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by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Mon Oct 05, 2015 5:33 am
by Charlia » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:19 am
Great Confederacy Of Commonwealth States wrote:“Right, thank you!” Collilingus said as he marched through the open door. He could see the youngster speeding ahead to inform his mistress of the Dwarf’s arrival. Collilingus smiled, and walked through the corridor towards the waiting room. This was one of his first visits to a client in days, so he had to get accustomed. Spending a few days in his house had made him used to the scaled down furniture of his dining room, the lower door knobs and the people of the same height. Dwarves liked to stick together for that reason. Here, in House Noble, everything was of regular size. Doorknobs were just low enough for him to reach them, couches and chairs were at chest height. With some strength from his upper arms, he managed to get himself on one of the more comfy chairs towards the side of the room, from where he could observe the whole thing.
Everything about the room screamed opulence and grandeur. From the onset, one could immediately see that this manor had once belonged to a great family. At least a larger one. It was too big to just house one girl and her staff. Multiple seats were arranged in a comfortable sitting circle, with a table in the middle adorned with fruits and flowers. The floor was made from oaken wood, covered with a red rug that seemed to flow gently in the soft breeze that entered through an open window. On the walls were various paintings, some landscapes and a few people, beautifully framed in masterful woodwork. One of the paintings portrayed a man in armour, carrying a banner into battle. Another was a more civil-looking man, holding a few books under his arm. Other paintings depicted the Moon Pyre, the city itself, and Noble Manor.
It was not an unpleasant place to wait, were it not that the Dwarf knew the history behind the family. At least, the parts that mattered. Charlotte was all alone, and mostly kept to herself. This house was hers and hers alone, with no-one to share it with. Her family had met their demise, and she had survived. How hard it must have been for her, to live a life in the opulence of her forbearers, who left her all alone to the harsh world. He sighed. Yes, he would help the girl with her finances. He took pity on her, and would indeed try to do his utmost to give her something in return. He opened his ledger and began to read from the pages of red and black ink that filled it. Various family names passed by, a few of the great noble families of the city for instance. When he reached the Noble account, he began to study the numbers, trying to get as much of an idea of their situation as possible. This would be his new project.
by The Flame Dawn » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:38 am
Charlia wrote:Great Confederacy Of Commonwealth States wrote:“Right, thank you!” Collilingus said as he marched through the open door. He could see the youngster speeding ahead to inform his mistress of the Dwarf’s arrival. Collilingus smiled, and walked through the corridor towards the waiting room. This was one of his first visits to a client in days, so he had to get accustomed. Spending a few days in his house had made him used to the scaled down furniture of his dining room, the lower door knobs and the people of the same height. Dwarves liked to stick together for that reason. Here, in House Noble, everything was of regular size. Doorknobs were just low enough for him to reach them, couches and chairs were at chest height. With some strength from his upper arms, he managed to get himself on one of the more comfy chairs towards the side of the room, from where he could observe the whole thing.
Everything about the room screamed opulence and grandeur. From the onset, one could immediately see that this manor had once belonged to a great family. At least a larger one. It was too big to just house one girl and her staff. Multiple seats were arranged in a comfortable sitting circle, with a table in the middle adorned with fruits and flowers. The floor was made from oaken wood, covered with a red rug that seemed to flow gently in the soft breeze that entered through an open window. On the walls were various paintings, some landscapes and a few people, beautifully framed in masterful woodwork. One of the paintings portrayed a man in armour, carrying a banner into battle. Another was a more civil-looking man, holding a few books under his arm. Other paintings depicted the Moon Pyre, the city itself, and Noble Manor.
It was not an unpleasant place to wait, were it not that the Dwarf knew the history behind the family. At least, the parts that mattered. Charlotte was all alone, and mostly kept to herself. This house was hers and hers alone, with no-one to share it with. Her family had met their demise, and she had survived. How hard it must have been for her, to live a life in the opulence of her forbearers, who left her all alone to the harsh world. He sighed. Yes, he would help the girl with her finances. He took pity on her, and would indeed try to do his utmost to give her something in return. He opened his ledger and began to read from the pages of red and black ink that filled it. Various family names passed by, a few of the great noble families of the city for instance. When he reached the Noble account, he began to study the numbers, trying to get as much of an idea of their situation as possible. This would be his new project.
The numbers weren't good. Fourteen years with no one to look after the household had left its mark.
After all, the Noble family's history wasn't the only intriguing story.
The true interest lay in Charlotte's past, though she never spoke of it and very few people knew what had transpired in the fourteen years she had disappeared from view.
Most of the ones who did...
Well, they were dead.
It was this past that occupied her mind now, as she didn't yet know that anyone was there and had thus let her mind wander.
by Charlia » Mon Oct 05, 2015 8:20 am
The Flame Dawn wrote:Charlia wrote:The numbers weren't good. Fourteen years with no one to look after the household had left its mark.
After all, the Noble family's history wasn't the only intriguing story.
The true interest lay in Charlotte's past, though she never spoke of it and very few people knew what had transpired in the fourteen years she had disappeared from view.
Most of the ones who did...
