Private Tales A New Arrival

[Sung Na]

It was a foggy morning when the three ships showed up at the port city of Elbion. It was fairly early, just after sunrise, and fog hugged the water closely. It was a fisherman who first saw them, three looming shapes in the fog. Before he could tell anyone, the shapes were revealed to be ships with twin keels. Flat bottomed ships, much wider than most ships that roamed the waters near there. A voice called out in a foreign, unknown language, one that didn't sound like any other that had been heard in Arethil before. The ships docked without permission, and armoured men disembarked, though all they carried were swords, which remained in their scabbards. A man disembarked, the last man, he was a slight bit taller than the rest, his helmet having a long red tassel on the top, which fell behind his head. At his hip was sheathed a broad saber, rather than a straight, narrow sword with two edges.

The man spoke to the fishermen, in the common tongue, although it wasn't very good and the grammar had much improvement to be made. "Where are us?" His voice was strong and confident, but he was slow in his pronunciation, as though trying to make sure that he said it correctly. He obviously lacked practice in the common tongue, but he might be able to get by.

The fisherman stuttered. "Th-this is Elbion, a p-port, s-sir. We mean ye no 'arm, I can't well 'urt a fella such as yerself. Le' me go, I can 'elp ye, wit talkin an such."

The man, Sung Na, took a moment to process what was said, the man's accent making it difficult for him to understand without difficulty. But after he processed and understood what was said he nodded, "Good, me not talk good. This language strange to me."

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The man spoke with the Harbourmaster and came to an understanding, and the first foreign gold was spent on Arethil soil. He managed to arrange, with difficulty and many miscommunications, his troops and ships stay in the harbour. It was a few days before he met Llyn Von Stehlen, and over those couple of days he was making sure to improve his common speech. He had always been a quick learner, and got better over those few days, although he was still far from perfect, he no longer found it impossible to speek without a lengthy moment of pause for thought. He met her on the dock, when he found her looking at his ships, and their foreign design. (Since shes an engineer, I assumed that she would have an interest in such a thing)

"Hello, what is your name?" He says haltingly, still trying to make sure that the correct words were said.

 

[Llyn Von Stehlen]

Those were some interesting ships, the sails were of a strange design but just by looking at them she could see how they functioned, though at this point she couldn't make a comparison between the efficiency of those sails and the sails found on their own ships.
She stood on the docks taking it in when a voice spoke up behind her.

She turned and saw it was one of the easterners that came ashore from those very ships. She was dressed in rather simple clothes, trousers, a button up shirt, protective goggles pushed up on her forehead, and her work apron. Her trade contact was kind enough to provide her a workshop for as long as she was in Elbion and she was taking full advantage of it.

The easterner was asking her name and she smiled at him, "Hello! I'm Lady Von Stehlen, but you can just call me Llyn. I was just admiring those ships out there, they have a very interesting design. What are they called?"

 

[Sung Na]

"I do not know the translation in your language, in ours they are called 海怪 Hǎi guài (Translation is Sea Monster, and not it's actual name). I am not a shipwright, I cannot tell you their exact functions, but I know that their purpose is to provide us with a great deal of space to mount large stone throwing weapons, and big crossbows that are longer than a man is tall. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Von Stehlen, I am General Sung Na, I am the one who ordered this small fleet to be built for the purpose of sailing west. I had heard, that there was a land across the 无尽的海 Wújìn dì hǎi, The Endless Sea, in your language. If you are interested, I could introduce you to the commodore who sailed us here, he would know more about the inner workings of the ship than I." Sung Na tells her, he bowed to her in the formal greeting of his people when he introduced himself. "Might I ask what it is you do Lady Von Stehlen?"

 

[Llyn Von Stehlen]

She gave a curtsey when he bowed.
"It's good to make your acquaintance, sir Sung. I'm a great admirer of the eastern people and technology. I myself explore the realms of invention and technology. Or if you ask anyone else what I do, they'll tell you that I waste my time tinkering with magic and machines instead of doing what a lady should be doing."
She shrugged and examined the ships again.
"What is it that brings you to Elbion? Most of the Eastern trade is in Alliria."

