Merio D. Calderon
Halberdier
Perhaps it's time Merio fought for what he believed in.
Posts: 27
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Merio D. Calderon on Jan 26, 2015 20:29:31 GMT -6
"I'm afraid not, or if there is I haven't heard of it. Then again I never looked as I never needed it." He explained to the sorely dejected man in front of him. How cruel it must be, to go through life knowing you may never grow a mustache. Or even a beard, the pain, the humiliation. Oh it must be too much to bear, Elmine have mercy on his soul. It made him wonder, did Kelvin have a beard these days? He always used to moan and groan about how annoying it was to shave every day, and how Merio made him do it anyways. They needed to be presentable after all, if they were to be knights. Now that he is on his own, he couldn't help but wonder.
The man introduced himself, Orcleous was it? At least he was well-mannered enough, not once did he threaten to mug him or anything, definitely a step up from his usual crowd. Bandits were just impossible some times. Merio took his hand with a firm grip and gave him a manly shake of the hand. "It's nice to meet you Orcleous, I'm Merio." He could give the whole title and blah whatever, but he wasn't on duty tonight. Not to mention he had a feeling Orc here might be the type to take offense to it, putting on airs so to speak. If the man was curious he'd ask, if he wasn't then clearly it wasn't important enough to add the first time anyways.
He seemed to be a fighter, but clearly not a knight, probably a mercenary or sellsword. He wasn't too terribly fond of sellswords, as they can often foul up plans due to their almost inherently brash nature. Some knights hated them because they believed them to be cowards, or lacking conviction, Merio's dislike was far more logical then that. They don't feel as strongly towards their goals at times, and loyal more to gold then causes, which made them hard to account for. Of course he bore them no illwill, just like he bored the weather and terrain no hatred, it was just another factor he always needed to consider. He preferred to work with his men who he knew, who he can predict, and who he knew would listen to him. He's had to hire on sellswords for particularly big campaigns in the past, and he's dealt with them before. They were useful if you had the gold, but not to be wholly relied on.
They weren't on a battlefield, and he wasn't commanding soldiers, so it made no sense to treat this man as anything other then what he was, a fellow soul in a bar. And, as far as fellow souls go, he could do worse. "My plate armor? I'm not on duty tonight, so I need not to wear it. Not to mention it draws many eyes and intimidates people even if I don't mean it. I... didn't want to be intimidating tonight. Besides, it's a nice night, feels good to breath a little." He answered truthfully. How willing would Chelsea have been to meet him if he looked ready to cut her down or arrest her? He didn't want to intimidate her into to talking, and he was sure the gentleman over yonder wouldn't take too kindly to it either. Orcleos didn't stay long, and he wasn't about to keep him from whatever he had planned, so he said farewell to the mercenary as he went his way, Merio remaining behind and patiently waiting for Chelsea to come see him. Or not. Probably not. In fact he was wasting time. Why was he even bothering? You're being creepy Merio, just sitting around waiting for some girl to talk to you, like a lovesick puppy it was sick-
There was a loud smacking noise, he knew the sound. He's broken up far too many drunken brawls in the tavern to NOT know that sound. The sound of flesh meeting flesh, a fist colliding with someone face. That dull thunking smacking noise that carried a weight to it. He stood up to get a look as the large man manhandled a smaller one, as a fiery haired girl sat upon the floor with friends, in shock about what had just happened. Merio closed his eyes and took in a deep breath through his nose, letting it out through the mouth. Somewhat of a sigh, and a bit of a scowl. It was unfortunate, but of course this sort of thing happened tonight. His plans of speaking with the girl tossed right into the streets along with that man, he couldn't possibly bother her after such a thing like this.
No, he couldn't bother her. A shame, he had wished to speak with him. Instead he had something else he needed to do, for better or for worse he had a certain code. One that he willed himself to follow, that meant even when it was unfortunate or difficult or even embarrassing. If he was to be a knight, he must behave in a way to not bring the knights dishonor. He should protect the defenseless and innocent, he wasn't sure how defenseless this girl was but he was pretty sure she was at least innocent. As Merio turned to the bartender, his mind disassembling the situation, he bowed just a bit. "I will see myself out, take care of yourselves." He said before heading to the door. He followed in short order as the man was discharged from the bar into the streets outside. Still drunk, still raving, still mad. Furious might be a better word, spouting crude things about the woman inside, calling her all manner of... colorful language.
"Sir." He said aloud, the man ignored him. "Sir." He said again, louder and more insistent. Still the man did not hear, or perhaps chose not to. "Sir!" He said finally, his voice piercing the night and cutting right through the man's drunken ravings. They were outside the establishment at this point, and he wasn't aware if anyone was watching or not. Actually he hoped they weren't, they seemed fine with the way things ended up and he didn't want to be the one to drag it back up, but he couldn't allow it to end that way. This was more for himself then for that girl he didn't even know, honestly he probably would have done the same for Orcleous if it had happened to him. Though he doubted that he was the sort of man to take something like this laying down, and he needn't to.
