Billgar
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On-goings in Evroul: AM, BB, SUpon taking the quest, the kingdom decides to provide those who will be going with a carriage. Humble, it is mostly just a slab of wood being pulled by quite the sorry looking lacrimabilis. The hay within it reeks of tonsor and your pretty sure that those little white specks polka-dotting the floor cam from them too.
The driver is no more well kept. In tattered attire he seems to be one of the many farmers forced into labor due to an immense amount of debt.
As you take in the sights (and unfortunately the smells), you soon come to The Great Bridge. A massive structure nearly 4 miles wide, but only 1 mile long that connects that island that holds Netropitus to the mainland. As evening falls, you can are able to take in the majestic sight of the Lesear Montain range just as the sun extinguishes behind it. Growing weary, the three members of you party soon fall asleep.
*clup clup clup*
You awaken to the sound of a grouping of tonsor. A man wearing a peasants cloak sits in the middle of the heard.
"Hey you, don't peck at him like that! YOU EITHER!..... Straiten out your knees, you'll never be accepted into the Imperial Guard with that posture! And you, what type of food is that in your mouth?" As he chatters with the tonsor you soon realize that he is not completely there. But you also notice something else. Mixed in with the tonsor is a single solitary Lump Bird, however, rather than lazing about like lump birds usually do, it is active and seems to be imitating the tonsor.
Suddenly, two small hands clasp the side of the carriage. The girl, pulling herself up supports her weight on its edge. Smiling, she laughs a little. The Carriage being old and worn gives way and the side that she was holding onto pulls off. Rolling backwards in the dust, the girl rolls forward and springs to her feet. Her gaze completely skips over Archaicmessiah and Schmall whose attire is nothing to mention.
Her eyes rest upon the armor clad Beanbaker..... quickly her smile turns to a frown.
"Your not from around here are you?"
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Schmall
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Schmall, ignoring the girl in return, turns to keep an eye on what appears to be the local militia. His hand goes no where near the katana strapped on his back to insure that he means no harm. Schmalls knows and understands that he is here on a diplomatic mission and wishes to avoid fights with the local militia for that would be the wrong way to convince people to pay their taxes.
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Beanbaker
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"I get the feeling my armor is giving me away as a guard... Maybe you guys should do the talking, they might relate to you guys more. I stand by in case anything goes down."
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Billgar
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though referred to as the local militia by the townfolk, it may be an overstatement. Not so far off sitting atop if a wooden crate is a man in his mid forties polishing a halberd. Looking around You realize that there are very few people within the town in fact. Another girl a bit older than the one who broke the carriage approaches the younger and using her thumb and some saliva wipes the dirt from her face. The man polishing his halberd wipes the oil off with a rag and approaches. Spinning it confidently around, his left foot inches forward and he enters a fighting stance.
"You have no business in this town."
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Schmall
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Hopping down from the cart and standing his full 4' 7" height, keeping his weight on the balls of his toes to enhance his mobility, but does not enter a fighting stance. Schmall addresses halberder, "we do not seek trouble or here to cause it."
Schmall lifts both his hands up and opens them in the universal sign of 'i mean no harm.' Schmall looks over at Beanbaker to back him up and help assure the man we mean no harm.
Schmall feels the stirring of his urge to pick a fight with the older man, but stamps is mentally back down by thinking about his goal and mission of diplomacy.
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Billgar
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The man lowers his guard.
"hmmmmm....... My name is Ector. Who sent you guys here? What do you want."
His Halberd Glistens.
Taking his eyes away from the commotion at hand, Archaicmessiah looks around to see massive fields of Uticensiums all around. It was curious as to why the town had such a blueish glow. Small insects can he seen moving from plant to plant.
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Beanbaker
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Murmuring to myself, "Don't say anything stupid Schmall, I don't feel like killing this guy, he may have a family..." I silently unsheathe my sword and hide it under the straw lining the carriage.
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Archaic
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Schmall, beanbaker please stand back.
*Archaic walks towards the man, leaving his sword by his comrades.*
We came here to check up on the state of the village. As you may know his Imperial Emperor Billgar is concerned about the well being of his fellow people and thus routinely he checks up on the quality of life amongst them. I must say, those Uticensiums appear to be growing quite magnificently. However, these plants are unfortunately the only thing thriving hear and that saddens me. Can you tell me why the village is looking rather distraught these days, and what is with this peculiar blue glow?
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Schmall
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Schmall steps off to the side, slightly behind archaicmessiah in order to provide plenty of room for the two to talk. He then starts to survey the area. Noting the moods of the locals, conditions of the homes, see if any trade is going on, and making sure no one is aiming pointy projectiles at the group from any hiding places.