Well, they were dead.
It was this past that occupied her mind now, as she didn't yet know that anyone was there and had thus let her mind wander.
Zaahir walked up to the entrance to Lady Noble's room and knocked onto the door.
"We have a guest who wishes to speak to you," Zaahir said through the door, "He claims his name is Collilingus Savor, if you wish to speak to him he is in the Main Room."
"Also, I wish for you to be dressed in some of your nicer looking clothes," Zaahir added as he walked down the stairs, "Mino and I can prepare a meal for the two of you if you wish."
by Kanatistan » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:07 am
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Mon Oct 05, 2015 4:43 pm
by Olthar » Mon Oct 05, 2015 5:59 pm
by Breitenfeld-Sibbesborg » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:52 pm
by The Moscow Metro Red Line » Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:19 pm
by Olthar » Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:49 pm
by Republic of the Cristo » Tue Oct 06, 2015 12:25 am
by Zombie Fascists » Tue Oct 06, 2015 2:53 am
by Kanatistan » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:15 am
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:41 am
by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:42 am
by Charlia » Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:16 am
Great Confederacy Of Commonwealth States wrote:Things were not right. They were not at all right. Even the most lousy bookkeeper could see that from reading the Noble Account. The red ink was all over the long pages of the Noble household. Food and clothing. Household expenses. Payment for the staff. Down payments on the manor. Old investments that had once turned a profit, but where nothing more than money sinks now. Clearly, no-one had looked at this account for a long time. No-one with a mind for bookkeeping, that was for sure. Page after page, lines of red ink flowed from right to left, from top to bottom. Here and there were some green lines, of course. Back payments of the Noble fortune that was partially locked in the Dragon Vaults, for instance. Debts that needed collecting, although they had not yet been retrieved. The red outnumbered the green in astounding quantity, though.
Just as he closed the ledger again, the Lady Noble entered the Main Room. Collilingus found her… strangely beautiful. Strangely, because he normally didn’t care that much for humans. Their women were beardless, slender, often keeping themselves away from conflict and quietly accepting everything around them. This woman, this girl, however, had some ethereal beauty about her. Something not immediately visible to the eye, but apparent through her radiance (or lack thereof) and the cold she brought with her into the room. Somehow, she conveyed an aura of simple and ordinary, an aura that clashed heavily with the room around her and her elegant dress. Like those were a cage keeping her in, captured in memory and expectation. The Dwarf stood up from the chair he’d been sitting in and made a small bow to the girl.
“My lady Noble, a pleasure to finally meet you. I heard you needed some help managing your family’s finances? We Savorites have a keen eye for guilders and florins. What do you require assistance with?”
by Olthar » Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:21 am
by Breitenfeld-Sibbesborg » Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:35 am
The Vekta-Helghast Empire wrote:House Whiteford,
Alu'kayna, Josack & Elizabeth.
The constant squabbling of the farmers rang out through the small wooden hall where they'd been gathered - their opinions divided on whether or not they should sellout to the Whitefords, many argued that they shouldn't so willingly give up their heritage in exchange for naught but a few coins and should stand their ground for a better deal, believing they could bring the House to the negotiating table. Others took what the Whitefords would call a 'reasonable' standpoint. They argued that the coin was enough to buy land twice the size of that they currently possessed, albeit slightly further away from the safety of the city and that the Whitefords weren't the kind of people you wanted to back into a corner or strong-arm into negotiating. That was, until the door swung open, Lord Whiteford the first of his retinue to emerge from the glorious light which blinded all (the sun was rising directly opposite the door, hence the brightness) and shortly after another two figures emerged, Alu'kayna on his left, Elizabeth on his right. Quietly the trio made their way around the long table to it's head on the far side of the room, a number of guardsmen entering the hall behind them, taking up positions all around the hall, which had since the entry of Lord Whiteford, fallen silent.
He removed his gauntlets, planting them firmly atop the table, his eyes scanning each of the faces, some of which were instilled with fear already, others, of whom were slightly more resilient, seemed little more than uncomfortable with the whole situation, "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" He commented. It was at this moment that any passer by would realize he wasn't expected, "Am I not invited to your little social gathering? After all that I've done for you? After my most generous offers to each and every one of you? After I extended my protection to you?" The hall remained silent, "Hm.. How curious.." Quietly he made his way around the table, running a hand along the back of each of the farmers' and estate owners' chairs, stopping behind one in particular, the leader of the group so determined to resist the buy-out, "It has been brought to my attention that some here would try to take me to the negotiating table. And as a businessman myself, I can understand that - you wish to get the most for your money, in fact - I can respect that.." He plants his hands upon the man's shoulders, "But what I can't understand is why these people would take me for a fool.." The man's every muscle could be felt tensing up as the Lord's grip tightened.