 

[Sung Na]

"We were blown off course and corrected it late. I won't pretend to understand the details, I just know what the commodore has reported. I myself am here because of a few reasons. One is because I wish to negotiate trade for my own people. There is an empire where I am from, but much of the regions are controlled by independent warlords, of which I am one. Other than that I wish for good relations with the west." Then his voice lost it's cheer, and took a dark, dangerous tone, but not one directed at her. "And more personal reasons." As swiftly as it appeared, his dark tone left and was replaced with his earlier, friendlier voice. "You say that you explore technology? I imagine that our two peoples could share much knowledge in many areas, one of which I am certain is technology and engineering. I happen to have brought a couple of architects and engineers with me as well as several linguists. All of these men have brought scrolls on their topics, I have no doubt that you would get along with them. I also recall you saying that you were a Lady, does that mean nobility here, or does it just refer to any and all of the female gender?"

 

[Llyn Von Stehlen]

She practically beamed when he offered her to study with his people, it was an extremely rare opportunity for any Westerner, especially given the fact that most of the people in Arethil would rather figure out how to swing a sword than learn about the finer aspects of the world they live in.

"A lady is indeed more commonly used as a title, though it's also a term of respect for speaking to an elderly woman. I'm a lady of a noble House, House Von Stehlen. I don't know what I can do, but if you need anything I can try and look into it."

 

[Sung Na]

"A lady is indeed more commonly used as a title, though it's also a term of respect for speaking to an elderly woman. I'm a lady of a noble House, House Von Stehlen. I don't know what I can do, but if you need anything I can try and look into it."

"A noble!" He says with surprise before bowing deeply. "I apologize for my rudeness. Had I known I'd have shown proper respect to lady of stature. I beg your forgiveness my lady."

Though he was technically of semi-equal stature, he was in a foreign land where he had no real authority, so he knew to show greater respect to more people. He would rather not provoke the ire of any noble houses, though he knew that it would be impossible to please all of them, and some might be against easterners arriving and coming into the nation at all.

Though he was an arrogant man, he made sure to mind his manners, and he was also quite smart, and knew to bide his time.

 

[Llyn Von Stehlen]

She waved it off with a laugh, "You're fine! I don't stand much on ceremony myself."
She hardly stood on ceremony EVER. She left the politics and rough business to her brothers, she preferred to busy her hands and mind with a complex project melding magic and machinery, usually to make their house more powerful in the long run by having a well equipped and advanced military arm.

"It's been a pleasure talking with you. Did you have some particular business here in Elbion? Like I said, I don't know what I can do but if you needed help with something I could see if its within my power to aid you."
She hadn't met many Easterners, but he was by far the most polite... Well, actually she shouldn't say that, all the eastern people she met were exceedingly polite no matter who they were. But he was probably the most tactful she'd met.

 

[Sung Na]

“Our primary goal is to establish good relations with you westerners and possibly open trade. We have resources and so do you, some of which might be unavailable to the other. Our most expensive goods are likely silk and jade, both green and white. I personally have another goal, though it is secondary in the long run, it is rather personal. I have a brother, a skilled warrior even by our standards, and he fled here. I don’t know if he’s alive, but I would like to know if he is, and where he might be found. But that is ultimately trivial. As stated, I would like to establish good relations, and seeing as you are of noble birth, Perhaps you would be able to help us in that matter. I would be honored if you would join us tonight for our evening meal, we can show you more of our culture and can give you ready access to sample the goods that we have to offer. And it would give me a good opportunity to know you, your language and your customs better.”

 

[Llyn Von Stehlen]

She was thoughtful for a minute. That was an awful lot. She wasn't up on all the trade and market affairs, normally things like that were left to her brother while she was content to do her own thing. She had only just recently done anything on her own of any significance and that was providing tools and small wonders for an exclusive trade deal with the merchant king of Arethil to circulate, giving her a healthy cut of the rewards.
That was pretty much the only experience she had in the trade business, but she didn't want to turn the easterners down.
"I'm not sure of what I can do. It's not my area of expertise. But I would love to join you for dinner and see more of what you have to offer.
As far as finding your brother, I'm afraid I can be of no help to you. There have been many easterners who've come here to Arethil and made themselves into living legends. And I'm afraid you're the first I've met personally."

 

[Sung Na]

They exchanged a few more words, but Na had to excuse himself so that he could return to his men and continue to do business with the locals. He would see her that evening.

The sun had recently set, and the admirals, advisors, and scholars that had come with them along with a few other guests, a few knights and a guard captain, were gathered at the central structure of the flagship, around a low table. There were a couple of stools that had been brought in for the locals, as they were unused to sitting on the floor, however padded it may be. Na stood at the dock in front of the gangplank, no longer in armour but still carrying his sword, waiting for his guest to arrive.