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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4708729" data-attributes="member: 3285">Sibling Rivalry: Part 4 – The Squatter’s Corner“This,” Torric opened the door, “is the common room.”The stench of human sweat erupted from the chamber the moment the wooden door swung open. Soft groans and muted sobbing echoed throughout the area. The ambient light from the hallway poured into the windowless room, revealing thin beaded mats serving as beds for the three-dozen people. Their faces were etched with despair and hopelessness. It was the hopeless gaze of those who had lost everything, including the fire to face the challenges fate had lain before them. Just inside the door was an Ansharan, who stopped intoning his prayers at the interruption. ”This is Hurrold,” said Torric. “Please, come in and close the door behind you,” said Hurrold.  Sebastian took a step backwards.  “I’ll sleep upstairs, thanks.”Before they could react, Torric closed the door, leaving Beldin and Vlad in the room with Hurrold. “This chamber houses those pilgrims who do not have the funds necessary to pay for the better accommodations in the dormitories on the second floor nor the money to get back home,” said Hurrold. “These are truly the poorest and most destitute of Onara.  We feed them and give them a place to sleep for free, but we do not have the wealth to do much more than that and to pray for their souls.” A thin man, unshaved and unwashed, cradling a small child, came forward to speak with Vlad.“I beg your pardon, noble sir. My name is Jozeph, a freeman from Milandir and one of the faithful of our Mother Church. As is written in our holy books, I have taken my family and set off on a pilgrimage to the First City. Our caravan, full of pilgrims from various parts of Milandir and even Ulfia, were beset by bandits as we were traveling across the plains of Dagha. Most of my fellows were slain. My family and I would have been killed too, had it not been for the Soldier-Saints of Dagha. They arrived and killed or chased off the bandits. In their kindness they treated the wounded and escorted us here to convalesce with the Ansharans.”Vlad watched Jozeph apprehensively.  The child reached out for him and grabbed one of Vlad’s fingers.“Though we are very grateful to the monks and priests of the Suffering Goddess for their kindness these past two months, we are desperate to get home. I am not a rich man, but I do own a small shop where I sell my wares. I am a cobbler by profession and would gladly repay you in services or wares if you were to visit my store in Luchek. ““That is not necessary,” said Vlad. “I only ask for enough money to purchase a horse for my wife and child to ride and for some food for the trek.”Vlad hesitated. “Please kind sir, I beg of you. I don’t know how much longer we can stand to be in this place of misery and sorrow!” “How much do you need?” asked Vlad.“One hundred imperials.”“Done!” Vlad handed him a coin purse from his belt.  “Anything for a fellow Milandisian.”A great cry of hope and despair went up from the room as Vlad handed over the gold.  People mobbed them both with every sob story imaginable.“My son is suffering from a strange disease!” shouted one.“My grandmother will not last another night here!” shouted another.“My father lost his arm to a troll!” shouted a third.Vlad backed towards the door.  “I…can’t help them all!”Beldin cupped his hands to his face.  “ENOUGH!”They all quieted down, terrified.“I am not without mercy.  All your accounts will be settled. Be at peace and sleep well tonight, for it will be the last night here.”Hurrold looked askance at the dwarf.  “That’s over five thousand imperials!”Beldin sniffed.  “A pittance, for a dwarf.”  He handed Hurrold a note for five thousand imperials.  “Clean them up, get them out of here.”“You truly a noble giant.” Hurrold bowed deeply before Beldin.  “I am humbled by your charity.”People began weeping and thanking Beldin, offering to wash his boots, braid his beard, polish his weapons. They had to leave the room.“That’s an awful lot of gold,” said Vlad in disbelief.  “Why did you do that?”Beldin grunted.  “There was a time when my race were the guardians of humanity.  My clan has been so caught up with freeing ourselves from the Curse that we sometimes lose sight of why we were trapped in our dwarven bodies in the first place. Besides,” he adjusted his belt, “I have the change to spare.”Vlad shook his head in disbelief as he followed the dwarf to the dormitories.</blockquote>

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