"I think you all know as well as I do, that my offer is already unreasonable as it stands - I offer you twice the value of your land and even offer to continue my protective services should you choose to remain within the industry and merely relocate.. I think you will all agree, that thus far I have been nothing if not generous in my offers to you. Perhaps you're worried about your legacy and how your children will view your actions this day ten years from now?" He releases the man's shoulders, moving to one side of him, "Well, they'd be fools but to view you as anything but a genious for taking my deal - I give you an opportunity hear to build a legacy far greater than any of your forefathers ever did.." Suddenly his entire tone would change, from a calm and level-headed one to that of anger, "But still, some of you seem ungrateful. Some of you see me extending my hand in friendship, slap it aside and spit in my FACE! He points to Alu'kayna, "I will show you, what happens to those who DARE look down upon my generosity and charity, as if it were nothing."
At that signal, Alu' smirked from beyond her cowl, and from beneath her robes drew a brown grain sack, casting it onto the table the folded entrance would burst open and a number of heads would roll across the table in every direction, the entire table leapt back in shock, that was all but one - The man who lead the resistance to the buyout, who seemed to choke on his words, his eyes teared up and he slowly arose from his seat. Before him lay all that remained of his beloved family and before he could utter a word a thick crimson liquid spluttered from his lips onto the table, a blade lodged itself in his lower back and Lord Whiteford pushed him forward, his body colliding with the table in a mighty thud. The lord speaking up once more as he ripped his blade from the man's back, wiping it clean on the now fallen man's back, "Does anyone still believe that negotiations are in order?" His voice was cold, yet calm once more.. The hall remained silent, the crowd looking to their feet, hanging their heads, some having the strength to shake their heads briefly, "Most excellent. Then I presume I'll have the contracts signed and returned to me by the end of the day. Until next time gentlemen, it's been a pleasure." He motions to his retinue, hastily departing from the hall.
"By the maker.." Muttered but one of the farmers.
House Whiteford,
Alu'kayna, Josack & Elizabeth.
The carriage found its way back to the cobbled streets of Arwind, the crowds parting before the retinue of guards, allowing the convoy to pass seemingly unhindered through the streets, "I think that went rather well, don't you?" Questions Josack, turning to Elizabeth, "Well, you always here a bit of a sadist dear. If your entire legacy burned down, but you were able to kill a dozen people before it faded to ash, you'd still say it had went well.." With a light chuckle, Josack gently cupped her chin with his index finger, planting a kiss on her lips, before turning to Alu'kayna, "I presume you wish for us to let you out downtown, yes? You no doubt have schemes of your own to bring to fruition." Alu' merely offered a nod in response, remaining silent - a great smirk coming over her lips.
"I'm still to come visit you and your little following. We'll have to arrange for that some time soon, I'm eager to see how things are progressing. Speaking of which, is there anything you require of me, for your operations, any support I can provide?" Josack questions, occasionally diverting his gaze towards Elizabeth, who'd taken to looking out one of the carriage windows from beyond the curtains, peering through a small gap in the fabric and the wall, "I could do with some additional subjects, the ones my own acolytes have managed to gather have been.. Sub-par to say the least. I need healthy subjects, the purer the better, ideally priests, priestesses, nuns and the likes are best, though people tend to notice when such individuals go missing." Josack waved his hand dismissively towards the comment, "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it. Just you keep working with what you've got until I can gather the required resources. Now off with you, this is your stop." The carriage halted just short of the statue where the group had gathered, the elf cleaning it so zealously.
The dark priestess rose her cowl over her head once more, offering a smirk to Josack and Elizabeth before dismounting, "Until our paths cross again, milord." She commented, stepping back from the carriage, which hastily departed, the rear guardsman giving a nod to Alu' before setting off. Slowly she turned to face the statue, eyeing the crowd with some suspicion, her black robes dragging behind her as she stepped forward, looking up silently at the domineering statue. Allowing for the existing conversation to continue without interruption.
House Whiteford,
Josack & Elizabeth.
Eventually the convoy would arrive at the entrance to the Whiteford estate, where a ruckus could be seen unfolding - a number of Guardsmen had gathered by a young woman, denying her access to the estate. Yet, she seemed determined to gain entry and wouldn't budge. The woman's boldness seemed to perk Elizabeth and Josack's interest and almost immediately Josack thumped on the wall of the carriage - ordering the convoy to a halt, before dismounting, Elizabeth in tow. The duo approached the small crowd and brushed the guards aside. It was at that moment, he realized who stood before him, Gwenyth of House Ravensgard. The Ravensgards, now that was a family that he remembered - he knew this woman to be incredibly dangerous. He also knew of her house Matriarch and Patriarch - polar opposites who sought to keep things together, "Stand down, you imbeciles. Do you know who this young woman is? Didn't think so - now return to your posts." Josack barked, brushing his men aside, his attention fully turning to Gwenyth, "So, is this how I meet my end, by the infamous Halfling Assassin who waltzed up to my gates?" He questioned mockingly, arching a brow with curiosity.
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Tue Oct 06, 2015 10:07 am
by Imperial Valaran » Tue Oct 06, 2015 10:12 am
by The Moscow Metro Red Line » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:06 am
by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:43 am
by Charlia » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:51 am
Great Confederacy Of Commonwealth States wrote:-snip-
by Zombie Fascists » Tue Oct 06, 2015 1:44 pm
by Olthar » Tue Oct 06, 2015 2:26 pm
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