Open Chronicles From One Mercenary To Another

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Rou Stonewall had been on the road for two days and finally she made her arrival in The Outer City of Alliria.
The sun had already set when she arrived at the Lords office who she completed the job for.
Once Rou got her handfull of gold, she immediately found herself at the closest inn. She would bath, wash all the caked blood off, soak her clothes and eventually wrap the wound on her upper arm.
In need of a steady drink now, the half elf was dressed and off she went to Raverns Tavern.


The ale was flowing and the music from the band filled the room. This was her type of place.
"Mug of ale, only your best." Rou dumped some coins on the bar counter and waited patiently, taking in her surrondings and making note of the other patrons.

 

[Raea Stormcrow]

She pulled her hood close, keeping her face in deep shadow, and moved along.

This was Alliria, her home. This was Alliria, the place she had abandoned in her search for some final adventure at the end of her life - a life cut short by illness and troubles that remained inexplicable to those of the healing arts. No one knew their last day, of course, and she was no different...but she also understood that day was much sooner than it should be. In fact, it could be any day now. Hours away, weeks, months. Certainly not years, although the proof of that lie was in her continued existence now.

She kept her head low as she wended her way through the streets. It would not do to be recognized, and have her presence in the city reported - most especially to her parents. That parting, fraught with danger, was behind her now. A clean break had been made, but she knew only too well that they would spend coin to find her. It wasn't as if they, or she, lacked it.

Foolish though it might seem, she had only returned home to taste a bit of what her old life had been. She was an adventurer now, but the pampered life of a wealthy merchant's daughter was not too distant a memory. Even if it was memories of suffocating luxury, of being stifled at every turn...all because of a malady that none could do anything about, anyway.

Stomach grumbling - a rarity, that - she slipped into a local tavern. This was not the Shallows, but it wasn't the inner city, either; the establishment was neither lavish nor decrepit. The deep blue of her hooded cloak was well enough made that it would not occasion much remark - it did mark her out as wealthier than some stray vagabond, but not by much. The silver-chased rapier at her hip, however, was not a common weapon and would occasion more comment, especially among those learned of weapon-craft.

She found a table at the back, and took a seat. The ache in her bones and joints could be ignored, but it would be easier to ignore if she had some beer in her, and that was exactly what she set out to order - as soon as the wench working the tables took note of her.

The taste was everything that she expected - heady and heavy, with more than a hint of bread to it. She did not lean back, only sat forward and stared into the foam-covered depths, lost in thought.

 

[Hallinskiði]

Alliria, City of Wealth. Or perhaps it was just the greed. A city ruled by merchants where half the population had less than what it needed to be happy. They had recently weathered a short-lived siege and the road in from West bore no signs of what the eastern half had endured. In fact, it wouldn't be until Hallin had made his way through much of the city that he would even come across any signs of such an attack.

Statues were being erected in the name of the heroes, the walls and stone buildings being rebuilt. Even the Shallows had received aid. For the first time, in a long time, the greed didn't rule.

His courser maintained its steady gait, the horse shoes sparking with every third or fourth impact on the cobblestone. This was a rare assignment for both he, and his mount. No barding, no armor. Only investigation.

A paladin, sent to spy, where an Inquisitor would have been a far better option. In order to begin, he needed to blend. And nowhere was better for that, then a bar. The good music and the wafting smell of great food and laughter, also helped to encourage Hallin to make the stop.

Pulling on his reins, his courser would slow, before finally stopping. "Woah.. easy Astra." He mused, leaning forward to give the side of the horses neck a pat. Swinging down from the saddle, he looked up to the swinging sign. 'The Raven Tavern'.

Taking the reins, he led the horse to the attached stable and handed the stablemaster the reins. "Just for the night. I'll be gone in the morning." He would then remove a few coins to pay.

"Thank ya kindly." The stable worker replied. "The Kairos Inn is just up the way if you need a pillow for the night."

"Thanks, friend. That won't be necessary." Hallin mused before heading for the door. Once he reached the portal, he would nudge the door open and enter. The music, the laughter. This place was alive. All he had to do now, was find a seat.

 

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Still waiting for her ale, Rous glance fixed on the door way, the sun was setting and more and more people began flooding in. None had yet to catch her attention, that was until a cloaked figure entered. Their face hidden they took a seat at a secluded table.
"Thanks," Rou took her drink when it finally arrived and slid it off the bar. She walked across the room to where the mystery person sat and pulled out a chair across from them, sitting down.
"Fancy a game o'cards?" The half-elf asked, raising a quizical eyebrow - intruged by who ever lay under the wealthy material.

