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Kingdom Legacy

Ishio

New Member
It was the mid noon of early spring - the temperatures still rather low and the winds cold. In the chilly weather, in front of his own house stood Briar Grove's mayor - Ruben Dust - a tall man, probably in his mid 40s, which showed from the occasional grey strand in his otherwise reddish shoulder-long hair and the few small wrinkles around his brown eyes. He was impatiently looking around, his gaze seeking for someone or something, with his hands clasped together in feeble attempts to stay off the coldness. A clearly distraught expression could be read on his masculine face, the cold definitely not being the reason for it.


What he was waiting for were volunteers, willing to take on an urgent mission. He had the inn keeper and a couple of youngsters spread the word around the village that "The elder is looking for help with an important matter, which likely involves danger and traveling in the wilderness". The man reached for his belt, confirming that the small coin pouch hanging from it was still there. There wasn't a lot inside, but it was all he could muster to prepare at such a short notice. Hopefully it wouldn't take much longer, before someone showed up - time was of the essence.
 
Lothar woke that day in his rented room. Well, to be fair, he didn't really pay for it. He had been working in the village and doing random chores. This was part of his payment, free boarding and two warm meals a day. Not too shaby considering the work wasn't particularly difficult. Yes, there were days when he was physically exhausted, but it was from honest, hard work. He had little to stress about or really think. It was all quite meditative. His mind was free to wander or not even think. He could just focus on his work. However, at times, it all felt somewhat pointless. There seemed to be little progress that could be measured in this village. It was all just enough to survive.


Still, he had a job to do and he got up ans got ready as if it were any other day. As he was about to leave, the innkeeper hailed him and mentioned something about the mayor looking for volunteers for something important. Now, this intrigued Lothar. The mayor never really requested for volunteers like this before. It kind of reminded him of his time in the military when they asked for volunteers to do something dangerous, but important. Maybe this was god looking out for him, but Lothar finally felt like something meaningful was happening at this village. He immeadiately grabbed his equipment and went on his way towards the mayor's house.
 
Idette had spent much of the morning making beds in her foster parent's inn. She had the day off from the tavern, but of course, that just meant she was free to do chores at home. At least in the tavern she got to hear plenty of rumors, the talk of the town was that the mayor had requested volunteers for some sort of dangerous mission into the wilds. Her father had mentioned it to plenty of their customers, paying and otherwise.


She had watched one of them, Lothar, seemingly heed the information by grabbing his equipment and heading out the door. Idette could only imagine how many others might be assembling, and curiosity peeked, she took a break for lunch and headed towards the mayor's house with a basket of bread. She didn't plan on joining, no, the young lady didn't have fond memories of her past growing up in the wilderness. Rather, she merely planned to deliver the bread and stick around just long enough to gather what their mission might be. 
 
"And it's going to be full of danger you say?" Callis asked, taking a rough bite of the apple in his hand. 


"That's what they told me." Caroline sighed, her long, earth toned skirt sweeping along the floor of her modest little store. "Everyone in the tavern's talking about how the mayor's got major business out in the wilds and that it's bound to be dangerous." 


"I doubt everyone was talking about it." Actually he could. So little happened in this backwater logging camp of a village that something that could qualify as an emergency would really get the rabbles blood up. Callis had once sat at his table and been forced to overhear some of them talk about the diets of sheep and how that might effect their wool. It had taken a great deal of self control from the elf not to grab the nearest sharp object and slam it into someone's hand just to change the subject, but apparently society frowned on that around here and he didn't feel like getting himself banished into the middle of the woods. 


"Karl seemed happy when I said you'd be volunteering for it." The merchant added offhandedly. It didn't slip past the elf's attention.  


"You did what?!" Callis spat out the fruit he was munching on, choking all the while.


"Well you're always talking about how good you are with swords and such, it only seemed fair to have you finally start earning your keep around here. Don't you think it's time to get off your rump and stop getting drunk all the time?"


"No! When we met up the only thing I ever promised was to act as your protector, and I think I've done more than that by taking in your bloody extended family and brightening your dull lives by my being in it!" There was not a hint of irony in Callis' voice in this moment.


