Swordslinger

[Townopolis]

WANTED!

Fighters for hire to deal with

brigands around the town of

R E D C A P

~ REWARD ~

Two Hundred Crowns

to each successful hireling

See Redcap Constable.

The town of Redcap has about 200 residents, and is situated along a road, neither major nor minor, somewhere in the middle of the Western Marches. It is situated among central plains and grasslands, just south of a great deal of fertile, arable farmland. As could be expected from this, Redcap exports food, imports everything else, and serves as a stopping point for every manner of person traveling to and from the kingdoms to the east, and the free cities further to the west, where mithril and elven ruins have become the foundation for civilization.

The main road of Redcap runs east to west through the center of town, and inns and stores line the packed-dirt thoroughfare. Off of this, sprout innumerable minor roads, leading back into the rest of the town. However, most travelers never see past the main road, for they have neither need nor inclination to. The shops and inns cater to everything a traveler passing through could want. Food, rest, washing, women, supplies, everything.
Like every town in the marches, Redcap is built mostly out of wood, and hardly any stone plaster or paint can be found in it. Bare and weathered wood houses with either thatch or wooden roofs make up the town, with one stone temple of Toh nestled between a tavern and the town's brothel.

~

It was a few days ago, in another town along the route upon which Redcap sits, when you saw the poster. It was nailed up near the center of town, perhaps to the constable's outside wall, perhaps to the front of a shop. It was nailed up by a tired looking messenger who rode in on a tired looking horse, and then he read it aloud for anyone nearby to hear, before disappearing into a nearby Inn.

That was a few days ago, today, you arrive in Redcap.

[The Boyce]

If you were looking west on the road through redcap you'd probably thought your eyes were playing tricks on you, for tiny flashes of light kept blinking in and out of existence. Not only that, but they seemed to be drawing closer.

Indeed they were as the flashes were the light just the sun reflecting off Murdoc Hillstomper, or rather his armor. He wore his scale nail over his clothing and he kept it well polished. This was in stark contrast to his clothing which was as dirty as you might expect from someone wandering the wastes. From his belt hung a sword that would give most men trouble to wield but Murdoc's size enabled him to use it with ease. Speaking of which Murdoc is quite large by most human standards, standing at six and a half feet towers over most men. He has a harsh gaze in his blue eyes, which tends to scare people.

Murdoc strode into town, his eyes roving seeking out information. He strode towards the middle of town wondering where to find the constable.

[Snowfall]

On a small hill outside of Redcap, two figures stand in the dust. The taller one, a dark-skinned man dressed in sun-bleached leather armor, is twirling a dagger through his fingers while looking pensively at the town below. This goes on for several minutes until the shorter figure lets out a bark, slight but pleading.

Claw sheaths his dagger and turns to Ghost, patting the dog's big head. Reaching around back, Claw rummages around in his pack for a moment, finally pulling out a smooth leather collar which he places around Ghost's neck. Closer inspection of the collar would reveal words in Rouisi, carefully etched around it's length: "Mostly civilized".

With the collar in place, Ghost starts walking into town with Claw only a few steps behind.

[Selv]

A motley collection of wagons wends its way into town. Most are modified farm carts, carrying families west. Some are the high sprung-wheel carriages more common in towns. At the head and rear of the column are open carts, in which sit a group of men, unshaved and holding crossbows. With the caravan pulling into town, they relax and start chatting idly.

As the group pulls to a halt, people hurry out to Redcap's shops and taverns. One of the guards talks to a well-dressed man with a pocket watch, who counts out a few gold crowns. Something in the bustle distracts the payer and the guard, unsure whether he's taken his leave, waits a few seconds, nods uncertainly and walks off.

When he gets to the shade of the street's edge, the man drops his canvas bag to the ground and looks out into the street. He scans from left to right, looking out for the constable's office. Spotting it, he reshoulders the bag and sets off with the measured stride of someone used to marching.

Penn is momentarily blinded when he steps from the sun-bleached street through the dark doorway of the Redcap Constabulary.

[Sicarius]

Rina

Quite out of place amongst the hustle and bustle of Redcap was a woman. That isn't to say women were out of place anywhere, even in this town. But, there was something off. Standing tall and thin, with a bejeweled fencer's sword at her hip, her poise gave off every appearance of a noble. Yet one look at her choice of garb, a set of well-cared for leathers and a sturdy set of traveler's clothes, meant something completely different.

