Rihad, Keep

The Knight Commander spoke. "The discussions with the High King were regrettably useless. It seems they already came with their hearts set on war; there wasn't much we could do to dissuade the bloodthirsty brutes. Although I suppose that's good for all of you. So, tell me about yourselves. What are your qualifications, how many men do you have, what's your specialty, how much you charge. That sort of thing."

Vorandaril hovered silently, looking at the other mercenaries. He would not speak, not yet. Hiring and negotiating the prices of large mercenary groups would likely be the Knights' first priority, it would probably be a while before they got to a lone Battlemage. It was not a problem, though, as he could wait indefinitely (not that he wanted to, but he could). And perhaps he'd learn a thing or two from quiet observation. The undead Altmer watched as the leader of the plain-looking mercenaries spoke.

"Well, I do not know what needs you have Sir Terentius but I can guarantee my jolly band will fill any role required. I can assure you that my men would be better suited to the arid climate then our Dunmer friends here," he said, nodding to Athanden, "in whatever operation you need, be it battle or raiding, scouting or infiltrating." Seems already they're getting competitive. Underneath his hood, underneath his helmet, underneath the silken cloth concealing his face, underneath his linen wrappings, Vorandaril smiled. Not since he had lost his hand as a living Altmer had he the opportunity to observe a battle of words. The leader of the Dunmer promptly responded.

"Excuse my Knight Commander but I wish to inquire as to why Mr. Belisaurius thinks my corps is incapable and less effective than his own. If you are implying that my corps is unsuitable to this climate because of the armor that they wear than you are horribly mistaken, the majority of my men wear but simple light chainmail with exception to me, my personal guards and my shock troops which are more than suited to harsh weather. You may continue with your speech Mr. Belisaurius." Seems this Dunmer wasn't looking for a fight. Not as enjoyable to watch, but quite wise for the setting.

The lich turned towards the Imperial mercenary leader, waiting for the response. Let us see if his response will be.

Rihad
Captain Camille Leon, Keep

"The discussions with the High King were regrettably useless. It seems they already came with their hearts set on war; there wasn't much we could do to dissuade the bloodthirsty brutes. Although I suppose that's good for all of you. So, tell me about yourselves. What are your qualifications, how many men do you have, what's your specialty, how much you charge. That sort of thing." Camille smiled as she thought, Ah, now we come to the meat of the matter.

Normally, she would’ve been the first to offer her pricing, but in this case, she felt it better to observe the other mercs’ offers, and go from there. She noticed the floating Altmer apparently doing the same. Looking around the room, she also noticed that the Imperial from Cheydinhal, Belisarius, was apparently checking her out. She wouldve assumed he was just sizing up the competition, if he hadn’t winked to one of his partners immediately after. Camille grimiced slightly and thought, Ugh. I don’t even want to know what he’s thinking about. Maybe Jacob is right, and I should start covering up my face when I go out in public.

Then she heard Belisarius speak up. “Well, I do not know what needs you have Sir Terentius but I can guarantee my jolly band will fill any role required. I can assure you that my men would be better suited to the arid climate then our Dunmer friends here," he said, nodding to Athanden, "in whatever operation you need, be it battle or raiding, scouting or infiltrating.” Camille couldn’t help but laugh quietly as she heard the Imperial’s words. Ooh. He’s a feisty one. We’ve barely started, and already he’s getting competitive. Bet the Dunmer’s gonna love that.

Then the Dunmer spoke up slightly defensively. "Excuse my Knight Commander but I wish to inquire as to why Mr. Belisarius thinks my corps is incapable and less effective than his own. If you are implying that my corps is unsuitable to this climate because of the armor that they wear than you are horribly mistaken, the majority of my men wear but simple light chainmail with exception to me, my personal guards and my shock troops which are more than suited to harsh weather. You may continue with your speech Mr. Belisarius."

Camille was slightly disappointed by the response the Dunmer gave. She was expecting something much more … loud. And preferably violent. Ah, well. She sighed and sat up straight. She kind of wanted to hear Belisarius’s response, but she realized that the more time she spent here, the more drunk her crew would get, and thus the more hung-over they’d be in the morning. And so she spoke.

“My name is Camille Leon,” she announced to the Knight Commander, bowing her head to him. “I am the captain of the finest ship that currently sails, and perhaps ever has sailed, the seas of Tamriel, The Lusty Lady. My crew numbers at about 100 members, including hardened warriors, experienced rouges, and devastating mages, as well as talented cooks. They are some of the best mercenaries, bounty hunters, ex-Legionaries, and sailors in the world. We specialize in ship-to-ship combat, as well as leading quick raids and attacks on both land and sea. All of my crew have at least some experience in combat, with the most experienced among us having been warriors for several decades. We are prepared to become privateers for your side of this war, in exchange for any and all plunder we find whilst doing said privateering. However, we can also preform small raids and attacks on your land-locked enemies, if you wish.”

