Calradia at War! (Lego)

[gwebster2]

SHARIR-IM AL'DUBAI


The last of the warm liquid slides down the Sarranid's throat. He was looking for work. A mercenary, heavily armed and battle-hardened. He'd had a bit of a rough past, but that was behind him now, and he was trying to find any work at all.

There was a cast of colorful characters in the Curaw tavern. Most were peasants, looking for a good time. Sharir was one of the fewer darker skinned people there, but it was perhaps just a coincidence, as Vaegir country isn't particularly hostile to outsiders. Nordic-looking men talk, hunched over in the corner, holding their weapons close to their belts. 

A chirpy woman plays shoddy card games with unwary peasants, and anyone with a bit of travelling experience would suspect her of perhaps unfair play. The bartender is a short and stout man with wide shoulders and a shiny bald head. He has a rag scrubbing the inside of various shining glasses, and he glances at Sharir-Im's empty glass with greedy eyes. He slides a drink across the table to a worried looking old man, who downs it.

A noblemen enters the tavern, with rich clothing. He scans the crowd and curious eyes. A bodyguard enters behind him, with a red gambeson and spear, a hired militia to scare away petty thieves. Typically a person one may expect to hire mercenaries, and someone like him may be why Sharir-Im come here in the first place.

Still, he's found mercenary work in unexpected places before, and sometimes has been proven more...interesting than contract work for noblemen.

As Sharir-Im thinks about all of this, he realizes there is a drunken man prattling off to him proudly about how he killed a wild animal with a rock, or something like that. It's hard to tell.

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Sharir downs the last of his drink, stands up and straps his shield around his left arm. He nods to the drunk, hoping he wont pursue him or this conversation any longer after he leaves. Sharir was after a job, and this nobleman seemed the easiest solution at the time. Sharir never much enjoyed the company of nobles, all talk and no action most of them, but they payed well and the lesser ones would jump at a flies shadow. All the easier to win over and coerce more payment out of.

He approaches the noble, ignoring the goon who was likely to stand between them

"Why you runnin' with this lot as yer keeper?" He says, pointing to the bodyguard "Ya think 'eel protect ya? 'E wont. A good thief'd cut yer purse before this lout even knew what 's happnen', an if ya got in a fight, big dum an ugly 'er'd be presentin' himself on a silver plattah to anyone with 'alf a brain an some skill with a sword. Ya should try puttin' that coin ya got ta better use, with someone that don't just look tha part."

[gwebster2]

The bodyguard seemed taken aback, but a scowl came over his face and he held his spear like a bar, moving to push you Sharir away from the nobleman. However, the nobleman steps forward and extends an arm between you and the bodyguard.

"Berris, please." The nobleman was an older gentlemen, but he didn't look haggard or decrepit. He holds himself well and he walks with dignity and confidence.

"Berris, you understand that our contract was not long term, yes?" Berris frowns and murmurs a 'yessir' under his breath. The nobleman smiles, and turns to Sharir.

"Are you as assertive in battle as you are in conversation?" He said, maintaining eye contact with you.

[Deleted]

Sharir smirks. He had the man interested. Should be smooth sailing from here

"I 'unno sir, but ya might try askin' the last few fools who came up against my blade. They might have a bit a trouble talkin', what with all the stab wounds, but I'm sure they'll tell ya a damn fine story."

[gwebster2]

The noblemen seems to be sizing you up, and the bodyguard Berris seems less and less confident in his chances of continuing to be on his current master's payroll.

"Indeed." He raises an eyebrow.

"Well, I suppose you can't be much worse than Berris. No offence, Berris." He says.

"Hm. Yes, indeed, If you're looking for work, you've found it in me." He counts out a few denars in his hand and places them in a small bag, handing them to Berris. "I appreciate your efforts, Berris. Fine work, indeed. Take your pay. I wish you good luck in future work."

Berris grumbles something about the job economy and sheathes his spear on his back. He walks to the bar and is greeted by the stout tender.

"My name is Thomas." The nobleman extends his hand. "Let us go outside, where it is quieter, and discuss coin."

[Deleted]

An easy sell. That Berris fellow didn't look like much anyway
The sarranid collects himself, then reaches out to shake the mans hand

"Nice ta meet ya, sir. My name's Sharir."
"Alright then."

Sharir agrees to step outside with the man and negotiate payment. This is the hard part.

[gwebster2]

Thomas stops a few paces away underneath a rare street lantern.

"Mr. Sharir, I'll only be needing one bodyguard -you, for what I'm doing. You see, I'm an owner of a large majority of local blacksmiths. It took me a long time to get here, and as you can guess I have a vested interest in keeping myself on top. These local blacksmiths are much more prosperous with me in charge- they make much more money and have safer job security, and I ensure that they don't get bullied by soldiers and bandits looking to get some weapons for free.