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Billgar
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Looking around there are few people but they do not seem unhappy, the village appears to be more secluded than anything else.
Stepping forward, the older of the two girls looks UP at schmall.
"The village is blue from all he Uticensiums. Thats pretty much our only crop that we grown, though we do sell Tonsor to travelers every now and again. Out of the entire kingdom this is the only place that Hae He naturally thrive. My name is Elle by the way, and this here is Cecille, with two Ls. Its our job to look after the Uticensiums, as they provide the Utsum that keeps the rare Hae He alive."
Ector sitting back down on his crate loses interest and begins to chew on a Uticensium leaf.
Schmalls observations indicate that the village is doing fine within itself though it gets little outside trade.
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Archaic
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Oh I apologize for my misunderstandings, but it is good to meet you Elle and you too Cecille. However I have but one more question, who is in charge of this town and where can we meet him? The emperor wanted us to deliver a message to him as we checked up on this place. Schmall, Beanbaker why don't you go in town and I shall catch up to you two in just a second.
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Schmall
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Once Elle and Cecille point the way for archaicmessiah, Schmall says to them, "Hi Elle. Hi Cecille. My name is Schmall. That rude guy that you just gave directions to is called Archaic. The lump of metal on the carriage is called Beanbaker. I know i know, its a funny name, but dont ask him about it. He will go on and on and on and on about his name. Why dont you show me what you do around here? I love to learn more about the Uticensium!"
Before leaving with the girls, Schmall takes a strip of white cloth and ties a peace knot around his sword hilt and sheath, signifying to all that he means no harm to anyone.
{ooc: note to GM, the knot actually prevents drawing the sword unless you untie the it. The knot istied like a shoe lace. Prevents a fast draw and encourages honor.}
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Beanbaker
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I walk off, in a different direction, towards the fields, but sticking to the paths to avoid stepping on Hae He. I say nothing, and walk on.
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Billgar
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Cecille looking at archaic, "Chozou is the leader of the village. Hes so nice. He wont be back for a few days though as he is off in the mountains."
Elle and Cecille lead Schmall into the fields.
"Be careful not to aggravate the Hae He they are easy to annoy and tend to attack in swarms. remember that if for some reason they ever do start on you see out the nearest tonsor. the tonsor love to eat the Hae He." Elle warns.
the fields shines magically as the sun of the afternoon hits their blue leaves.
As beanbaker wanders through the path, a Hae He flies into his chest plate.
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Beanbaker
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"Just great." I stand still and slowly remove my chestplate, and let the creature fly out on its own.
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Archaic
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*Archaic hearing the news about Chozou being gone, gets his greatsword and ties attaches it to his back with a piece of cloth tied over it. Walking towards the field he spots Beanbaker removing his chestplate and sees Schmall talking with the two townsfolk they had just met. He takes this time to explore the town and gets to know the environment he will most likely be staying in until the leader returns and the group can get the tax money they came for.*
Hrmm I suppose this place isn't all that bad...
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Schmall
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"Wow, thats pretty cool, girls. Can you point out a Hae He fly to me so that I know what it looks like. Same with a tonsor. I'm afraid I dont know what they are. Sounds like I should know just in case."
Schmall also makes small talk and encourages the two girls to talk about thier village. Children can be the best source of information at times because of thier innocense.
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Billgar
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As archaic turns around he is startled as Ector was no more than a few inches behind him.
"Can i help you?"
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Archaic
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*Turning around he is startled by the man who is right behind him.*
Oh no sorry, I was just taking a look around town is all. Is there perchance anywhere that I can get some water. After today's events I am a little parched. It'll really be a great help Ector.
*Archaic was unsure of what to think about this man, but put on a smile as to come across as friendly. More than anything however, he was suspicious and felt as though the man was trying to hide something.*
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Billgar
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Ector leads archaic to the town well, playing with the Halberd in his hand the whole time.
When he gets there though he is kind enough to crank the bucket to the surface, and offers archaic a ladle full of water.
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Archaic
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*Archaic quickly notices the purity of the well water and drinks the water on the ladle.*
Ah thank you kind Ector, that was just what I needed. It is of no surprise to see that your crops grow so well with water as pure as this. Well I suppose I shall rendezvous with my group and see what they are up to.
*Archaic turns back and heads into the direction of the field where his two comrades are both located. He is still unsure about what to think of Ector and worries, that perhaps he is not as kind as he acted just now. Either way Archaic knew he was safer in a group than he was by himself.*
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Schmall
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Schmall continues to ply the girls with various questions, always changing the subject. He asks questions from what kind of games they play, to what the adults do, to the weather, what kind of colors they like to play, how often strangers come and how long they stay, to even about thier families. Anything to keep them talking about the villiage, knowing they may say something that will be useful and what the adults may intentionally not tell us.
