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Arcanis: Gonnes, Sons, and Treasure Runs (COMPLETED)
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 1820988" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p><strong>Bargains of Spirit and Flesh - Part 1: Legendary Blades</strong></p><p></p><p>"So, tell me again why we're here?"</p><p></p><p>Kham rolled his eyes. "Look, it's work, right? I thought you'd be grateful."</p><p></p><p>Quintus gestured at the crowded marketplace buzzing around them. They had traveled to the foot of the massive Corlanthian Mountains, in the shadow of the Dwarven enclave of Solanos Mor. Dwarves and humans were everywhere, hawking, haggling, and every once in awhile making a sale.</p><p></p><p>"It's not that. It's just that I don't see us actually getting any work done."</p><p></p><p>It was hard to get work done in Marketplace, which also happened to be the name of the town. The scent of perfumes and incense mixed with delicious smells of spiced roast boar. Tents and kiosks competed with each other through their signs in a riotous patchwork of colors. Performers were everywhere, juggling, singing, and joking.</p><p></p><p>"Oh, we're in the right place," Kham replied. "It's just that…" Kham's eyes wandered over to the rug merchant who immediately brightened when they locked gaze.</p><p></p><p>"You are looking for a rug, yes?" The merchant said, sidling up to Kham. "I give you good rug. My rugs are very nice."</p><p></p><p>Quintus frowned at the merchant, who looked a bit like an overeager puppy. "I am not interested in rugs, merchant!"</p><p></p><p>Undeterred, the merchant tried Ilmarė next. "A rug for the pretty lady?"</p><p></p><p>The Elorii stared the merchant down. "What would I do with a rug?" she said after he backed away.</p><p></p><p>"What a question! A rug will keep you warm. It will keep you soft. I give you good rug."</p><p></p><p>Vlad stood with hands on hips, surveying the long line of people standing under a weapons shop titled, "Legendary Blades."</p><p></p><p>"Is that our competition?" he asked.</p><p></p><p>Kham was too busy to respond. "So, do you have a good travel rug? I bruise easily."</p><p></p><p>"Oh yes, yes!" The merchant said excitedly. "I give you great rug. It keep you warm at night!" He began rifling through a pile of furs and cloth. </p><p></p><p>"Stop encouraging him," said Quintus. "You'll have us all buying rugs by the time he's done."</p><p></p><p>The merchant rolled out a variety of furry-looking rugs. "Touch, see? Feel the softness."</p><p></p><p>"I've heard of that shop," Vlad said, ignoring the exchange. "That's operated by the House of Elabac. Master Artisan Elabac is a dwarven craftsman of the highest order. His blades can punch through solid steel."</p><p></p><p>"If there's a line to get this work Kham speaks of," suggested Ilmarė, "maybe we should get on it."</p><p></p><p>Vlad agreed, and the three of them started to walk over to the line. </p><p></p><p>The merchant was still wrapping up a rug with several pieces of rope for Kham when he said, "the job is for caravan guards to accompany a shipment of goods to nearby Nevanne. From there, the caravan travels to Tralia in Milandir."</p><p></p><p>Quintus stopped in mid-step. "You mean…where we JUST came from?"</p><p></p><p>"Well, yes," Kham said, hefting the rug with a strap over one shoulder. "But nobody paid you to get here. It's 100 Imperials for the two-week trip."</p><p></p><p>Vlad led the way over to the line and pushed his way onto it. Smaller men got out of his way.</p><p></p><p>"You seem awfully eager to take on this job," said Quintus, joining him on the line. </p><p></p><p>Vlad nodded. "At the end of the trip, one guard is selected by Master Elabac to receive one of his famous blades. I'd have walked barefoot from Coryan to Marketplace for the chance to own of those swords."</p><p></p><p>"I'm just about barefoot," Quintus said, looking ruefully at his worn sandals. "I still haven't received my pay from the Legion of the Reluctant Warrior." The Coryani government could be a bureaucratic monstrosity and it didn't help that a centurion plotted against him at every turn. "I'm surprised you took this task, Lady Ilmarė. Surely caravan duty is beneath one such as you."