The possibilities raced in his head, but he pushed them away for the moment. For this moment he wasn't worrying about what would happen, because he KNEW what would happen. "I cannot accept what has happened. You shall go back and apologize to that woman for the wrongs you have committed. For who's honor you have stained." He didn't draw his blade, nor did he intend to, this wasn't to be a bloodbath. No knight would ever draw their blade against an unarmed man. The man would refuse however, of course he would, people can't be bargained with sometimes. Not bandits, and not drunkards.
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Post by Chelsea Dagger on Jan 26, 2015 21:28:43 GMT -6
The drunkard threw a number of insults back at Merio. Clearly, he had no go through with what the man had suggested. Before he could really get going, however, Rob placed a hand on Merio's shoulder and glared the drunkard down. "It was a nice attempt, friend. But with people like this, they seem to only understand one thing." Shaking his head, Rob walked over to the drunkard, who attempted to throw a punch at him. Easily catching the punch with one hand, Rob threw a haymaker that both knocked the man out and sent him flying across the street. Dusting off his hands, Rob nodded to Merio as he made his way back into the tavern.
Inside the tavern, small pockets of chatter were starting to break out again. Alison had returned with a small bag of ice, which she gently placed over Chelsea's throbbing eye. She had tears leaking out of her good eye, but managed a weak smile for the cute girl who had come over to check on her. "J-Just a bit..." she managed to get out weakly. It hurt a lot more than just a bit, but she both wanted to impress the girl and not let that drunken jerk win. She adjusted the ice a little bit and let out a pained whimper. She looked up when she heard heavy footsteps to see that Rob had returned. He bent down and gently lifted Chelsea up into a chair.
"Sorry I didn't get to that guy sooner..."
"Don't blame yourself, big guy. Besides, I'm sure he looked worse than I do now, right?"
Rob broke into a smile at that. "Oh, he won't be forgetting tonight for a while, I promise you that." He gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and made his way back to his place at the door. Chelsea shifted around in her seat, trying to get a little more comfortable. She looked over at Alison and the cute girl. Alison still looked like she was about to cry, and Chelsea couldn't bare that. She gently lifted the ice, revealing her now swollen and slightly bruised eye.
"Be honest, do I still look pretty?" She joked with a weak laugh. She still couldn't see out of her eye at all, but out of her good eye she saw the tavern's owner, Josh, making his way over to them. She knew an important conversation was in her future. She gave a little sniff to try and clear up her face. She knew one way or the other, this was going to be her last night in the tavern.
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Post by Orcleous on Jan 26, 2015 22:04:03 GMT -6
Orcleous sat in the door way simply watching the entire thing. It seem the Knights shine was overcome by the fist of the burly bouncer. It was a shame really. Orcleous wanted to see if the knight could fight. Still he was hoping form more action than a simple punch to the face. If he had been the bouncer he would have kicked the guy in the ribs a few times and smashed in his teeth. No better way to remind a guy to not do it again than to take out a few of his front teeth. Well it looked like Orcleous' inner mercenary was showing. Everything was violent and quick with his lot. Their was never any slow and calm altercations, thought Orcleous was not even sure that was possible.
"Nice punch", spoke the mercenary as the burly man walked by. He seemed to pay Orcleous no mind, but the complement was not meant to start a conversation. It was more of a acknowledgement of his support for his action. The mercenary walked back in and listen to the conversation from the wall. "So the big guy is Rob", spoke Orcleous to himself as he watched. He had no idea what that guy name was the entire time. To be truthful that was a good thing. If he knew who he was then he must have messed up somehow. Orcleous would not want to be the ire of that guys anger, thought Orcleous was pretty sure he could take the guy. However in a fist fight, now that was a different question all together.
The maiden asked the question whether or not if she was still pretty. What kind of foolish question was that, Orcleous thought to himself. One punch to the face was not going to mess beauty up and besides from the look of her she was sacean. Sacean girls are suppose to be a little bruised it showed that they were tough and could run with the big boy. Either Orcleous idea of sacean beauty was skewed by Bern politics and heresay or the maiden on the ground had been Lycianized by her living here. Either way that question demanded a answer from Orcleous.
"I would still date you", shouted Orcleous toward the maiden's question. The mercenary then showed himself out the door for a moment just in case Rob did not like his answer. It was a lot better to walk out than be kicked out. If you walk out you can come back latter. If you are kicked out, well yeah, best not to show your face. Stepping outside Orcleous leaned on the outside wall. He wondered what might come of that fight. Their always seems to be a reaction to everything everybody does. If you punch a guy here his friends will show up there. Orcleous prayed that there would be no bloodshed tonight. He had enough of that waiting for him in the morning. "D!@$ monsters", he spoke again under his breath.