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Billgar
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After Archaic joins the group again, Ector once again appears.
"Girls why dont you go check on Artistal. You know if he harasses the tonsor too much in one day they get stressed out."
The girls not questioning the adults bow to you all then head out of view.
"Now that i can spare them the site, i suppose its time to get started. I know all about the Emperor's orders to force us to hand over taxes, but it just isnt going to happen."
*he spits the leaf out of his mouth that he has been chewing on for some while now*
"You see we here in this village do just fine without the interference of the capital, and i plan on making it stay that way!"
He readies himself and with halberd pointing forward, a single Hae He aggressively mounts itself upon the blade.
"Ready vance?" Ector questions to the hae he.
The insect jumps from the halberd and lands stinger first on the head of beanbaker
*beanbaker takes 1 damage*
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Archaic
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I knew you were suspicious from the start! Schmall, quickly go and grab a tonsor as Beanbaker and I fight Ector! Ector, your days were numbered the moment you decided to attack us, and to think this could have been prevented if your town paid the taxes.
*Archaic reaches behind him and pulls the sword from behind his back. Examining his foe, he decides to test the enemy's reflexes by letting our a fierce roar and slashing his greatsword diagonally across Ector's chest.*
For now Beanbaker, let us forget the mite.
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Schmall
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Schmall unties his Katana with one tug and draws his blade, however, he has no interest in killing the man. So he goes on the pure defense. He moves around to the right side of the man, waiting for an oppotunity to disable or disarm the man without actually harming him.
Katana is at the ready for parry, but perfer dodge due to inferior size and strength.
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Schmall
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hearing what archaicmessiah had to say, Schmall sheaths his sword and runs after the flock of tonsor. When he gets close, he slows down, approaches and grabs two of them by both feet, one in each hand. "Hae He attack!" he says to the man watching the flock and the two girls. "stay here. We will take care of it."
Schmall then runs back to the fight with his unual weapons.
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Beanbaker
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"Old man, cease and desist now, or you will be cut down!" I look to Archaic. "I would still be cautious. He may be a little stronger-willed than we think, and be on the lookout for reinforcements." I draw my weapon and prepare a few roots in case of anything.
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Billgar
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*archaic's Greatsword comes down with incredible force and cuts into the shoulder of the man. he does not even try to dodge. With monstrous flexibility Ectorpull back is halberd holding it almost at the blade and jams it into archaic's outer left thigh.
As this is happening, the hae he lunges at Beanbaker, but as it does, one of the tonsor leap from Schmall's hands and consumer it in mid air*
*archaic takes 110 damage*
*Ector takes 96 damage*
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Beanbaker
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I go straight for a textbook thrust to the abdomen, right above the pelvis for maximum pain, and add a twist, by twisting, then pulling out, but keeping a close distance so the halberd will be less effective.
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Billgar
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You jam it right into stomach but stepping back slightly he doesnt allow you to get it in more than 1/2 inch. With Once again bewildering agility, he slams down the back of the poll of his halberd and swings around it, kicker beanbaker off balance. Then with a quick turnaround, he stabs it into beanbakers arm
*ector takes 48*
*bean takes 78*
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Beanbaker
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I pull the blade out of my arm with my free left hand, and pull him forward into me. I use the momentum gained from the pull to swing my sword diagonally down on his shoulder and neck, then using my armor as a wall to stop his inertia and knock him back.
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Archaic
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*Archaic's thigh is cut and bleeding badly, but the flow of blood only brings out the inner berserker in Archaic. Walking towards the back of Ector he picks up his greatsword and swings it towards the back of the knees of Ector.*
Beanbaker, don't be too hasty in this fight, you said it yourself didn't you?
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Billgar
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*as archaics blade chops through the legs of Ector, leaving him but stubs at the knees, beanbakers attack is thrown off and he lodges his sword in the skull of Ector. Blood splurts from everywhere as Ectors corpse falls to the ground
Elle and Cecille show up just in time to see the event unfold.
Artistal(the man talking to the tonsor shows up with the aforementioned lumpbird in his hands)*
"There there Maki", he says as he sets it down, and covers the eyes of the two girls
*Just s this series of events is unfolding Chozou the village leader (a strong lean man of about 24 arrives back from his errands*
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Archaic
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It didn't have to come to this... if only he hadn't attacked us we could have settled this in a diplomatic manner.