</p><p></p><p>Ilmarė slipped into line easily without bumping into anybody. "I am Larestri," she said. </p><p></p><p>"Lay-WHAT-he?" asked Vlad.</p><p></p><p>"It is Eloran for 'those who roam'. It is my mission to walk among humans and learn their ways."</p><p></p><p>Quintus squinted at her. "Learn our ways? For what purpose?" </p><p></p><p>"For the coming war, of course."</p><p></p><p>Before any of them could ask more, Vlad found himself at the front of the line.</p><p></p><p>"Name?" asked a stocky dwarf with a bright red beard.</p><p></p><p>"Vlad Martell."</p><p></p><p>"Next!" Vlad hastily moved aside as Quintus stepped up. "Name?"</p><p></p><p>"I am Quintus Aurelius Ignatius, Signifer of the Legion of the-"</p><p></p><p>The dwarf made a small mark next to the word "human" on his pad. "Next!" </p><p></p><p>"But you didn't even write my name down!"</p><p></p><p>"I said NEXT!" shouted the dwarf.</p><p></p><p>Ilmarė glanced down at the pad the dwarf was holding. "Osalikene," she said.</p><p></p><p>The dwarf looked at her. </p><p></p><p>"Elorii?"</p><p></p><p>The dwarf looked at her.</p><p></p><p>Ilmarė sighed. "Elf."</p><p></p><p>The dwarf made a checkmark next to the word "elf."</p><p></p><p>"Next!"</p><p></p><p>Quintus glowered down at the dwarf, who was studiously ignoring him. "And just how are you selecting who will guard this caravan? Surely we can't all be guards."</p><p></p><p>Kham stepped up. "Human," he said with a smirk.</p><p></p><p>"Next!"</p><p></p><p>Quintus walked out into the street, out of earshot of the other applicants. "So do you have some sort of plan to get us hired?" </p><p></p><p>"I'm sure something will turn up." Kham put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "They have to thin out the guards somehow."</p><p></p><p>Quintus puts his hands on his hips. "That's it? That's the plan? Is that what they teach you in handgonner school?"</p><p></p><p>Kham rolled his eyes. "First, don't try to use the joke I used on you two weeks ago against me. It sounds stupid when you do it."</p><p></p><p>Vlad nodded vigorously in agreement with Kham, then slowly stopped nodding when he noticed Quintus glaring at him.</p><p></p><p>"Second, maybe you should pray to your god or something for guidance. In the mean time, I'm going to get a drink and keep my ear to the ground."</p><p></p><p>And with that, Kham walked off into the crowd. </p><p></p><p>Vlad and Ilmarė looked from Kham's retreating back to Quintus. Then they followed Kham.</p><p></p><p>Quintus looked up at the sun. "Iliir give me strength. Or strike him dead. I'll take either one."</p><p></p><p>Then he marched after Kham.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 1820988, member: 3285"] [b]Bargains of Spirit and Flesh - Part 1: Legendary Blades[/b] "So, tell me again why we're here?" Kham rolled his eyes. "Look, it's work, right? I thought you'd be grateful." Quintus gestured at the crowded marketplace buzzing around them. They had traveled to the foot of the massive Corlanthian Mountains, in the shadow of the Dwarven enclave of Solanos Mor. Dwarves and humans were everywhere, hawking, haggling, and every once in awhile making a sale. "It's not that. It's just that I don't see us actually getting any work done." It was hard to get work done in Marketplace, which also happened to be the name of the town. The scent of perfumes and incense mixed with delicious smells of spiced roast boar. Tents and kiosks competed with each other through their signs in a riotous patchwork of colors. Performers were everywhere, juggling, singing, and joking. "Oh, we're in the right place," Kham replied. "It's just that…" Kham's eyes wandered over to the rug merchant who immediately brightened when they locked gaze. "You are looking for a rug, yes?" The merchant said, sidling up to Kham. "I give you good rug. My rugs are very nice." Quintus frowned at the merchant, who looked a bit like an overeager puppy. "I am not interested in rugs, merchant!" Undeterred, the merchant tried Ilmarė next. "A rug for the pretty lady?" The Elorii stared the merchant down. "What would I do with a rug?" she said after he backed away. "What a question! A rug will keep you warm. It will keep you soft. I give you good rug." Vlad stood with hands on hips, surveying the long line of people standing under a weapons shop titled, "Legendary