Dark-haired with a piercing stare, she moved without hurry, as if nothing was necessary for her. She read the poster carefully, eyes boring through it as if to weaken the wall it was posted to, before she gave off a rather impassioned comment directed to no one in particular. "How unimaginably dull..." However, they could have been hassling green scholars trying to dig up elven ruins without the proper sense to know which end of the sword to stick into an enemy. But showing up looking for blood was so drole. If there were people ready to do this, they would ask around before leaving, and that's when she could approach them. Showing up looking to get paid for blood was certainly unladylike, for whatever that meant.

[jagadaishio]

Elia

The lone figure of a young girl walks slowly into town, stumbling every few dozen steps. She wears only basic travel clothes, but carries a large bag which clearly weight heavily on her. The first water pump or well she sees in the town she half-sprints, half-stumbles towards, brining up enough water for a few mouthfuls as quickly as possible.

Elia had underestimated the amount of time that it would take to reach the town, something which she only became all too aware of last night, when she expected to arrive. Because of the miscalculation, she rationed out her water incorrectly and ran out nearly twelve hours ago. She had been walking under the hot sun for a few hours now without anything to drink.

After refreshing herself with the water as best she can, she straightens back up, brushes herself off, and adjusts her clothes and bag, both of which had become disheveled and lopsided from the careless stumbling gait which she had been using. I can chastise myself about my miscalculation later.

Elia then looks around the main street just long enough to find the constable's office, which she enters hoping that there is still at least one spot left open for her to earn some money. Books useful to her tend not to be cheap, after all.

[Townopolis]

The main street of Redcap is taking care of business lazily, as if affected by lethargy like a farmhand who wakes mid-day. Shopkeepers sit in front of their shops and watch what little activity there is, a few men carry goods into a store, and an eager innkeeper comes out to greet the men and women from the wagon train that has just rolled into town.

The constable's office is found somewhere near the middle of the street. It is a simple wooden building like the rest, and has a shingle hung up front like any other shop, but the picture on the shingle, a stylized shield in blue, identifies the building for what it is. There are few people in the street, and none around that building until a young man enters, and shortly after him a lady, as strange as it seems.

Otherwise, travelers are uninterested in that office, preferring to avoid any contact with it for reasons which are assuredly varied. Rather, they disperse themselves among the locals in one of the three taverns, ranging from dive, to 'classy,' or two inns along the street, or in the simple cool of one of the many shops.

Inside the office

The office is dark and cool, in contrast to the street outside, and it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust, time which is taken by the hobgoblin watchman reclining in a chair to stand up and walk around his desk to greet you. The office is sparsely furnished. Two benches flank the door, and a desk bisects the room. Behind the desk, a pair of large chests sit on the floor, and a weapons rack above them. In the back left corner of the room, a door leads deeper into the building. Two windows bring light into the room from the main street, but they are small.

The hobgoblin wears loose clothing and a leather jerkin, a longsword hanging at his side. With his arms akimbo, he regards the two people who have entered. After a short pause, he nods to the man.

"Take a seat, will you?" He then turns his attention to the lady and smiles a toothy smile.

"Morning, miss, what can the con-stab-u-lary do for you today?"

[The Boyce]

Murdoc Hillstomper

It doesn't take Murdoc a long time to stroll down the street. His eyes darting about looking for the constabulary. He sees it not too long after the first two applicants had entered, but he didn't see them enter. The Hillstomper grinned when he saw the sign and strode toward the attached bulding.

Murdoc opened the door and walked in he blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He sees first the well dressed man and raises an eyebrow, his eyes then shift to the figure of the girl, which he considers for a moment before continuing to look about the room. He sees the hobgoblin and his eyes narrow, but only briefly. He takes a few more steps forward and stands at his full height, his hand resting on the guard of his sword.

[Snowfall]

Claw and Ghost

Coming to the edge of town, Claw spots the metal-clad man striding ahead. The sight makes him pause for a moment, surprised, but then he trots ahead to catch up with Ghost, who stops walking to look up at him inquisitively. Claw places his hand on Ghost's head, and the two wait until they can see which building the man enters. They follow after.

Three steps from the door, Claw stops and considers the building. The pensive look returns to his face as he realizes that the metal-man's path has intertwined with his own. Claw has spent enough time in towns throughout the Western Marches now to know that not all metal-men have much to do with his people, but he still hesitates outside the door. "Fate casts a long shadow." he reminds himself, "if you let her walk too far ahead."

Turning to Ghost he says, "Bai tho, dost"*. The hound responds by setting his back to the building's wall and sitting back on his haunches.

Claw then follows fate through the door.