*Archaic turns around and sees the group of on lookers. With the blood on his blade and the cut to his thigh, he realized that it did not look very good for him and his companions. Picking up the halberd, he places it into the ground and begins to walk away beckoning for his crew to follow.*
Leave the halberd as a means of respect to the fallen. Our business is with the village leader now and we do not wish for any more unnecessary blood to be spilled.
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Beanbaker
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*Eats 1 root* "Just keep walking, for there is nothing more we can do, and staying there would certainly mean an uprising." I pull out another root. "Need one?"
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Archaic
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No thanks, I shall just grin and bear it for now, but if the time calls I will try to find one on my own. GC doesn't grow on trees so conserve what you have. Thanks anyways though...
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Billgar
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Chozou approaches the group, with an angry look on his face as if he is going to fight. Suddenly dropping to his knees however he begins to sob.
"I suppose His Eminence sent you? If its the tax money you want then take it! But you wont get it from the towns people, ill pay the whole share from my own pocket!"
Pulling out a large bag full of GC he hands it to archaic
Artistal with horror in his eyes still protecting the vision of the girls from the horrific sight, "Chozou, but that money was supposed to be used to buy medicine and supplies for the village."
Woefully Chozou looks up at Artistal, "As long as we can be in better spirits than these and our lives can be preserved I don't feel that the cost is too high."
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Schmall
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Schmall, finally pulling himself together, walks up to archaic, bean, and the leader. He turns to his partners and says, "the quest does say we 'return with the tax money,' but if that money is for the well being of the village, we would be harming or even destroying it. What if we set it up to take the back taxes over time, or even set up a trade pact with them. Matter of fact, they said the only trade they have is with random travelers. What if one of were to go back and speak to the Emporer and get his approval on a trade pact so that this town will exclusively sell to our merchants in the city market. From there our merchants will re-sell at a mark up price. Through this the tax money can be generated, this town will flurish thus generating more money, and we will have completed our quest with flying colors. Does this sound unreasonable?? Its not something we can do right now, but we can explore the options."
Schmall says this so all can hear.
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Archaic
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"Or perhaps we can see just how much this tax money is worth. IF its a reasonable amount, perhaps we can work out a deal with the villages to collect a portion of the tax money and pay the rest on our own, in agreement that we get discounts if we ever chose to get Uticensium or their seeds. Either way, we must return with some taxes, not only for the good of the Emperor, but also by not taking any Ector's death will be in vain."
*Archaic walks up to Chozou and asks how much the taxes are worth and proposes to him Schmall's suggestion.*
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Billgar
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Chozou opening the bag explains that there is about 1300 GC in there but that they need to pay 2000 each month in accordance with the Imperial Decree.
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Schmall
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Schmall says to the groups, "there must be a way we can work this out. We can not complete quest without doing so."
To Chozou, "How much is the harvest worth around here? And how soon can it be properly harvested? We may be able to arrange merchants to come and buy it all up with a trade pact and I am willing to bet the Emperor would be willing to take a lump sum after harvest. Of course the prices will be fair so that all taxes, expenses, and some town growth will be covered. Not to mention a bit of personal profit for the farmers."
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Beanbaker
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"You can also sell the Hae He around here to the summoner up in the desert. He takes in quite a few beasts, and knowing how hard it is to get these guys, he'll go crazy. Or you could sell tamed ones at the market."
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Billgar
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"Well the value of Utsum goes up and down depending on its demand. But that demand is usally little as it serves no purpose other than allowing the existence of the Hae He. However, if it is possible......we could always pay with Uticensium Seeds?" Trembles out Chozou stricken with grief over the loss of his friend.
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Schmall
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"Between Topsons (the birds), the Hae He, and the Uticensium, I say there is a lot of potential here. Not only to cover the taxes, but for a descent profit. You just need the trade pact to get the merchant guild out here to transport all this out so the money can come in. Someday this town may become a major trade city based on these exports," Schmall says.
He then turns to Beanbaker and Archaic, "Suppose we should help them take care of his friend's body? We also need to get in touch with the Emporer to see if this trade pact is acceptable. He may even waive the back taxes for the tax money generated when collects from the merchant's guild on the exports from here. Either way the Nocte gets its money."
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Archaic
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Good idea Schmall, we all know that the emperor is a sucker for Tonsor so Im sure if we give him a few of this village's GC ontop of 1 or 2 of those, he will probably be happy, but you are also right in saying that we should contact him first. As for the body of the warrior, he does deserve a proper burial, but as cold as it sounds, we should leave it to the villagers as to respect their own customs. As the leader of this party, I shall personally report back to the palace and I will leave Beanbaker in charge here.
