Chapter 2: South Wind

[Silanon]

It takes you about three quarters of the day until you reach the secure path Veskassdak pointed out days ago, back in the camp before your travel started. Just as it begins to rain, you can spot it to your left, tracks of carts, horses and footmen recognizable in the mud. That said, there is noone to be seen yet, just a lonely scavenger searching for anything left behind. Another hour passes until you see the first few tents in the distance, and hear the noises of hundreds of soldiers and horses awaiting the upcoming battles. You jump off the raft (or limp off of it, in Gordibs case - while he still is as absent as in the morning, he at least gathered that much control over his body once more), and follow the track towards your destination.

From what you can tell, things look rather chaotic - as it seems, this part of the camp belongs to one of the mercenary companies, and it looks as if hundreds of people would just have put up their tents in random places, all in different colors, and of different sizes. Amongst the soldiers, you can spot more than a dozen different species, including half-orcs, a group of ifrits, and even a horned tiefling sitting next to one of the camp fires. Certainly not members of the Order, the King's Guard or the Army of the third Prince - most likely, these fighters belong to the "Forgotten", known as the scum that is too different to fit in anywhere else. Given their own nature, your group does not get as much attention as you might have expected - except for one person, noone seems to worry too much about your arrival. Clothed in a fine, dark blue robe, resting upon his walking cane, a white-haired halfling musters your approach. He looks slightly out of place in the midst of the others, the symbols of the All-Seeing Eye, guild of the most powerful magic wielders, on his clothes and a golden necklace indicating a rather high position within its ranks.

Sherwood Dicer Psychie Clockwork Syringe

 

[Psychie]

Renna gives the halfling a deep bow. "Greetings, O revered one. We are in need of assistance. One of our group has suffered under the possession of an evil spirit, and while we have been able to drive the unclean force from his body, his mind seems to be gone. It is not a injury that I can heal through the auspices of my Goddess, and we are at a loss. If there is something that can be done, we ask that you aid us in restoring his mind to what it was, or help us find one that can."

 

[Silanon]

The halfling nods knowingly, his necklace clanging faintly as he moves. He neither seems surprised, nor worried - almost as if he expected you to approach him with such a problem. "Arb would say that that's a bad omen, and that we should better turn around right now. And the Grand Master would probably tell you that there's no hope, and that it's better to end things right here and now." Although his face clearly shows the signs of his advanced age, his eyes still burn lively. "Luckily, they don't leave their tents that often, and don't care about these people's company too much, either. I happened to run across similar cases in the past, and would be willing to take a look." He takes a glance in Gordib's direction, then musters the other members of the group. "You brought interesting company, protector - unfamiliar faces, at least for now. Welcome to the Kazragunian siege - I trust I will learn your names at some point. I bid you welcome, son of these swamps." The last words are spoken in the lizardmen's tongue, with surprisingly accurate pronunciation.

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Baird recognized the all seeing eye symbol on the chest of the hafling as well as his amulet. These guys were some of the most powerful magic wielders and not to be trifled with. However, unless he was asked he figured he would keep his mouth shut about what happened down in the cave.

 

[Psychie]

Renna gives a grin to the halfling. "I am Renna, Paladin of Iomeade, and these are my companions." She introduces each one by one, ending with the stricken figure of Gordib. "If Arb and the Grand Master are not willing to provide the healing that this man needs, I am glad to have run into you, sir. May I inquire as to your name and title, as to be able to properly address you?"

 

[Silanon]

The halfling listens to your introductions, giving all of them a nod as you speak their names. "Names change like the seasons of the year - and yet, they have power for as long as they last. Over the decades, I collected dozens of titles, in languages as different as you might imagine. But for now, I am Whitehair, Third Seeker of Wisdom, and thus temporarily leader of those searching for truth. You say that he is called Gordib, right?" He slowly comes closer, his arm reaching out for the man who lost his mind. " Listen to me, Gordib. Remember your name. Remember the truths you understood, and the questions you asked before you forgot." The halfling obtains the same result you already know, the slight reaction you noticed as well. "Excuse me for a moment, will you? I'll see what I can do for him. For now, find yourself a place to stay - I trust you'll find your way through the camp?" As Io nods slightly, the halfling performs a gesture, and bright, white light flashes without forewarning - when it's gone, both the mage and Gordib have vanished as well, no traces of either of them to be seen.

"The first two seekers died alongside the king, as you probably know - thus far, they didn't have the time to assemble and elect their new leaders for the tasks ahead." Io breaks the moment of silence after the mage teleported away. "I'll lead you to the central square - anything you're particularly looking for?"