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Claire Labelle
Mercenary
It's my moral obligation to help those in need
Posts: 42
Affinity: Light
Profile: Claire
OoC Alias: Hal
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Post by Claire Labelle on Jan 27, 2015 6:58:09 GMT -6
Claire had hoped for a quiet night out, but that... jerkface had to go and ruin it. Why did some men had to be so rude! If she hadn't dolled herself up tonight, she might have gave him a piece of her mind as well as a palm against the face before the big guy removed him.
Claire winced each time Chelsea had whimpered in pain. She felt bad for the girl, she had been doing her job when that man had attacked her, nobody deserved that to happen. Oh! She had an idea make Chelsea feel better. "If your boss lets you, why don't you join me for dinner, then afterwards I can see what I can do to hide the bruise." She was no expert when it came to make-up, but she had her fair share of practice of covering up bruises.
Not that she was a victim like Chelsea was, but her brother would often come home looking much worse than her. He would protest at such an idea but that had never stopped Claire from trying, she would simply wait till he had gone to bed and do it anyways. Quite often, if not every time she had tried, Christophe had caught her in the act of applying the make-up. He would scold her each time, but it never stopped her from trying again later on.
Claire was almost positive she could create something that matched her skin tone, Claire was very pale when compared to Chelsea so she didn't always need to mix much to match her skin tone, but her brother was darker than her so if she could do it for Christophe then Chelsea would be no problem either. Oh wait a second, Claire had been too caught up with what had happened and her memories that she had forgot to introduce herself. It was quite rude of her to invite Chelsea to join her for dinner and to her room to help hide the bruise without even giving her name. "My name is Claire." She said with a smile.
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Merio D. Calderon
Halberdier
Perhaps it's time Merio fought for what he believed in.
Posts: 27
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Merio D. Calderon on Jan 27, 2015 10:15:23 GMT -6
He felt incredibly flaccid all of a sudden. He came out here to deck that man, only for it to be snuck out from under him by a thief of brawn. He frowned, but shook his head with a groan. No point getting worked up over it, it wasn't something he was particularly wanting to do either. He made the effort, which was important in the end right? That's what he told himself, being so ineffective. It wasn't like he relished violence or anything of the sort, he did it away from everyone so there was no delusions of glory involved, it just felt wrong. Wrong to let that go, and wrong to be so useless in such a situation. He should have stopped it before it happened, as soon as the man became rowdy or he should have decked him in recompense without wasting a moment. He gave the man the chance to repent, and therein lied the flaw.
Leaning his back against the bar he sighed to himself, running a hand through his long hair, grumbling silently to his self. He held a bit of it in his hand, looking down at it but not really interested. His mind was elsewhere, many different things really. What happened was just on part of it, there was also the missed opportunity to speak to Chelsea as well the unshakable thoughts that he may have missed his only chance to get some information about his brother. Someone who he purposely tried to push away, out of his mind, but always found his way creeping back in. He was worried, as any older brother should be. It wasn't just that though, he felt that even as he strived to escape he was still stuck in Kelvin's shadow. Even though he was someone who wasn't even here and no one knew it didn't matter, they didn't trap him there he trapped himself. There was something else too, something that should be on his mind but had taken a backseat to the chaos of the evening. The reason for him being here, in Santuraz of all places. There was the summons, yes, but there was another reason as well...
Snapping him out of his daze, he heard someone else leave the bar and curse. The night was silent and while the sounds of the bar were still filling the air, he could hear as the man swore under his breath if only barely. The word was rather unique in it's sound after all, and having been around soldiers he's heard it more then a few time. He turned his head to see a very distinct figure, perhaps it was distinct to him because he spoke to him just earlier, but that was besides the point. It brought up an idea in his mind, this man was a mercenary yes? Truth be told, hunting Chelsea down wasn't the only reason behind visiting the bar that night.
"Orcleous." He spoke up, pushing from the wall and walking towards him. "Funny meeting you out here. Things get a little too awkward in there?" He asked with a small chuckle, looking at the light streaming out the door from inside the tavern and the shadows that danced across the breach. They were still fussing over Chelsea. "Actually, I'm happy I caught you." He added, thinking. "You're a mercenary, right? Are you looking for work? I have a job opportunity, and I'm looking to hire a bit of back up."
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Post by Orcleous on Jan 27, 2015 10:50:14 GMT -6
"Are you a saint or something", spoke Orcleous as he looked up at Merio with surprise. It was almost as if the heavens themselves shinned down and answered the mercenaries prayer. Orcleous was far tired of the monster hunting business. Sure it was good work with decent pay, but getting up every morning at the crack of dawn and chasing down demonic dogs and walking corpses was tiring work. Orcleous did not even grow up in Lycia and as a result he did not have the fire of saving a country to push him forward. He was just some poor farmer's kid wielding a magical sword. Their was nothing truly special about him, well except for the sword said to house the soul of a dragon, that enjoys burning human flesh, but other than that nothing special at all.