If you don't care about this at all, I understand. But some may find the very complicated things I do...underhanded. They question my methods. But we live in a new age, an age of a competitive market; and I only join competitions I intend to win. That is why I'm meeting up with a Rhodok contact of mine. It'll be a simple transaction of money, and the discussion of future ventures. Him and I have plans, you see, plans that I'm almost certain King Harlaus himself would find useful to his cause.

Your job will be to escort me to the meeting spot, scare off any thieves, and look quite intimidating to my Rhodok friend. Just to make sure he doesn't try anything funny. Which...I'm sure he won't.

So, for this fairly simple and most likely safe job, I offer you the payment of 250 denars."



From all of Sharir's experiences so far, he reckons that he may be able to get a little higher pay. Thomas isn't trying to undercut him, just making a fair gesture of the aforementioned "competitive market".

[Deleted]

A blacksmith monopoly, 'eh? Looks like Sharir might be able to weasel a bit more out of the man without seeming to terribly greedy.
Either way, this is a pretty good deal. The payment is a fair bit more than most nobles are willing to part with, and the man himself seems to know his way around this world

"Throw in a good word with som a tha smiths ya got under ya, and I think we 'ave a fine deal."

[gwebster2]

Yes, indeed, this man Thomas seemed to be of the more honest sort, despite his economic practices.

"Done. Though Torbrik never lowers his prices, no matter what I say. He's proud of his work." He gives you a sidelong smile.

"Is that a deal, then?" Thomas extends his right hand outward.

[Deleted]

Sharir extends his hand and gives the man a hearty handshake

"You got yerself a deal, sir."

[gwebster2]

"Excellent."
He returns the handshake.

"Now, since we don't want my competitors hearing trade secrets, we're going at night. My Rhodok contact and I will be meeting up against the eastern wall." He says, turning and making his way through the dimming streets. Pink sky can just barely be seen over the walls that surround Curaw.

"We both expect war on the horizon between the Vaegirs and the Rhodoks. Trade deals have expired and it's been too long without a war. Nothing much will come of it, given the distance, but Boyars and Counts will request fresh weapons for all of their troops. We figure it'd be better if we could...co-ordinate these efforts."

After a brief time more of walking, he reaches a spot that he looks content at and waits for a moment.

Eventually, three men showed up, with dark green gambesons and leather caps. Two are carrying maces that compose of a wooden handle and a smooth ball end, and one carries a short spear.

Thomas furrows his eyebrows in the dark. "Pierre? Where is Georges?"

"Change of plans. Nothing personal." The man with the spear, Pierre, says, as he levels it's tip at Thomas. "Kill the both of 'em!"

"What is the meaning-!?" Thomas says before retracting backwards, placing Sharir between himself and the hostile men.

The two with ball maces stand back, while Pierre seems content to aim his stab at Sharir's head instead, hoping to end the right right off the bat. Sharir however, has plenty of time to react to that attack.

[Deleted]

Well that was just downright shady. And here Sharir was expecting a simple job. Guess that's outta the window.
Facing this first goon down would be difficult, as he had the distance advantage, but Sharir was still confident. The men with the spears are often the ones that just picked them up

Sharir quickly brings up his shield, blocking the strike easily. Had he use of both hands, he might have been able to move aside and grab the spear, but that was not the case

"Ya cross my client, ya cross me. Let's see what ya got, 'Pierre.'" Sharir says the mans name in a mocking tone, hoping to anger and bait him into another strike.

[gwebster2]

Pierre frowns and steps back from Sharir, holding his spear level. The other two mace wielders hesitate as well. Pierre looks to a friend and back to Sharir, and says, "We have all night."  A mace wielder to Sharir's left looks ready to strike, while the one on the right and Pierre look more defensive.

[Deleted]

These maces would be annoying. He could block them all he wanted, but a clean strike to his shield could injure his left arm even worse than it already is. He'd have to end them quickly.

"All night before what? One a ya does somethin'?"

Sharir assumes a defensive stance, putting his sword in a raised position, the tip pointed at the three men. He raises his shield and digs his feet into the ground. He is braced for any incoming attack

[gwebster2]

Pierre takes another step back. The mace-man on Sharir's left strikes first, aiming for his head. Easily blockable. After the left attacker makes his move, the mace-man on the right swings to hit Sharir's shoulders.

[Deleted]

Sharir takes advantage of the distance advantage his sword has, and quickly stabs at the man charging for his head. He hoped to end that attack with the tip of his sword in the other mans head. He brings up his shield to block the mace strike of the second man, angling it in such a way that hopefully the blow would glance off the edge of his shield and not do too much damage to him