Blades." "Is that our competition?" he asked. Kham was too busy to respond. "So, do you have a good travel rug? I bruise easily." "Oh yes, yes!" The merchant said excitedly. "I give you great rug. It keep you warm at night!" He began rifling through a pile of furs and cloth. "Stop encouraging him," said Quintus. "You'll have us all buying rugs by the time he's done." The merchant rolled out a variety of furry-looking rugs. "Touch, see? Feel the softness." "I've heard of that shop," Vlad said, ignoring the exchange. "That's operated by the House of Elabac. Master Artisan Elabac is a dwarven craftsman of the highest order. His blades can punch through solid steel." "If there's a line to get this work Kham speaks of," suggested Ilmarė, "maybe we should get on it." Vlad agreed, and the three of them started to walk over to the line. The merchant was still wrapping up a rug with several pieces of rope for Kham when he said, "the job is for caravan guards to accompany a shipment of goods to nearby Nevanne. From there, the caravan travels to Tralia in Milandir." Quintus stopped in mid-step. "You mean…where we JUST came from?" "Well, yes," Kham said, hefting the rug with a strap over one shoulder. "But nobody paid you to get here. It's 100 Imperials for the two-week trip." Vlad led the way over to the line and pushed his way onto it. Smaller men got out of his way. "You seem awfully eager to take on this job," said Quintus, joining him on the line. Vlad nodded. "At the end of the trip, one guard is selected by Master Elabac to receive one of his famous blades. I'd have walked barefoot from Coryan to Marketplace for the chance to own of those swords." "I'm just about barefoot," Quintus said, looking ruefully at his worn sandals. "I still haven't received my pay from the Legion of the Reluctant Warrior." The Coryani government could be a bureaucratic monstrosity and it didn't help that a centurion plotted against him at every turn. "I'm surprised you took this task, Lady Ilmarė. Surely caravan duty is beneath one such as you." Ilmarė slipped into line easily without bumping into anybody. "I am Larestri," she said. "Lay-WHAT-he?" asked Vlad. "It is Eloran for 'those who roam'. It is my mission to walk among humans and learn their ways." Quintus squinted at her. "Learn our ways? For what purpose?" "For the coming war, of course." Before any of them could ask more, Vlad found himself at the front of the line. "Name?" asked a stocky dwarf with a bright red beard. "Vlad Martell." "Next!" Vlad hastily moved aside as Quintus stepped up. "Name?" "I am Quintus Aurelius Ignatius, Signifer of the Legion of the-" The dwarf made a small mark next to the word "human" on his pad. "Next!" "But you didn't even write my name down!" "I said NEXT!" shouted the dwarf. Ilmarė glanced down at the pad the dwarf was holding. "Osalikene," she said. The dwarf looked at her. "Elorii?" The dwarf looked at her. Ilmarė sighed. "Elf." The dwarf made a checkmark next to the word "elf." "Next!" Quintus glowered down at the dwarf, who was studiously ignoring him. "And just how are you selecting who will guard this caravan? Surely we can't all be guards." Kham stepped up. "Human," he said with a smirk. "Next!" Quintus walked out into the street, out of earshot of the other applicants. "So do you have some sort of plan to get us hired?" "I'm sure something will turn up." Kham put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "They have to thin out the guards somehow." Quintus puts his hands on his hips. "That's it? That's the plan? Is that what they teach you in handgonner school?" Kham rolled his eyes. "First, don't try to use the joke I used on you two weeks ago against me. It sounds stupid when you do it." Vlad nodded vigorously in agreement with Kham, then slowly stopped nodding when he noticed Quintus glaring at him. "Second, maybe you should pray to your god or something for guidance. In the mean time, I'm going to get a drink and keep my ear to the ground." And with that, Kham walked off into the crowd. Vlad and Ilmarė looked from Kham's retreating back to Quintus. Then they followed Kham. Quintus looked up at the sun. "Iliir give me strength. Or strike him dead. I'll take either one." Then he marched after Kham. [/QUOTE]
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