Spoiler

Show

*Nobb "Wait here, brother"

[jagadaishio]

Elia

"I'm hear looking for a job," says Elia glancing around the room. "I saw a poster saying that you might need some help a few days ago. I could really use the two-hundred crowns. Mind if I sit down too?"

Elia predicts that she will initially be refused such a dangerous job. She can talk most people into almost anything, though. And she could really use the money.

[Selv]

Penn

Penn sits down, holding his brad-brimed hat in his hands. "Uh, that's why I'm here too, Constable."

He certainly hadn't expected the other applicants to be stick-thin girls with educated accents. But then, it's the marches. If not here, where? Although the next two people to enter the room were closer to what he'd expected, both were pretty remarkable. One seemed to be a human dressed in Nobb garb, and the other looked like an imposing statue made by a militarist in a bad mood. COme to think of it, the armoured man looked like his mood wasn't too bright itself. He's here to complain or something, maybe. But he seems like he doesn't know the constable, so maybe he's not from Redcap.

"Perhaps I think we all are here for that."

[Snowfall]

Claw

Upon entering, Claw looks around the room his eyes taking in all the people, and exits. He stands to the side of the door, away from the others, and listens as the man and woman talk, his intuition telling him nothing except that they carry very big bags and that the woman speaks... funny, like no one he has ever heard.

But when the man mentions that they're all there for the same job, he nods his head and pulls a scroll of paper out his pack, unfurling it to show the constable the wanted sign. For some reason, the messenger who had nailed it up in that town hadn't been too happy with Claw taking the paper, but a growl from Ghost had encouraged him to call it a night.

[The Boyce]

Murdoc Hillstomper

The exiled Hillstomper raised his eyebrow yet again, but this time at the man coming in behind him. But he turned his attention back to the matter that brought him here when the man spoke.

"Yes. That's why I'm here. And it looks like that's why he's here too." Murdoc said in a neutral voice, nodding at the newcomer and his sign.

[Sicarius]

Rina

Four people in that constable's office now. Rina watched from her perch across the street. Four well-equipped people. That was enough, certainly. The crowns weren't important, but if these people were competent, then she could use them to investigate ruins.

Nonchalantly, she also walked into the constable's office. She said not a word, she just sat down wherever she could, appearing to patiently observe the surroundings.

[Townopolis]

When Elia stated her intention to chase brigands down, the hobgoblin appeared just a little taken aback, and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the others as each one declared the same intention. The hobgoblin stopped and took it all in, then briskly strode to the back door and slammed his fist on it once then yelled "Mercenaries!" as if to someone on the other side.

Turning back to the five others in the room, the hob looked at each in turn; curiously at Rina, blankly at Penn, and with a look of ambivalence at Claw. He caught the slight hostility coming from Murdoc, and returned it with a slightly arched brow, then turned again to Elia.

"Miss, I can't let you go chasing after the Black Dogs. You wouldn't last a day out on the trail, and if you did, I know how you'd end up. I can't let that happen. If you really need work... If you... I'm sure someone here'd be glad to have a cultured lady to help them, perhaps as a clerk? Or one of our estab-lish-ment owners might hire you as a tutor, there's a real lack in ed-u-cation out this far..."

The hobgoblin trailed off as the back door opened, briefly revealing another room behind it, and letting a sternly dressed man out and into your room, at this point, the front office of the constabulary is getting rather crowded. The newcomer wears black britches, a shirt that was once white but has now been permanently altered by wear and lack of proper washing, and a tight leather jerkin keeping everything snug. From his leather belt, a sword hangs in its sheath, and a dagger in its frog. He stomps in as if he owns the place and takes a seat in the chair the hobgoblin had originally occupied and propped both booted feet on the desk.

"So... you folks all came here for the bounty, right?" The man spoke from beneath a drooping, iron gray mustache. "Well I'm constable Fallsey. I guess this makes me your new employer, eh?"

Fallsey chuckled at this as if it were quite humorous for him to be employing anyone, then stopped himself and turned serious.

"Redcap's recently been hit hard by a bunch of no-good scoundrels call themselves the Black Dog Boys. A bunch of brigands blown in from all the places they got themselves kicked. Well now they're here and they're ruining us. Caravans can't get in or out without a heavy armed guard, and worse, the outlying... heck, all the farms are being hit by their raids." As he speaks, Fallsey's excitement increases, until he swings his feet off the desk and gets up to pace in what little free space is left. "Now, we could just hire guards for the wagons and the farms, and sure it'd be cheaper for a week than you folks, but after that... which is why I want this Black Dog business resolved, that's why I'm here to hire... folks like you. Deal with the Black Dogs, hunt them down and bring me their cold bodies... Lirg will fill you in on what we know." Fallsey finished and sized up his mercenaries with a critical expression, all until he looked straight at Elia.