 

[Dicer]

Veskassdak was stunned by the short mammal's use of his tongue during their introduction. His inflection told of someone who had studied with his people and not just from thinking they were talking correctly. He nodded in acknowledgement of the greetings. This one would be interesting to see how much he truly knew of the Arsu'sayp Nohprem. When both the small mammal and the "not here" one vanished, Veskassdak said one word as he rubbed his eyes after the bright, white light flashed, "Skagu."
Hearing Io ask if there was, "anything you're particularly looking for?", Veskassdak spoke up, "Armor, food, ressst, and thingsss make usss ssstronger. Need sssee if sssomeone from Damosss lookout here. Know mammalsss not ussse barter for trade. But usss not have," he stops trying to figure out the correct mammal word for medium of exchange. Finally giving up on his mental search, he simply said, "Sssmall metal disksss in sssacksss. Wren what called?"

 

[Sherwood]

Wren says, "I think you mean money. We haven't been paid yet, so perhaps our first stop should be the paymaster. Lets find out how much we get in payment, then we can start to discuss what we are going to do with our money."

 

[Psychie]

Renna nods in agreement. "I am interested in getting some better armor, and perhaps adding some kind of enchantment to my blade. Depends on how much we get for our time out in the field. It might be something for me to have to save up to get, but who knows? In either case, we won't find out by standing here."

 

[Silanon]

The elf guides you through the mess of tents. "The paymaster should not be hard to find - they all have settled down at the square if I recall correctly, alongside most clerics and other important men and women who stress to remain neutral. Makes it easier to find them." As she leads you towards your destination, some of the fighters welcome her with a short nod - it looks as if she is somewhat well-known, at least amongst the Forgotten. "The whole camp is split into four quarters, not counting the area for all kinds of mounts. The first one is only accessible for members of the Order, pretty much. The others all belong to one of the mercenary companies. You'll find training grounds between Order and the King's Guard, smiths and other craftsmen between Third Princes and the Order, and means of entertainment and food on the other side of the dwarves' camp, towards the Forgotten. Only guards to be found where Forgotten and Guard collide - they don't like each other's presence too much." Just as she ends her description, you first hit a gap between the tents - on the other side, you can notice the neatly disposed shelters in dark grey and black. Heavily armored guards muster everyone in sight, leaned against their spears, prepared for any kind of provocation by the "scum" on your side of the gap.

"Besides that: If there is anything you can't find somewhere else, there is always the chance that the Forgotten have it - just find Shaona, and she'll probably point you in the right direction." As you turn rightwards, it only takes a couple of moments to reach the square, an open area between multiple bigger tents. Many of them show symbols of the most important deities; next to Torag's tent, you can see one with the symbol of the Army of The Third Prince on it, a group of dwarves gathered in front. Besides them, a familiar face - Corduf, the old mage from Damos lookout, sits on a wooden bench, enjoying the sun and talking to a dwarf in blackened plate armor.

 

[Psychie]

Renna approaches the dwarves in front of the tent and pauses a respectful distance from them to wait for a pause in their conversation before talking. When they stop to look up at her, she offers up a bow. "Greetings, neighbors. My colleagues and I have been directed to this tent in order to receive our remuneration for services rendered in the name of the King. In simpler terms, we are ready to pick up our first pay so we can afford to quench our thirst from the travel away from the comforts of the ale keg."

 

[Sherwood]

Wren shakes her head as she listens to Renna. Do all paladins talk like this, or just the one traveling with us? "Yeah, we really could use our funds. I am interested in seeing how much of my gear I can upgrade at your various merchants here in the camp. All in the service of the King, of course."

 

[Silanon]

An elderly dwarf, wearing chain mail and carrying a battle axe, turns around to you, mustering first the paladin, then the rogue with slight irritation.

"In service of which king, precisely? Soon-to-be king Vyran Torch, or the old one in case someone resurrects him? Could be the elven one, too, if he stops hiding at some point." He looks in direction of Io. "Or you could mean the dwarven one, but that's a bad bet. Hasn't been interested in the surface in centuries, and it's only the Third Princes who make sure we're getting paid at all." There are only three fingers left on his left hand, but he lifts them regardless: "Bjarki, Arnar, Rakel - those are the three you don't want to piss off, since they'll be the ones paying you. Additionally, don't mess with Bjarni, he's Bjarki's brother-in-law and makes sure we've got enough mead here. Bjarki, you've got stuff to do over here!" As the elderly dwarf shouts, the one in blackened armor turns towards you, and slowly approaches your group.

You can see how he tries to get an idea of what to expect, especially the lizardman finds his interest. "Corduf said you'd show up at some point. Bjarki, clan of trades, at your service. You're probably here to get paid, right? The Third Princes never let their fighters down in that regard." If you follow, he'll lead you to the tent, while Io excuses herself - pointing at one of the red tents across the square where she'll usually be before leaving to report her return. Inside, there is a wooden table, and apparently everything is prepared already - four pouches are awaiting your approval. He first turns towards Renna, pausing for a moment. "You don't fit the description of those sent out by Kalib, but I trust you joined early enough to make a difference. Noone shall say the Princes weren't thankful - we'd be happy to have your support in the future as well." He then points at the pouches: "5 gold pieces a day, so fifteen of them. Five hundred more, since we can't expect everyone to show up with decent weaponry and armor. And another thousand because Corduf had a bad feeling all along, and you probably had more trouble than expected. Does that sound fair? For the future: Whatever you find is yours - if you can't find any use for it, we'll buy it anyway. If you brought a tent, find yourself a place - if not, Bjarni brought a couple more yesterday, so we've got a few to spare. Any questions?"

