Knights who were bigger stronger and smarter. A natural check is that they were more fractured because of their relative power and their independence from the rest of the Horde.

In the setting, dealing with these guys are like dealing with monsters. A lot of lesser mooks, but the few elites are more than a match with the heroes.

The Slavers of the Horde

The Slavers of the Horder are men that profit from the enemies of the empire: the horde that had conqured the rest of europe and control most of the north, east and west. The petty kingdoms and clans are formidable but squable often. Those caught in the middle, find their way to Mamon who sell them as valuable slaves a sign of status.

Adventure Hook. A Baron Durand, of House Baldwin's purchased slaves expired unduly. The PCs are caught with the ball in their hands to do something about it. Typically the PCs (who ar lower in status) are obligated to do a favor and not to turn down a request from a lord of their own house. The PCs are given the bodies and given to return them to Mamon Barmuddi.

While at Barmudii's a medicant sister has taken a dwelling near the Manor and has been trading with the serfs for holy fetishes. PCs who talk to her, are told Mamon has not been drawing his stock from the north but from nearby villages. This is not actually true, but has a tendency to get players all riled up.

If the PC ask nearby villages, and presented with the information they will jump to the conclusion that Mamon does so and will plead the PCs to break in and rescue a their missing loved ones.


Mamon Barmuddii,
Age 60, Ht 5'6, Wt. 160lbs
Description:
Note: He is a retainer of Baron Quamar Nahadan of Hous aDin. Mamon, is not a knight, but is a valued retainer for the income and labor he sells to his many clients. Mamon is a slave trader of the bodies from exotic east. His heir, an apprentice and adopted son, Kalil is well groomed to take over his father's business and absolutely loyal and obedient (36yrs; handsome; same stats but -1 to IQ, and all skills).
Role-Playing. He is what PCs will find the most honorable and amicable of men. He sounds like a classical philosopher and wise teacher. Understand that he doesn't see as the people of the steppe as Human.
Note. Slave trade can be very black in white in our modern perspective but in some people and culture it may be very ambigous. Mamon can be a spun to be a liberator, healer, or a scorn to the people of the Horde thus earning a respectable place in his community.

• IQ13
• Administration-14, Merchant-13, Diplomacy-12,
• Physchology-12 (callous), Body language-12, Public Speaking-12, Acting-12, Torture-12
• Physician-12, Pharmacy-12, Diagnosis-12, Poison-12,
• Very Wealthy, owns a fortified manor, and has around 40 families working for him.
  

Use this Roman Soldier Template as the basic stats of the characters below. The difference from the template is noted.

Bemgem of Garl
Age 31, Ht 6ft, Wt. 280lbs, Black Hair, Gray eyes.
Description: A large hairy man, with heavy calous hands.
Role-playing: A loyal hatchet man. Bemgem has a family and some bastards his wife and his two mistresses are taking care of. He is strict and heavy handed with the people around him, but he is generous and actually takes the time to make sure they get what they need. He asks a lot, but he looks after all those who owe him his loyalty.
Note: His boss is Mamon, and his boss treats him well. His boss, makes his heir Kalil take care of the health of his people. In return they give them their loyalty.

• Modify Roman Soldier Template
  
• ST+2, DX+1, IQ+1, HT+1;
• Tors DR3 (Light Scale), Groin DR3/2 (Studded Leather Skirt), Heavy Cloak (lion skin)
  
• Mace (instead of spear) Skill-13/Parry-12U, Dmg 2d+2 (note: typically a hit from this deals damage of 9, enough to cause an ST11 to roll DX or ST or be knocked back).
• Throwing Axe Skill-12, Acc 2, Dmg sw 2d+1 cut, Range 13/20
• Intimidation-11, Leadership-11, Carousing-12,
  
• 2 other loyal 2nds Tom Tools and Redder Paul (because there are 2 other pauls). Use the soldier template but +1 ST and damage.
  
• he commands 12 other boys who are as good as soldiers but without combat reflex

Garl of Garl
Age 52, Ht 5'5, Wt. 130
Description: A red scaly and splotchy skinned, old man who seems to be falling apart. His eyes look bright and young, Wooden detures have real teeth, and smells of old things and dead.
Role-playing: Bemjem's Father, a very cruel and sadistic man. He gets paid little, mostly in the free use of the slaves. He is tolerated only because he is Bemgem's father. People tend to avoid him and hide behind Bemgem's if Garl would ask something of them. He constantly ridicules his quiet son, raving and complaining. Everyone ignores these as they think his head is gone. Garl will harass any female character and soft young male character.
Note: He takes care of his boy Garl and this Grand kids and bastards, oddly enough. Some are growing up to be as sadistic and crazy as the old man.

• DX+2
• Torso DR1 (Fur Shirt), Groin DR3/2 (Studded Leather Skirt), Spiked Gauntlet (right hand) DR4, Boots DR2.
• Brawl-15, Feint (brawl)-19, Kick-15, Spike Guantlet Dmg thr 1d-1 cr, Kick Dmg thr 1d+1 cr
• Wrestling-13; Can spit as apart of a brawl feint Perk.

Another Twist. Mamon, a skilled physician, autopsys the body to discover that one of the slaves, was pregnant and murdered by poison. He refuses to refund the Lord because the slaves were poisioned quite voluntarily.

One thing that should be apparent is that the murderer could have a lot to lose if this slave gave birth to someone's bastard. Why? Who could be in trouble? Who would know? Lord Durand is going to lose face if he doesnt get to the bottom of this, and makes the PCs find out who.

Defaut Possibility: The murder seemes to be caused by the Lord Duran's heir Alex. He probably panicked and killed the slave because it was an embarrassment to his betrothal's family. But, PCs discover that Alex had no access to poison and doesn't' know she died because of it. He is quiet shocked and heart broken by the event.

Later on they discover the Lord's Banneret, Sir Ibynn Tourkoisee was rumored to be seducing her and tried to find time alone with the slave. PCs find out then might have to take his word that he never touched her (and find out a twisted reason why he kept her around in odd hours- one reason would be she sang for his pleasure while he was with his lover).

They may find out later on that the Deacon Yiavis has been paying alot of attention to the slaves, witnesses say he would go to slaves quarters every night. PCs hear rumors that he has a bastard. Oddly the PCs find out quite simply he has been trying to convert them to save their souls. Exasperatedly promising salvation, which didn't go so well when he has a tendency to only preach to the female slaves and tries to "commune" with them alone.

PCs eventually discover, that the slave was murdered by the woman she was attending to young lady Beatrice. Alex's sister who did it to spite her older brother, after he of handedly compared her to the slave in terms of beauty.