"Well how about this then? I told everyone at the tavern that you're cut off unless you go along."


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Honestly, that ungrateful woman. Hadn't he done enough for the people of this dump? Now she had the nerve to deny him the only thing that made it more bearable. He was that place's best customer, why Callis could drink their meager supplies dry if he put his mind to it. He'd have done it already if he'd been born a dwarf, the stunted bunch of alcoholics. Well it seemed that he had no choice now, not if he was going to maintain the standard of sponging that he'd grown accustomed to. So Callis donned his heavy duster coat he'd gained on the road with the dirk and hatchet he kept around for the rare moments Callis stooped to labour. The elf strode through the village of Briar Grove towards the Dust's house, muttering under his breath in a petulant huff all the while. Same old huts, same old mountain in the background, same old woods beyond. He had stayed in this place too long already, even for his ancient patience.


Business in the wilds, what kind of business could anyone have there? Nothing Callis could care for, he hated the wilds and forests. The damn green barrens were totally over rated. Callis could only hope this wouldn't take up too much of his time and possibly pay well.


"Oy, Dusty! What's this I hear about you planning a picnic with the wolves?" Callis called out as he approached the village elder, looking around awkwardly outside his modest abode.     
 
"I am... So... So... So damn BORED!" the elven woman roared to the heavens, she was beyond restless. The fact she had been sitting here for a extended period of time had made her grown weary and unhappy. Sure, it was a cute, small village. Sure there was adorable children out playing now and again, but they saw her as the scary doctor lady that made them drink icky stuff when they were sick. There was the other ladies in the village, but they all talked about boring stuff... Course, gossip comes along and things get exciting but yea burn too many bridges that way. She could talk to the guys, but they start talking about their health problems, she didn't need to know about the most recent ailment of the bowels anytime soon. 


Leave THAT to the wise old ladies. 


So what could a blazingly intelligent and gorgeous woman such as she do when she is so utterly bored? 


....


........


Nothing really, hell, she didn't even have any patients. 


But what was going on in the town today? Perhaps something more interesting was afoot? Why not go talk with the old man and see whats going on, hopfully he had something... anything, going on. 


...but why did she choose to go to him? 


it's almost like somehow she felt something was happening around him. Or, going to start around him. No time like the present to go and see whats what. 


taking off the sign that said "the doctor is in" and throwing it beneath the counter she left her repurposed shed turned apothecary and headed off to see the elder's place... Exactly the same time as others were it seemed, weird. 
 
It hadn't been a good day so far, the half-orc didn't have any hunting orders to fill and had gone to catch his own meal. Unfortunately, he hadn't had any luck coming back empty handed and unsatisfied. The cold didn't help improve his mood much either. Tuggar had decided to make his way towards the Inn, see if he could get some food in him, when a young boy came running towards him. He recognized the boy as one of the blacksmiths sons, who he often did odd jobs for, and grabbed the boys' shirt as he ran past him. 


"Where you going, kid?" Tuggar laughed.


"Dust is looking for volunteers to go into the wilderness, says there's gonna be danger!" The boy grinned, " Wants me to spread the word. My bet is it's to hunt a pack of wolves!"


"Well, you better get going then." Tuggar laughed, ruffling the boys hair and pushing him gently back in the direction he was heading.


"Are you going to go?" He asked.


" 'Course I am," Tuggar grinned, " After all, I'm the best hunter this towns' got, ain't I?"


The boys' smile grew and then he turned and ran off back into the town. Tuggar headed towards Ruben Dust's house, a wide smile now replacing the grimace he'd worn earlier. As he came upon the mayors house he spotted the man standing outside and gave him a small nod. He also noticed a rather small crowd was there too, news traveled fast in this place. Perhaps this day wasn't going to be as bad as he had thought.
 
The mayor's nervousness eased up a little thanks to the appearance of the several able looking people, all of them likely interested in helping out. Before long half an hour had passed since newcomers stopped showing up.