"As long as it does not involve actively hunting down monsters and sending them back to the abyss I am game", spoke Orcleous as he pulled himself off the wall. The mercenary touched the hilt of his sword as his mind flashed back to all the rotting undead corpses he has cut down in the past few days. The mercenary group he was running with got their money worth then times over. Sure they were probably going to be upset about lossing their ace with a magical sword, but they all could sod off. Orcleous had no real attachment to any of them. Plus they were always cheating at cards. can't any of them just play a clean fair game for once.
"Actually now that I think about it I better ask the standards", spoke Orcleous as he pulled himself out of his emotions and put his business hat on. "What is the pay? Where am I going? And I do not do any work that involves, harming, kidnapping, or selling of small animals and children. I know it probably does not count for a job you are looking to hire me on for, but it is pretty much my standard statement before I accepted a job."
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Post by Chelsea Dagger on Jan 27, 2015 11:38:27 GMT -6
Chelsea gave the girl a smile, still a little bit flushed from the man yelling that he would date her. "That sounds amazing right about now, Claire." She looked up at Josh as he got close. "Hey, boss man. Nothing like a quiet night, huh?" He gave a little chuckle and motioned his head for her to join him over in the corner by the bar. She gave him a nod and slowly got to her feet. "I guess I'll be back in a few minutes to see if he lets me." She turned to Alison. "I'll be fine. Go back to work, earn some tips." The two exchanged a smile. Alison hesitated slightly. "Go." Chelsea urged her, before making her way over to Josh.
"How are you holding up?" He asked her, clearly looking concerned.
"It hurts, but I'll be alright." She gave a weak grin. "I'm a tough girl."
He gave another laugh. "That you are... that you are..." He paused for a few seconds, looking her over. "I think we both know the next question." Chelsea gave a nod. She had figured this was coming. She wasn't the first hurt on the job, and she wouldn't be the last. It was the price for working in a place like this. They all knew the risks. "Do you feel safe here? Do you want to keep working here?"
Chelsea took a few seconds before she answered. "I've always felt safe here. Between you and Rob, I never felt like I was in any danger. I still feel that way, even after tonight." She paused again, shifting the ice around a little bit. "But I can't stay here. We both knew that when I started here, I wasn't gonna be here forever. If anything, this was a wake up call." She turned and looked out the window. "It's time for me to get back out in the world, you know?"
Josh gave another smile. "I had a feeling you were gonna say that." He shook his head. "Take the rest of the night off. Hang out with your new friend over there. I take it you're planning to leave tomorrow?" Chelsea nodded at that. He nodded back, understandingly. "Figured as much. You know you're always welcome back here, anytime."
"Thank you, Josh. For everything." There was more she wanted to say, but she knew there would be time for formal goodbyes in the morning. She got back up to her feet and made her way back to Claire. "So about that food... Those pork chops still warm?"
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Merio D. Calderon
Halberdier
Perhaps it's time Merio fought for what he believed in.
Posts: 27
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Merio D. Calderon on Jan 27, 2015 20:37:13 GMT -6
"A saint? No the church of Elmine have yet to declare me as such, I am sure the application is simply lost in the mail." He said with a jovial little grin. The man seemed to be greatly relieved at the fact Merio offered him a job, perhaps he had been looking for work after all? Well the truth was he didn't need mercenaries for his mission, he was strong enough himself that he could fight most enemies he'd encounter on the road especially if he traveled with patrols, bandits were nothing if not cowardly. A heavily armed man wearing the attire of a knight? That's enough to drive all but the most desperate bandits hiding, as their kind prefers to prey upon the weak who cannot defend themselves. Or, at the least, those who were worth the risk like a loaded caravan. No his reason for hiring additional help was a bit more personal then that, and while he didn't need it, he definitely wanted it.
Orcleous asked if his mission was monster hunting, and while he may very well encounter monsters on this trip, especially enroute to Laus, it was hardly the focus. "Well I can't say there's no chance we'll run into monsters, it isn't what my aims are. It'd be more of a... unintended delay then a focus." The news of monsters had spread all over Lycia, Tania included. He had never faced such things, and he was by no means eager to start now.
After he caught the mercenary's attention, the man began to ask about the details of the job. Of which, predictably, money was the first concern. Before he even knew what the job was, he was more interested in the pay, not a good sign but he wasn't hiring the mercenary to do anything unsavory anyways. He says he won't harm small animals or children, which was nice it showed he had standards. He noticed he specified children and animals specifically, said nothing about assassination contracts or being hired muscle for shaking people down or any other assortment of foul deeds, then again if he had Merio might have been waiting quite some time. He just hoped it meant that this Mercenary wouldn't betray him if the pay was good enough, a problem you must always keep in mind when hiring help. Loyalty and honor, and sometimes such things were in short supply. "I see, straight to business then." He touched the edge of his mustache and paced for a moment, thinking. Mentally laying everything out, choosing the right words to say the right price to offer. It wasn't a difficult task, but it may be long.