 

[Dauner]

"I'll be calling it a day" Dauner said as he walked out of the Reaper's Den. Alliria's newest mercenary guild, which he had established shortly after participating in the defense of the city, during the siege of the orcs and undead lead by the emerald death. He wasn't particularly a hard worker. As the boss, one of his many privileges, was the ability to delegate his work to his underlings. Nevertheless, he still handled a couple of things, if only to ease his boredom.

During the past few weeks, he'd been busy, either working at the guild, or taking over territories from gangs. Working by day, killing by night. That was what made up most of his day lately. But today was different. He was going to go out to play. The work can be handled by his underlings.

For the leader of a mercenary guild, and a rising power in the Allirian underworld, one would think he'd at least take some time to get himself a house. But Dauner was a hedonist. A thrill-seeker. The was little fun in staying in a house with so little people. Rather, he preferred the inns. There was never a shortage of rowdy fellows, and wandering beauties.

Walking into the tavern by the inn, Dauner quickly spotted a number of familiar faces, and a few new ones. One of them in particular caught his attention. She had a familiar aura about her. A dying aura. For one so young and pretty, it was always a pity to see.

"I'll take the usual" he yelled towards the bar, as he headed in. Stopping by the table at which the girl was seated, together with another lady. Dauner offered naught but a smile, as he looked to an empty seat at the table, "Is this seat taken?"

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Raea Stormcrow | alphabunny​

 

[Raea Stormcrow]

She started at the unfamiliar voice, and found that she had...drifted in her thoughts, and lost her situational awareness for a time. A bad habit in some parts of the world, she knew, although...she had not really experienced those place yet. Might never, come to it.

Blinking, she did not look up from the contemplation of her beer. "Don't gamble," she said. It was pleasant enough, her tone, but also...withdrawn. "Ma and Pa do not approve of it. Just another way for the wealthy to take from the poor," she added. That, and while the thought of games of chance carried a certain thrill, one could argue that her luck was decidedly not going in her favor.

Almost without thinking about it, she drew the hood down even further when a second person approached. "May as well, since everyone else is," she replied. Just as well the hood was low, so they did not get to see her cheeks burning from the tart reply. Her parents had also spoken - at great length, as it turned out - about manners. There was no call to be rude, even if she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Alliria seemed different from when she had left, and she could not explain why.

She had missed the siege, of course. The rumors and stories of it had washed over her like water. She merely saw the difference as having been coming from her, having left home for the first time.

"Apologies. Sit where you will, stranger," she said, and spread her hands. "Just don't mind me. Looking for the secrets of life in the bottom of this drink," she added.

 

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The man moved to pull out the chair, Rous hand swiped quickly, "Actually." Her eyes narrowed as she pulled the seat out for herself and sat down. "It is."
She whiped her head backaround towards the woman, " And sweet heart." Rou mocked a pout before she continued. "The only way the rich steal from the poor is if we aren't any good."

Rou began to shuffel the deck, dealing cards to both herself, the cloaked women and the man. "And as for mother and father dearest, the only way they will know is if you tell them." She offered up a cheeky wink. "Besides, we can see this as a practise round before there are any real stakes."
Rou sat up straight, a large smile on her face. "When our new companion here pulls up a chair we can begin."

@Raea Stormcrow @Dauner @Hallinskiði​

 

[Dauner]

Dauner did not hesitate to leave the seat for the lady who had stepped up for it. He knew, after all, of gentlemanly virtue. Though for who would mistake him for an actual gentleman, if you weren't a pretty lady, then throw away delusions. He was just someone who knew how to act like a gentleman towards the ladies, to a disgusting amount of perfection.

"Actually." Her eyes narrowed as she pulled the seat out for herself and sat down. "It is."

As Rou headed for the chair, he'd help pull it for her. Afterwards, he'd look for an empty seat, and join the ladies at the table, grabbing himself a drink from the bar first.

"Just don't mind me. Looking for the secrets of life in the bottom of this drink,"

"Wow. That sounds pretty deep" he'd joke, making himself comfortable in his seat. "And why does a beautiful young woman sound so grim?" he'd ask. Not that he hadn't felt it earlier. The girl, seated before him, was dying. More precisely, she had a much weaker life force than the average person, and the reason for this seemed far more complicated than any normal disease could cause. He could guess that no ordinary doctor could cure this. He wasn't sure if he could, either, if he used his medical expertise. Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't cure her. But he wasn't sure she would accept to go through the process.

Anyway, he wasn't planning on doing anything about it. Unless she asked him for it, or she was actually dying because of it, he wouldn't take action.

"I'm always up for a little gamble" Dauner said. No one seated at that table could have guessed to what degree Dauner's usual gambles were, nor did they need to know. Compared to the gambles he'd lost before, money and material possessions were by far a very safe gamble to him.

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Raea Stormcrow | alphabunny | Hallinskiði​