 

[Sherwood]

Wren does the math in her head and quickly nods. "So, a total of 1515 gold? Not bad. Not bad at all. Can you point me in the direction of an honest merchant that can quote some prices on enchanting my swords, or getting a enchantment on my armor? I want to make sure that I'm around to collect on more paydays besides this one."

 

[Psychie]

Renna thanks the gruff old dwarf, and then asks, "I am sure that there is a need for healing among your people here. I can help with the gifts and blessings of Iomeade, if you can direct me to where the greatest need lies."

 

[Dicer]

Veskassdak picks up the sack of "money", as Wren had called it, and said, "Wasss more harder than ekssspected. Ssstill, ssshall sssee what can get for thisss. Learned much did me. Find more learn will me."
Looking over his battleworn armor and realizing he didn't need his greatclub, he too asked, "Where can trade thisss for fairnessss get?"

 

[Silanon]

"Honest merchants?" Bjarki grumbles as if that alone was a contradiction in itself, before reaching for his imposing beard. "Dalim, probably. He's a dwarf, after all. Maybe Trofnuff, if you're fine with half-orcs and average quality at best. Whitehair if you're looking for something special - doesn't have the time to do simple stuff." He turns towards Renna: "Don't have many wounded yet - the Forgotten are doing most of the scouting. Maybe ask if they need any help, think our own healers do the same." He then takes a short look at the greatclub, almost disgustedly. "Don't think we really need something like that. Probably Trofnuff, or the Forgotten - maybe some half-ogre is in need of a weapon."

 

[Dicer]

"Thanksss," was all Veskassdak said not even recognizing the expression the short furfaced mammal had made at his greatclub. He turned and left the tent to search for a half-ogre. Then it occurred to him that he had no idea what a half-ogre looked like.

 

[Sherwood]

Wren is able to read some of the confusion in the lizard man's body language, and says, "Stick with me, and I'll make sure you don't get fleeced out of your earnings. I personally want to see what it might cost to get my leather armor magical to help keep my skin in one piece. Lets go see what we can do for you first with the half-ogres."

 

[Dicer]

He nodded his appreciation to Wren.
Eventually they wound up at a tent that had a different short furfaced mammal that had many kinds of armor displayed.
"Isss you Dalim?" he asked. "Looking for better armor that not ssslow me down. Like what am wearing, but better would be nissce. Can pay and trade old for new if like you.
"Alssso would like to asssk what half-ogre look like ssso can give thisss," hefting his greatclub, "to one. It old but ssstill hit good. Hardly usssed."

 

[Silanon]

The dwarven merchant musters both of you (do the others intend to come along as well?), then simply nods as he tries to evaluate how to best earn the payment you mentioned. "I gotta admit, I'm more specialized on dwarven gear than anything else - but it wouldn't be good ol' Dalim in front of you if he couldn't find something suitable regardless." You can see that most armor pieces are indeed parts for the typical full plates his people seem to prefer, certainly not what you are looking for. That does not stop him from proudly presenting the few pieces available, however, as if they were the most precious objects ever seen within the kingdom. Apart from the usual gear, his offer includes those objects already mentioned in the OOC, all of them not entirely new, but in rather decent shape. He does not hesitate to name you his prices, since they're obviously way cheaper than any other merchant might be able to offer. Despite that, all of them are 1,5 times higher than the usual price in the books. If Wren aks for enchantments, he directly asks for specifics - he'll be able to do enchantments, though the price depends on what kind of effects you are looking for.

As for the club - the dwarf takes a close look at the weapon, then pauses for a moment. "I'd probably be able to find someone who'd wield such a weapon appropriately. I'd take both old armor and club, if you want to part with them, and offer a discout in return - only nine tenths of the price, noone else will offer more."

 

[Sherwood]

Wren looks to the dwarf and says, "All I can afford right now is a basic enchantment on my armor. To enchant my swords with even the lowest level of magic will cost more for one than I can get right now. So, what am I looking at paying for a basic +1 leather armor?"

 

[Psychie]

Renna looks at the available armors, and asks, "I would like either an enchantment on my blade or on my armor, depending on what you will charge. The sword is a masterwork piece already, so all it would need is the enchantment added to it. I can also provide you and your allies with mystical healing to help pay for my work, if that would be possible."

 

[Silanon]

The dwarf musters both Wren's armor and the paladin's sword before naming the numbers: "1250 for the armor, as a special offer - after all, there is much need of better equipment, and only few capable of providing these services. Usually, I'd take at least 2500 for the sword - but healers are rare enough to let them die. 1750 would be my best offer, I fear, and the same 1250 for the armor."

 

[Psychie]

Renna gives a wistful sigh. "I only have 1,600. so the sword will have to wait. Perhaps next time we come through, I'll have had the chance to gather up the funds to afford it."