He stopped and turned back towards Orcleous, arms crossed with a grin. "The job is to travel Lycia with me. I am currently in Santuraz by orders of the Lycian league, but I don't intend to return home after I'm through. Under orders of my lord, I'm to travel the country and the territories of the land to get a feeling for the general position of the country. A survey of sorts you could say. I don't expect too much trouble, but I'm traveling alone and a good warrior knows there's nothing more invaluable then someone watching your back." He explained the details of the job to the swordsman. "It might be a long job, traveling even on horseback can take some time. Several weeks until it's complete maybe, maybe even a few months. I won't hold it against you if you cannot stay the whole trip, as that is quite the commitment. It does, however, make the subject of payment a touch difficult. I've been given gold for travel expenses and I cannot be wasteful with it. A nice low danger job like this, how about 400 gold a week? I feel that sounds fair."
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Post by Orcleous on Jan 27, 2015 21:00:50 GMT -6
"So a simple escort and protection job", spoke Orcleous as he rubbed his chin. The mercenary played as if he was weighing his offers, but to be truthful he would be happy to be out of the monster hunting business. If the abominations attacked while they were traveling that was self defense not active hunting. Orcleous wanted a break from active hunting. When you wonder across them you find at the most a dozen. If you hunt them down you find a horde and Orcleous has seen enough of hordes for a life time. The deal was practically set, but there was only one problem, the price.
"Well Sir. Merio there is only one problem with the agreement that you suggested. That problem would be the price. You may not know this, but I have built up a pretty good reputation around her. I am known for being fearsome in battle and reliable with a sword. With that title there comes a certain pricing one must pay to hire the services of such a man. However among all the mercenaries with my range of experiences and skill I am the one who is hired most. Do you know why? Because I am cheap. Unlike the others who hire themselves out for coin I do so at a discount. This is not because I have a death wish or because I truly enjoy fighting. No this is because a cheap price means more work in the future. It is a cleaver marketing stratagem. However most people come to me because they know I am cheap and that they will get a better rate. So if I take a job with a higher rate than my reputation will be stained. So here is the deal I offer you", spoke Orcleous as he stopped to clear his throat.
"Traveling expenses, along with a 201 gold coins a day. Along with the right of pillage when facing against hostile forces. The right of pillage in case you do not know what it is means that any enemy that bears ill intent toward us I have the right to take from their corpse. Be it the hide of a monster or the coin purse off a dead mercenary. The rite of pillage makes up for the pay I do not receive for my services."
With his deal laid out Orcleous waited for the response from the knight. To be truthful he thought it was a good deal, though he wondered if the knight might take offense to the rite. Knights were always touchy about honor and dead people. Orcleous never truly understood. The guy is dead what does it matter that you took his coin purse. It is not like he is going to use it. However people seemed to take offense with taking spoils of war.
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Merio D. Calderon
Halberdier
Perhaps it's time Merio fought for what he believed in.
Posts: 27
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Merio D. Calderon on Jan 27, 2015 23:22:43 GMT -6
"Well I don't believe I'll need much protection, but otherwise yes." He chuckled at the mercenary's enthusiasm as well as his assessment of the situation. His original offer of 400 gold was turned down quite summarily, as the man offered his services at a fraction of the price Merio had originally offered him. Odd, usually mercenaries haggled up and not down. He gave his reasoning which was all well and good but clearly had some gaps in logic here and there. He wouldn't complain or point them out though, because hey it meant he saved money right? He said that by taking jobs at a fraction of the price, he built a reputation for himself and it brought repeat clients. An idea that, considering how he had called him a saint for so much as offering him a job, didn't seem to be turning out well for him. Something told him this might be a lure to get him to trust the Mercenary, and it was working. Merio was many things, but rarely suspicious. "Well I wouldn't want to stain a reputation you've carefully cultivated from the sounds of things." He was amused and perhaps a bit confused at the man's antics, but if it worked for him who was Merio to scold him? Well actually if he wasn't trying to hire him he might have, after all you needed to take pride in your work and... He was scolding no one mentally. That's when he realized the man's offer. 201 gold a week.
"T.. two hundred and... one?" He was taken aback, he even stuttered slightly. Unflappable he was not. He even took a step back in shock, unable to articulate his words correctly. The man's offer it... disturbed him. Who offers their services for 201 gold? WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT 1 GOLD. It was amazing really how much it bothered him. It just seemed so odd, needless, tacked on. 201 gold? What was this madman- no. No Merio, you're being weird. It's just a number. He took a deep breath. "Look, let me level with you." He said, calming down instantly. A moment "I'll give you fifty gold right now if you drop the price to 200 a week. I don't want to have to do the extra math." He offered reaching for his pouch. Little things like this have always bothered him, things just so slightly out of order it drove him crazy. It's not so bad if it's all over the place, but barely out of it? Tie him up or he'll spend all day trying to get it perfect.