"I guess that's enough waiting..." he mumbled to himself, clearly impatient to start briefing the others. There were roughly 10 people gathered, half of which didn't look all that reliable and were probably just here out of curiosity, rather than actual adventuring spirit. "Yesterday morning we sent our scouting party downriver, towards the empty fields above Oldbloom Lake..." Dust began talking, with a loud enough voice for everyone present to hear him. He mentioned no names, since there was no need to - the village had only one group of regular scouts and everyone knew the current members: Old huntsman Pete, who trained all the other scouts; the troublesome brothers Ian and Arhn, who were always too energetic and free spirited for their own good, despite being in the later half of their 20s; and lastly, the youngest recruit who joined only a year ago (at the age of 16) - Mildred - a rather quiet boy that likes to keep to himself.


"They were supposed to check out the area and confirm if the land really is fertile, like the common maps suggest..." Because of the many dangers of exploration and traversing the wilds, making maps was an incredibly slow and taxing method. On top of that, entire landscapes were often altered in the course of mere years, be it for natural reasons or due to other influences. As a result of all that, it was common knowledge that maps can often be faulty or severely outdated and should never be completely trusted. "As you would guess by their absence, they haven't returned yet... Its less than half a day's worth of travel on horseback to reach the fields, thanks to the open terrain. They should have been back by nightfall!" At this point, it was getting obvious what this urgent task was about. Even if the scouts had decided to wait out the night and camp in the wilds (which is a pretty bad idea, mind you), it was already past noon on the next day. Something must have had happened to halt their return. Dust wasn't done though:


"With that said, I don't intend to just blindly throw people at the problem, hoping somebody makes it back eventually. We're a small settlement -  safety and caution is always first and foremost. I need you to investigate what happened but don't do anything risky - as soon as you sense danger, retreat and report." By the time he was done talking, a few of the onlookers had already moved along, clearly not willing to actually participate... only 5 were left.
 
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'No, nobody else? So much for the bravery and kindness of the human spirit.' Callis smugly thought to himself as he watched their little crowd of onlookers slowly wither away with each promise of a fresh hazard to come. 


That had left with a motley band of people with little else to do.


That left them with a tin soldier Callis thought he'd seen around the inn and knew by face if not name. L something, Logan was it? Either way Callis didn't like him. The man acted too clean to be trustworthy.


The local medicine woman memorable at least for being one of the few other members of his race around these parts, though the signs of mixed parentage were clear to see. A rare sight back home. Bitterblack society had never been kind to half-breed offspring, most chose to take their chances across the sea than live under a bastard's scorn.


Now Tuggar he knew by name, both for being the first half orc Callis had ever met and for providing him with fine cuts of meat. So much of his native cuisine had been based purely on vegetables and grains that the meats and gravies of the human kitchen opened up an unknown form of decedence for the elf.


They each looked like they knew their business at least. Oh and Idette was there too.


"So were you sent to make sure I didn't try sneaking off, or will you just be providing lunch for our little quest?" Callis asked her, quietly sidling up to the girl and trying to pinch one of the rolls of bread in her basket.
 
Idette looked up to the elf cozying up next to her, staring at her bread. Callis She gave him her biggest grin as she spun the basket away from his greedy fingers, letting it rest on her hip. "Just lunch...stop it! They're warm!" She giggled. The guy could eat and drink the tavern dry if he wanted, or so she figured. He was always nice to her, but everyone was. She enjoyed his company when he wasn't grimacing at sheep farmers from across the bar. Idette had actually forgotten about Caroline's instructions, until just now. 


It's not like Idette could be relied on to cut him off anyhow. She was a sucker for kind words. Her backbone wasn't quite as strong as the others she worked with. Had he asked, she'd have likely poured, and even now she handed him bread along with the others. Lothar, Tuggar, and Elly She had seen them all at one point or another. Lothar, he had a room in her parent's inn. She often cleaned his room. Tuggar still scared her. She had a bad dream about him once. And Elly, she hadn't really had a chance to talk to much yet. 