*With that Archaic waves to the people and starts his walk back to the Palace to negotiate with the Emperor Billgar.*
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Schmall
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Schmall, confident in Archaic's abilities and his able higher up contacts, says to Chozou, "Dont worry about the taxes for now. Go and take care of your dear friend. I wish it didnt have to happen this way, but I am sorry netherless. Go to him and his family. They need you."
Turning to Beanbaker, "We should poke around town some more. Maybe there is something else of value in the fields that we dont know about yet and the locals dont know of its value since they seem so secluded from the rest of the world. Also, we may find some other material of value we can help the villagers sell off to help with the taxes."
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Beanbaker
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"I suggest staying away from the fields, for you should remember what those animals can do in swarms..."
We head into the center of town to look for goods. We see some people, and there is... [insert setting]
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Billgar
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*a woman standing out in from of her cottage with baby in arms, retreats inside and closes the door as you look at her, a few other villagers do the same. It seems that despite your negotiation it will take a bit more than helpful suggestions to win back the villagers trust.*
And angry man appears in front of you (obviously intoxicated).
"You hav eny id dea wah dis vilge ib bout? EH? E dint kar if ya fum le tapitle! tak yer munny and lev! EH!? yeh he meh!?"
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Schmall
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Schmall steps back and lets Beanbaker take the lead for a drunk man is much better handled by someone not 4" 7' and someone armored may deter another fight. Not to mention, Schmall reminds himself, we are here for diplomatic reasons. Must shed no more blood.
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Beanbaker
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Trying not to have another scuffle, I try to appease the man... who hasn't showered after his last nap with the swine.
"Good sir, I'm not here for money, instead I am interested in spending what I have. A man of your... intelligence... should greatly know the magnificent goods that are procured from your fine, humble town. Would you mind showing me around sir?"
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Billgar
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*The drunkard punches beanbaker in the face then spits on the ground as he walks away*
"bum!" he mumble yells as he retreats
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Schmall
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Schmall quickly steps in front of Beanbaker just in case he decides to seek some vengance. "Dont forget the our reason for being here. Lets look around some. Perhaps there is an Inn that wont rip us off too bad for some food and a drink."
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Beanbaker
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"Should've punched him myself before I made an *** of myself. No sense in chasing him town. Come on Schmall. Just keep to yourself from now on. Don't need anymore trouble from drunks or any other weirdos. I would not try the inns, they might try something on us. If we're going to sleep the night, we'll stay in the woods opposite the fields."
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Schmall
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Rolling his eyes, Schmall falls in beside Beanbaker, letting him decide where to go really.
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Billgar
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*just as the two members are debating what to do, Koku, the Captain of the Imperial Guard arrives on a Lacrimabilis with Archaic"
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Schmall
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Spotting them, Schmall elbows Beanbaker in the side gently to get his attention. He then points out the arrivial of Kuko and Archaic. He stay quiet but attentitive, knowing that he is severly outranked in aspects and respects that.
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Koku
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"well then let's start loading everything thing up. That is 1000GC, 5 Hae He, 2 Tonsor, and 50 Uticensium Seeds. Please let's hurry I rather not wait around too long." With that I wait to be led to where the supplies are.
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Archaic
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*Archaic gets off of the carriage and approaches his two comrades with the official decree. Holding up the order all he says is "follow" as he walks over to Chozou. Finding the leader he holds up the decree and begins to explain..*
"I have rather good news from his Eminence. As opposed to collecting 2,000 GC from you every month, he will settle for 1000GC, 5 Hae He, 2 Tonsor, and 50 Uticensium Seeds to be collected on the 26th of every month starting from today. While I realize it may seem like a lot and it does take most of your money, with that 300 I do hope that you will be able to buy at least some of the supplies needed. Also, there is a chance of your goods being sold in the marketplace in the imperial palace, and if that is so, your trade with outside people will increase and this town will be seeing better times very shortly. However getting back to business, I do request that you get what is requested ready for transportation to the king."
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Schmall
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Before Beanbaker takes three steps, with a grin, Schmall grabs him by the belt and heaves him around so that he can see Koku and Archaic. "We really should be present ya know."
Schmall smartly steps out of arm's reach of Beabaker once swinging him around.
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Beanbaker
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"Oh really small man? Thanks for noticing. I was really hoping for a nap." We walk over, not noticing the villagers watching our moves. "Captain, Archaic, good to see you, and if I might say, you took long enough! Haha..."
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Billgar
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Chozou returns after not so long with the required goods and hands them to archaic.
"Just take them and go. "
He leaves, no doubt to begin preparations for Ectors funeral.
Just then the carriage arrives to take the travelers back and they head off towards the capital.
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