"As for looting rights, I can't say I approve but there's no law expressly forbidding it. I don't partake in the act myself, so you should have no arguments from me for free reign. Other then that your terms sound more then fair." It may not be honorable, but he wasn't the one doing. Sure one may argue that his mercenaries are an extension of himself and what they do he also does, but he didn't subscribe to that line of thought. His men who followed under him? Sure, they were an reflective of him. As a knight, as a leader, and as a man. Orcleous was no such person, and therefore he should fret about it. Right? Merio rationalized and logic'd it away. He was the sort of man comfortable to mental gymnastics. Maybe he shouldn't be, and maybe that said something about him, but it's never bothered him before. He needed to live chivalrously, he shouldn't force it on others.
He held out a hand for the man to take, as well a small amount of gold, about 50. He grinned at him cocking a brow. "Deal?"
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Post by Orcleous on Jan 28, 2015 0:08:13 GMT -6
"Tisk tisk Sir. Knight", spoke Orcleous as he shook his head. "I bet you are confused about the number are you not. Why in the world did I settle for 201 rather than a even 200. Once again it all goes back to marketing and ones memory. If I was a standard mercenary who settled for 200 you would remember the low price, but maybe not the name. By going for 201 it sets myself apart from other mercenaries. That extra one gold works almost like a flag. It identifies me from the rest of the cheap hirelings under ones banner. The next time you hire somebody or recommend somebody to be hired that extra one gold leaches from the back of your mind and brings the name Orcleous to the front. Still however it seems that one gold bothered you a bit. Probably because it is so odd. Just learned a little bit out you. Well I will accept your offer of 50 upfront to remove the extra one.
Taking the bag of coins Orcleous tossed it in the air as he gave a firm hand shake. Once he finished he held his hand out and caught the coin as it feel. With a single quick motion Orcleous placed the coin in his bag. "So when are we moving out", he asked? The mercenary still needed to gather up his things from the inn and send that letter he had already written of his resignation. Orcleous never really liked the monster hunting job. He held in there for a while only because he did not have any other jobs lined up. Well any other jobs that did not go against his moral code. Some jerk wanted him to smuggle kittens for him, but as Orcleous said before he does not take contracts involving small animals.
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Merio D. Calderon
Halberdier
Perhaps it's time Merio fought for what he believed in.
Posts: 27
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Merio D. Calderon on Jan 28, 2015 7:22:51 GMT -6
"Yes yes, whatever the reason I'm sure I'll remember you fine enough. After all you're the only Mercenary I'm hiring and I might be traveling with you for a long time. If anything this whole exchange will be the flag you're looking for, since it's not every day I'm willing to pay so much extra for such a small annoyance." He sighed, partly in annoyance and partly in relief. The mercenary was really confident in his, well he didn't want to say 'marketing' but whatever this was. Merio was the type to fret over small details, he could feel confident in admitting this to himself if not to others, he was grateful that Orcleous didn't staunchly refuse. To the point he thought that he may simply avoid the trouble and just not hire him all together if he refused. He shook the man's hand firmly, nodding his head. "Deal." He repeated again.
He wondered if the other men Orcleous was with inside were also mercenaries, it likely doesn't matter since he's not ever returning to this bar. He asked for a sign telling him if this was a good idea, or a bad one, and received a boatload of it's a bad idea signs and no good ones. The person he went to meet was assaulted, and she brushed him off when they first met to begin with, he took that in stride but don't think he didn't realize it was happening. Then he found a mercenary for his actual job he was doing, as if the universe was saying 'hey forget this, you have an actual job you bum'. His well meaning act of chivalry also went belly up as he was left limp after trying to mercilessly pummel drunk pedestrians. He didn't drink, so even when or if he returned to Santuraz it wouldn't be a location to search out. Tonight was just a mess all around for his finding Kelvin subquest, to the point he wondered if it was worth the hassel.
"I'm leaving most likely in three days. I'm in town for a short stay, as I have to meet the Marquis. Knights from many smaller territories were summoned here for some reason or another, and I'm unsure as what Marquis Ashby wishes of us. Ah I should properly introduce myself actually. I am Ser Merio Calderon Knight-Captain of Tania of the Lycian League. My request is one issued to me by my lady Marquess Tania." He bowed a bit as he spouted the long lines of exposition, out of habit mostly. He sincerely doubted the man would be overly impressed by his title, but it held some significance to some people so it was likely something his mercenary should be aware of and it's not like he was hiding it. "I look forward to working with you." He did, actually. Maybe that was a bit weird, but Merio didn't meet many new people. This guy was a bit odd, but then again so was he.
