Blood Money

[Twisted-Indoctrine]

Thane, the mean mugged dwarf mercenary, sat in the barrack overlooking a surprisingly well written and maintained ledger detailing his own personal finances, the man might have passed for a scribe in another life – though the bloodstained armour sitting in an oil bath nearby certainly spoke otherwise for this one at least. His eyes scanned as he crossed off expenses and surpluses made with a graphite pencil (which he preferred as it doesn't run when wet and means he doesn't have to haul a messy fragile inkwell along with his kit in the field). All the while the accounting amounted to the harsh realities of it – his investments into Exigo had yet to offer any worthwhile payoff and his kit was found wanting, in his rather high opinion of standards.


It seemed the dwarves of Whurest and their supporters were willing to manufacture some items for him if he could secure the funds and the materials- and he could. Uniform standards be damned he'd not be held back by stingy merchants and this was a mercenary company not an army. A professional fighting force maybe, but he'd not wreck his chances at making money just to look smart and snappy alongside a dozen others. Speaking with Glyir he'd learned that the Whurest bunch had a lot of trades representatives at their disposal and he learned a bit about what was needed. He began ticking off inventory for sought after goods.


“Armor: Metal, obviously – acquired by mining can manage this myself. Emerald required for enchantment – trickier can mine it up, bit rare though. Keep an eye on local markets.


Weapon: Metal, check exigo stocks for plans and schematics. Going to need a weapon smith. Heard diamonds useful for enchanting, as per before keep eyes and ears open. Alternatively Thayans... Decent blade on sale - weighted nicely, suposedly bolsters ones stamina and endurance enough to stand an extra blow or so in combat (suspect tall claim on salesman's part but if true then a fine bonus), Thayan's dangerously serious about their reputation thus craftsmanship is assured. Only six thousand – difficult choice.


Side note: Thayans maybe hire out to third parties? Numbers seem scarce while tasks seem many for the handful of knights and suspect often many tasks too menial to matter to their wizard lords. Wait and watch for employment opportunities. Uncertain of slaving laws in Sundren, wonder if they're active in it. Avoid taking loans, tempting, but suspect interest rates are... high.


Scabbard: Eight thousand coin, Cut diamond, fine Leather scabbard ... Glyir can do the enchantment, trouble is locating the leather scabbard. Leather worker or tailor perhaps? Shop around. Coin easy materials less so.”


Thane nodded approvingly at his work. He appreciated giving himself the concrete simply stated goals and the manifest before him offered just that. Expensive kit in total however the pay off was added combat effectiveness and with it a better reputation which was just as important as coin – in fact played proper it IS coin. He sealed the ledger and tucked the graphite pencil in the hollow of the book's spine before putting it into a waist satchel, his thoughts pondering the best way to manage going about securing all these resources. Begrudgingly he admitted he'd have to keep working with other people to do it and keeping a nice face on at least until he was settled in.


Until then it's just a question of looking for work constantly pestering for contracts as he had been and in the meantime killing the damned savages in the Viridale wood that the state seemed to have no issue with the wholesale slaughter of. Every coin was one coin closer to even more coin,


“Such a lovely thing coin,” he thought to himself as he kicked back and lay in his bunk passing into dreamlessness.

[Twisted-Indoctrine]

The wait was grating on the nerves.


Paying work was rare and having it so close yet so far was exceedingly tricky to deal with. He'd been coping however, and his kit benefited from the extra attention – dark steel rarely had such a luster. Still it was a time pass, a waiting game.


In the meanwhile of it he'd gone out and made an attempt at looking into the bounty for fire beetle guts the wizard wanted. Knowing it was around Aquor had him searching up and down the mountains for the cave they were said to be in. By the end of it he was cold, annoyed and all in all certain he wasn't looking in the right direction. He'd have to try another way, all the while checking back often for word on the job itself, a frustrating bit of business to be certain splitting attentions like that.


And yet in the back of his mind it nagged at him – why's the client looking outside his own organization? He'd never heard of one of them doing it before, not that it really mattered, so long as the work was good. But still... A lingering curiosity. Thane shook his head disappointed in himself for loitering on such pointless and idle thoughts that no theory he came up with would satisfy, and then he went back to tending his kit.