"I think..." Idette paused to do just that. "I think I might just tag along. Do we have to stop by the blacksmith?" The question should have been anticipated. It was no secret Idette had a crush on the Smithy's eldest son. It didn't matter though. Her heart was beginning to soar at the idea of exploring beyond the village. Any fear she once had at the nature of the adventure had all but vanished, as soon as the mayor had suggested they run away from  any bad things. That's what retreat means, right?


Idette, Idette was good at that. She fixed her hair after setting the basket down. This would be fun! 
 
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Lothar grimaced slightly when he heard the news. He was pretty sure that it was Old Man Pete was the one who ultimately saved him that day. So, to hear that these men were missing was disheartening. The lads too. Although the twins were a bit loud, they were good boys. They kind of reminded him of the cadets that he had trained as a Sergeant. So, Lothar was already willing to help and looks for these men. Half of the group ended up leaving. They were probably just curious about what was happening and had no intention to help... just a couple of nosy villagers. But, this was serious business so perhaps it was a blessing that those who did not care left. The few who remained were largely foreigners like himself except for Idette, who was the daughter of the innkeepers. He wasn't awfully familiar with the people, but he had seen them around the village here and there. He looked at each of them and gave a curt nod in greetings and acknowledgment.


He then thought about the mission. Half a day on horseback... but none of them had a horse for all Lothar knew and he was pretty sure that the village didn't have any to spare. Thus, they would have to walk, which meant that it would take a day or two. The logistics didn't sound too good at the moment, but there shouldn't be anything too dangerous out there... hopefully. Either way, Lothar was ready. He had his equipment well maintained and ready for emergencies. He then said to the group "I am ready to depart whenever everyone else is ready. In the mean time..." Lothar looked at the mayor and said "Is there anything else that you may happen to know? Maybe anything about the terrain around the area?"
 
As soon as you sense danger, retreat and report. Well, that made this mission easy enough, if not a little boring. Tuggar frowned, no he shouldn't be thinking like that, this wasn't a raid. It was a scouting trip and rescue at best. It would probably be pretty boring by his standards, but he reminded himself he didn't like his standards all that much. Besides, good people were missing, possibly dead. Tuggar imagined their families were having a hell of a time worrying. This could help put their minds at ease.


The half-orc eyed the people who were left, he had expected the crowd to dissipate. This town wasn't made of fighters and he'd liked to keep it that way. The ones left he somewhat recognized, a few were even his clients on occasion. The first he recognized was the healer, Elly. He had come into her care more than once since he'd been here, but to be far climbing into trees gave him the best vantage point for hunting. It wasn't his fault that tree branches weren't meant to hold heavy half-orcs. The other pointed ear person here was Callis, the elven man was one of his clients. Tuggar didn't know much about him from their interactions, but he seemed capable. He didn't recognize the last man, he knew he had seen him around but couldn't put a name to the face. Although, Tuggar was fairly certain he stayed at the Inn. Which reminded him of Idette, who was also still here. Why was she still around anyways, he didn't know much about her, in fact he barely remembered her name. She was the innkeepers daughter, not the kind to be traveling in the wilderness. But then again, he knew nothing of her.


Tuggar turned his head back to the mayor, listening intently.
 
"You can, if you want to." Dust answered in response to Idette's question about the blacksmith. He untied the leather coin pouch from his belt and handed it over to her. "There's about 30 coins inside. Its not much, but it should suffice if you need to buy some basic stuff to prepare... Hopefully it'll be enough."


Being as underdeveloped as it is, the continent of Tenera didn't have a very complex trading system. Simple coins, smelted from copper, bronze, iron or any other such earth element was all they relied on. While each kingdom tends to stamp their own crest on the coins they smelt, there really wasn't much of a difference in value between them. Usually 5 coins would be about enough to get you a modest dinner or a few drinks at a tavern and with 10 more you could get a room for the night too.


"Also, there's something else..." the Mayor drew attention back to himself. "We have a few more horses left at the stables. You can take those, but please be careful, we can't afford to lose them too." His tone already assuming that the ones the scouts took were probably gone for good. "Now, unless you have something else you need to know, we shouldn't waste more time."
 

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