Reaching into his pocket again, he pulled more gold. He was basically just throwing money at this guy at this point. "Let me give you some money for provisions, buy what you think you need and you can give me the leftover gold. Or you can pocket it and say you spent it all, either doesn't matter much to me." He said, fetching 300 gold from his pouch. That should be enough to pay for most provisions for now. He had a pretty sum all together, some of it was traveling expenses from his Lady while others where his own coin he had meticulously saved. He was surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly) thrifty when it came to coin, always worrying about his expenses and saving coin wherever he could. Not when it came to other people, of course, that was dishonorable.
"I'm staying at the guard barracks near the castle, don't worry about a horse I can get one from the stables. Assuming you can ride, you can ride can't you?" He asked the man, casting a questionable look on his face. If he couldn't, well, they'll figure something out. Maybe he could ride with him? Awkward as that may be for him, Orc, and Jammu. Well actually Merio wouldn't mind too terribly bad, but he was sure Orc and Jammu might be annoyed. "You know where the barracks are, right? If not it shouldn't be too hard, just ask any guard. If you aren't busy tomorrow you should come speak to me and we can plan a route. I speak with the marquis in two days, and leave the day after barring any extenuating circumstances."
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Post by Orcleous on Jan 28, 2015 8:33:17 GMT -6
"Knight Captain", spoke Orcleous with surprise. Here Orcleous thought the man was just a low level knight, or maybe just a simple commander, but Knight Captain. He was no little fish, no he was a big one, maybe even the biggest in the pond that was Tania. The priorities on the job just switched dramatically. At first this was just a job to get himself out of the monster hunting business, which he had come to despise, and get started on new jobs in Lycia. However no it was far more important. They were going to be meeting with dignitaries and leaders of the Lycian City states. As much as this was important to Merio it was now important to Orcleous. If he did good on this journey and kept himself in respectable conduct then he could possibly get hired in a more official position. Though he doubted it with his back ground from Bern and his hill billy knowledge, but who is to say that miracles never happen.
"I have to admit I did not expect you to have such a title, no offense of course. Here I thought you were just a simple Knight or a knight commander, but knight captain. Now that is a big title to be wearing. It must have been hell working your way up through the ranks. Still you gave me a proper introduction so I guess I should do the same, thought I am no where near as fancy. The name is Orcleous, Orcleus of the city of Mordor. It is a small farming village located in northern Bern. I have fought and killed almost every monster alive. From Zombies to horsemen, Bonewalkers to giant freaken spiders." Orcleous cringed on that last one. He hatted spiders and giant ones even more so. "If you need a man on the road I am your man."
"So three days", spoke Orcleous. "That is good. I can say some goodbyes and cut some ties. I can finally get out of my old monster hunting job. No offense I know keeping the number of monsters walking around Lycia down is a important task, but it gets really tiresome having to hunt down demonic dogs and kill walking corpses. I was more than ready to leave that job behind, but my old paw always told me to never quit a job without having another one lined up. For a while monster hunting was the only job available around these parts, well the only job I was qualified to take."
"Pick up some supplies and meet you back at the barracks understood", spoke Orcleous as he placed the extra coin in a different section of the bag. "Oh almost forgot. Yeah I do know how to ride a horse. Your mission was not the only job I have ever took that needed extensive amount of travel. I can ride, but don't expect me to do so gracefully. Never really liked riding horses", spoke Orcleous before he walked off to get to work.
"Better return the extra", Orcleous spoke to himself. He had his own code to keep and his reputation to protect.
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Merio D. Calderon
Halberdier
Perhaps it's time Merio fought for what he believed in.
Posts: 27
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Merio D. Calderon on Jan 28, 2015 9:16:31 GMT -6
"Well like I told you before, tonight's my night off. There were several reasons I didn't wear my armor tonight." Merio was extremely accomplished for his age, so the man's surprise wasn't unwarranted. Cool mustaches aside, Merio wasn't exactly the spitting image of what one imagines a knight-captain to be. Usually they're old, stodgy, with more experience then their entire unit combined or they're young super heroes that are just naturally gifted like Rayl. Merio was neither, he was just the right man at the right time, given a chance by a struggling community that desperately wanted to maintain their independence but didn't have the actual skill necessary. Tania is one of the smallest of all of Lycia's territories, their 'prestige' only goes so far. He foresaw any amount of stupid hoops to jump through on his journey, it wasn't feeling too terribly like a good idea at the moment actually but orders were orders and it'd be a good thing to explore Lycia. At least it couldn't be a bad thing, right?
He shook his head a bit as Orcleous seemed to change his attitude towards him considerably. "You don't need to feel so intimidated. Tania is a small rural city-state that barely qualifies according to Lycia's regulations. I've mostly dealt with bandits and the like over the last two years, being a Knight-Captain from Tania is like being the best at holding a sword in a town of people born without thumbs. I was simply the only one with knight training that was willing to help them, and I helped train their ramshackle militia into respectable soldiers. With help, of course, but I'm not even from Tania originally. Born and raised on a horse ranch on the outskirts of Caelin." He explained, talking his self down a bit from the pedestal Orcleous seemed to have placed him on. He was a country boy himself though, and he knew the feeling of feeling small next to someone with a big fancy name that meant nothing.