"The hell're YOU doing here?"

Fallsey stomped back to sit behind the desk, and busied himself with looking over what papers he could find there. In the meantime, the hobgoblin, who had sunk into a corner of the room and faded into the wall came back out and cleared his throat.

"The Black Dog Boys have about 10 members, we never get an exact count of their strength, but it seems to be around that. We believe they're encamped to the north, beyond the farms... They're all armed of course... You shouldn't have any trouble spotting them when you find them, they're all clad in black leathers and aren't uncomfortable declaring themselves. They don't come into town, but where they do go they're doing their best to own the place. If you want a place to start, I'd try the northwestern edge of the farmlands, the eastern farms are still recovering, so the west'll be where they strike next." The hob pauses and takes a breath, then sits back on the edge of the desk. "So... any questions?"

[Selv]

Penn glanced sideways at Elia, wondering how she'd react to this dismissive attitude. He'd grown up in a guerilla war and was under no illusions about "the weaker sex", but even he'd paused at the teen's seeming frailty. He kept quiet for a moment.

[Sicarius]

Rina

Rina kept her mouth shut, but there's a look of utter contempt on her face toward the hobgoblin and constable. If looks could kill, she would've slain the entire room, but that wasn't the case. Instead, she was just a hawk-nosed, thin-limbed woman staring holes into their heads.

It was funny why she wasn't considered weak and inferior as well. Maybe it was her bearing and poise. Maybe they didn't connect the dots to realize she was there as well. But something must've tipped them off that she was either scarier or equipped enough to handle the hunt for blood.

[The Boyce]

Murdoc Hillstomper

Murdoc considered the information he had just been given as well as what he could garner about those around him from their dress. Then he decided to ask some questions. He didn't address the hobgoblin, rather he let his questions hang in the air.

"Has anyone tried this before, or are we the first ones brave enough to risk our necks? Well I suppose it doesn't matter since I doubt there'd be any survivors. So tell me, what do they do when they attack a caravan? Do they have a known leader? Would you prefer they be captured or dead? Also there are five of us, so that's 1000 crowns total right?"

Murdoc had other questions, but he'd let the hob answer him first.

[jagadaishio]

Elia

"I assure you that I am more than competent enough to handle some brigands. I'm one of those scary people who can do unexpectedly brutal things despite a harmless appearance," she says, a slightly dismissive smirk on her face. Glaring slightly at the hobgoblin for his statement, and slightly less at the constable for his, she continues bysaying, "While being a tutor would doubtlessly do this town just as much good as removing these predators shall, I would likely be paid the same 200 crowns for a much longer of a job in a locale that I would rather not live in. Now, I rather agree with this man's question," says Elia, jabbing her thumb towards the armored man, "about our payment. Do we get 200 crowns apiece if we accept this job or will we be forced to split 200 crowns between those that accept?"

She has had people dismissing her as incompetent as an adventurer for her entire life. She's used to it and treats the situation with an almost dismissive casualty. Elia clearly won't take no for an answer, and what if she's being honest about being a dangerous person in a young girl's body?

[Townopolis]

The hobgoblin was visibly taken aback by Elia's word, Hallsey barely looked up and snorted.

The hobgoblin Lirg stood silent for a moment, as he gazed over Elia again, seeming to reevaluate her, then muttered something in Nobb "Vkogde..." and looked away. After scratching himself around the scruff on his chin, he turned back to the group, speaking again in Rouisi.

"Yes, that's 1,000 crowns total as long as you're all alive when you come back. Just bring the Black Dogs back dead or alive and the money is yours... Less if you cause you're own mayhem, hear? Right, now... Raids on caravans and farms are quick. They come in far from the town, hit them from both sides on the road. Caravans usually try to run and they just can't move fast 'nuff, and too far from us or any other town for aid. Caravan splits up, they go for the biggest carts, that's how reports reach us... Farms they just ride in from one direction, always a different one though, and loot the place." Lirg pauses and lowers his eyes here, taking a moment of silence before continuing.

"You're the first to answer the call. Just bring 'em in. Oh, and no, we don't know who's leadin' them."