"That's the problem though. We're so small, we have next to no political pull or sway. What other nations decide we can do little about, that's why we need to know what's going on. We don't really have knights to spare, which is why I'm going at this alone. Since I'm the only one in a position high enough that might even begin to get recognition from the nobles short of my Lady leaving and coming her self." Caelin was also a very small territory in Lycia, seemed he gravitated towards the underdogs. Maybe he could have been a lieutenant in Santuraz or Pharae, but instead he was knight-captain of a hamlet. He sighed, Orcleous probably didn't want to know about such things. "Anyways as they say information is power. It can't hurt to know what's going on."
Changing topics, he began again. "It's good to know you're experienced though, I don't believe I ever have dealt with monstrous beings, they don't stray so far in usually. I'll be relying on your expertise if we run into any, I'm assuming it's a bit more difficult then 'hit it until it stops moving' which is a shame as that's an old favorite of mine. I know it doesn't mean much, but thank you for helping keep Lycia safe from monsters. We have enough issues as it is, monsters aren't really helping things. It's because of people hunting them down that we don't get them all the way in Tania." A little appreciation never killed anyone.
"So you can ride, good, that saves a potentially awkward situation from arising." He chuckled. "I'll see you then Orcleous. Now if you excuse me, tonight has been awful and a waste of time. Outside of hiring you, I've done nothing of worth. So I'm going to go back and cap it off by passing out in my bed early. Maybe an early start on tomorrow will prove more worthy."
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Jabal
Dragon
Posts: 67
Affinity: Fire
Dragon Element: Earth
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Post by Jabal on Jan 29, 2015 18:27:31 GMT -6
Shadows of flickering candles dancing on the walls, the sound level in the tavern had begun to quiet down from the usual rumble of early evening revelry. The air was still peppered with slurred, drunken mutterings and the locals still ate and drank their fill, their social hours not quite done, but most travelers were heading to bed early, given the early starts most of them needed for next leg of their journeys. An average night in this sleepy corner of Santaruz.
But sleepy hardly described the bang that sounded throughout the tavern as its thick mahognay door swung wide open, revealing the massive body of a giant, headless man standing just outside. It was impeccably muscled, a fact easily seen by the multitude of onlookers that had been interrupted by the loud noise, as it wore no clothes outside of a waistcloth stained dark brown with what looked to be dried blood. In truth, it didn’t really look like it had originally meant to be used as a waistcloth at all, considering the piece of cloth that clearly looked to be a sleeve hanging down over a giant, bronzed thigh. If anything it was more like the cloak of a slain man repurposed into a giant’s undergarments, and the odd sight immediately set a number of people on edge.
“I cannot believe you find this appetizing,” rumbled the body, as it bent forward to fit in through the doorway. In bending over, however, the body revealed that it was not any sort of olympic dullahan, for it possessed a head just like any other normal body. It was a very large head, but that made sense considering the size of the body it was attached to. The head, a short haired, stony jawed thing, was that of a man, and it was loudly chewing on half of an uncooked ear of corn, with the other half secured firmly in its right hand. In his left hand he held a large, makeshift sack of what also looked to be raw corn. At least twenty pounds worth. “The seeds are mealy, and the stalks are far too woody. It’s like eating bone, only its missing all the flavor from the marrow.”
The maize devouring beast of a man squeezed himself through the door, before opening his maw to toss in the other half of the ear of corn. Just behind him followed a much smaller, more graceful and elegant creature: a red-haired woman in a tight sleeveless shirt and short skirt, with long red hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She wore a gentle smile upon her face, and if weren’t for the giant that walked just before her, she would have been beautiful enough to capture the attention of all onlookers.
After making his way inside, the near-nude man sniffed the air. Ah, the sweet smell of cooking flesh. Multiple patrons were eating it, but the strongest smell was coming from a room in the back just behind the bar. The kitchen perhaps? He made his way over. “I smell meat,” he said, tossing his sack onto the counter before taking a seat on the nearest stool. Its legs creaked in protest as the great weight forced upon it, but like the diligent piece of furniture it was, it persevered. Meanwhile, Jabal slammed his fist on the counter to get someone’s attention, hardly realizing he already had everyone’s.
“Get me something real to eat!” he barked, his eyes looking to the person that seemed to be manning the bar. “Corn. Disgusting. I wouldn’t feed this to my worst prisoners.” He pulled an ear out of his supply and gave it a quick glance. He scowled in distaste and put it on the counter. The offered grain sat on the wood for a good moment while the man looked on expectantly, before he changed his mind. He grabbed the whole bag and put it in front of him with a thud.
“However much this will buy me, give me that. Preferably your freshest boar, and if you have any bear, I will have that as well.”
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