Nobb

Spoiler

Show

"Crow..."
'Crow' and 'Vulture' are both terms used by native hobgoblins to describe easterners who come to establish dominion in the marches, specifically surrounding the elven ruins and mithril mines. Both terms refer to the bird's method of flying in and picking someone else's kill of food. 'Vulture' usually refers to strong-arm military types, whereas 'Crow' is usually used for upper class entrepreneur types and and carries a connotation of ruthless craftiness.

[The Boyce]

Murdoc Hillstomper

Murdoc's eyes became narrow as the girl spoke, but he just grunted. He believed her to be acting tough, he wouldn't be surprised if she became useless in battle. He didn't think the richy would be much help either. The other two looked like they might be of some use, if for nothing more than distractions.

"So where can I, or I guess we, find some survivors? I have the feeling they'll be able to tell us more than you can."

[jagadaishio]

Elia

Elia narrows her eyes at the insult, but otherwise ignores it. Her eyes swept the other people there, taking them in for the first time. The other girl looked like she may be well educated, always a boon in a companion. She expected Claw to be someone very familiar with the wild, a trait useful in a companion. Beyond that, there was the man with the eyes of a soldier and a man who is, himself, a rather nice shield of shining metal. She would have to interact more with these people before she would draw any more conclusions about any of them.

[Sicarius]

Rina

"Where and when did the last attack take place?" Rina's eyes noticeably narrowed, as if now she was paying attention.

[Selv]

Penn

Penn stays silent, in the attentive posture of the lowly-ranked. Not that this was the typical militia... far from it. The girl certainly had willing, though Penn found he had a growing sense of unease. I'm a level-head guy, not like my old baba telling stories about Ygva-in-the-wood.

Not that the older woman was any less unsettling. She dressed like an Eastern (or, as Penn still thought of native Rousi speakers, Southern) aristocrat which would make sense if she weren't sitting in the middle of a dusty frontier constabulary.

By my count, between three and five people in here think they're in charge. The countess and the tinman will be knocking heads over it before we're out of here, if I'm a judge.

And what about the man in the back, dressed like a wilder hobgoblin but clearly human. Reminds me of the missionaries who go native- but this man's no preacher that I can tell, not an integrationist. What on earth is his story?

[Snowfall]

Claw

Claw rolled up the wanted notice and stuffed it back in his pack. Upon hearing Lirg calling Elia 'crow', he quickly turned his attention to the girl to see her reaction. Claw knew that crow spirits were thieves by nature, in the sense that they knew how to recognize what was valuable and draw it to themselves. They were also incredibly intelligent and perceptive, and so Claw took Elia as a sign that he needed to pay careful attention, something significant was beginning... well, at least if Lirg's assessment of the girl had been correct.

He decided for the moment to keep his mouth shut, waiting to see what questions this potential set of companions would ask and what it would show about them.

[Townopolis]

Lirg nodded quickly to both the questions. "The last attack was two days ago, at the Wingol farm..."

"You'll find the Wingols at home, ask around the northeast farms, you'll find them. Most farm folk'll be at their homes too, so you can just go door to door thereabouts if that catches your fancy. Caravaneers, now they'll be in the Shining Star." Hallsey interrupts his deputy from behind the desk, spouting out the information with the tone of a man dispensing with duty. Lirg picks up again after him.

"You'll find the Shining Star near the eastern edge of town on the main road, big tavern on a corner, hitching rail all around."

[The Boyce]

Murdoc Hillstomper

"How long do they usually wait between attacks? And could we borrow some of your bows?" Murdoc now directed his questions at the constable, trying to ignore the hobgoblin.

[Snowfall]

Claw

Never one to stay in one place for long, Claw finally spoke, his statement sounding like a punctuation mark "The Shining Star." He then turned to walk out the door, pausing in the doorway to question the others, "You will all come?"

He then walked out the door, calling to Ghost to come with him. The two walked east towards the tavern, though their pace was exaggeratedly slow.

[Sicarius]

Rina

"Hmm. I suppose someone hasn't learned the virtue of patience." She eyes the departing wild-man with the same vacant look she had been giving everyone. She also is surprised that the walking iron wall hadn't thought to bring a bow with him. After all, it was a bow. It was infinitely useful. But still, she didn't speak up, waiting instead to see if this fool was going to cut into her pay by potentially breaking the constable's cheap equipment.

[jagadaishio]

Elia

"I'll head after him," says Elia, gesturing after Claw as he leaves. "I'll make sure we wait at the tavern for you guys to catch up."

Elia then runs after Claw, hoping to catch up to him on the way to the tavern. If she does, she asks him, "Which languages do you speak?"