----------------------------------------------------

First Mate Jacob, Docks

At first, Jacob was put-off by the mention of being shoved in a crate. What if Shavaash ‘accidently’ dropped him in the water? But when he heard that the plan was to free slaves, his resolve strengthened, and he decided to do it.

“So this is to take a stand against slavery? All right, then I’m in. Slavers need to be taught a lesson, and I’m always happy to be the one doing the teaching.” He said, nodding resolutely. But then he paused, and realized that the plan seemed to be missing a couple of crucial details for this sort of mission.

“But, wait, Kraven. Do you know the layout of the house? Where the crates are taken? Do you know what kind of security the noble has? You didn’t mention them, and those are pretty crucial details for a plan to break into someone’s house. I mean, what if they have mages that inspect the crates? That’d end badly for me, and then the slaves would never be free. Or, what if the back door requires a special key to open up? Or what if there is no back door at all?” Jacob paused and shook his head. “Please tell me you’ve thought all that stuff through.”

Shavaash Opress & Kraven Desselius, Rihad Docks.

Kraven's smile widened as Jacob agreed to join them for the small liberation. It was no easy task to be done for sure, but he was pleased to see the eagerness in those who wished to aid in such unfortunate law. Jacob began to question the strength of the idea of breaking in the house, especially due to lack of detail. But Kraven was well aware on how houses were built in Rihad. He was pretty sure the crates were taken behind the houses to be opened later on. He remembered such when he served under Illenna as a slave after what had happened in Morrowind. Kraven was no stranger to everything. And from what Praxedes had told him earlier on, he was confident there would be no threat to their discovery before the plan is carried out. He had already planned everything on his mind.

"I have given it much thought. We will create an illusion by having the first crates be full of useless junk such as plates and weapons, while you can be placed in the crate before the last one. Shavaash has some strength, so it would not appear as if he is carrying too much."

Kraven motioned for Jacob & Shavaash to join him. Along the way, he had explained more, but remained cautious from prying eyes. "I was a servant in a household here in Rihad. I am certain the crates are usually taken to the farthest room in the house. And to our advantage, the noble is gone for the night with his wife, he allowed his slaves to be in the care of his guards. One we are inside, we can slay the guards and free the slaves. Shavaash shall distract the guards with ill speech while you break free from the crate."

Shavaash began to like the idea that was just presented to him. If it meant less bloodshed, it was more than great. It was acceptable. He would not enjoy being on the run from guards or being hunted by the law. He had enough of being hunted in Valenwood, let alone in another place. He finally began to chuckle at the idea which seemed foolish, if not brilliant and original.

"The house is not that large, we will have enough places to hide before the return of the noble and his lady. If we can do it quickly and efficiently, we can save the trouble."

Meeting Room, Rihad Keep

The Knight Commander watched with dry amusemant at the competition between the Imperial mercenary Belisarius and his well-armored Dunmer counterpart. Either they must have been arguing before the meeting or this Belisarius is very competitive, to insert a blatant jab at another company within his own pitch. Still, the man's offer of scouting or raiding assistance was quite tempting, especially considering how Belisarius likely had a large contingent of locals in his force. Most Knights of the Nine didn't take too well to either stealth or raiding civilian villages; Stanet knew from the start that he would need to use locals or mercenaries for that. And based on the confidence of Belisarius and his men and their simple garb, they seemed like suitable candidates for the role. Of course, he would need to see the soldiers themselves and potentially a test of their abilities, but so far, they seemed promising.

The Dunmer who confronted Belisarius also seemed promising. Even if he seemed a little too formal for this sort of work, Terentius admired the Dunmer's readiness to defend his reputation and qualifications. Even better, the well-armored mer managed to rebuff the accusation without the arrogance for which his race had become infamous. Definitely worth a look at this one's forces, especially if they're professional enough to all afford chainmail.

After the Dunmer's objection was over, a nautical-looking Imperial woman spoke up, which was fairly bold considering that she was interrupting the exchange between Belisarius and the Dunmer leader. In addition to giving her name, Camille Leon, she delivered an excellent and detailed description of her crew, a welcome contrast from the vague terms offered by Belisarius, as well as the terms of service. Excellent. Something I can respond to. And those terms are great; completely free for us.

"Lady Leon," began the Knight Commander, using a flattering title he was fairly certain she didn't hold, "your crew's services as privateers would be most welcome. I will have a letter of marque drafted for you by nightfall, allowing you to prey on any Yokudan Empire ship, military or civilian, that you might find. You will be entitled to anything and everything you can take from such a vessel and you we will not prosecute you for piracy. However, be careful about your targets; if you attack any neutral ship, or one that belongs to the Rihad Confederacy, we will hunt you down. Understood?" he said confidently and authoritatively.

Scanning the room after he finished, Terentius spotted an extreme oddity. A tall figure, probably an Altmer, sat alone on what seemed to be the air itself with no support at all from any physical object. His face was covered by a cloth, and not a single bit of skin showed through a number of layers of clothing, including a hood, a helmet, robes, and even some linen wrappings showing at the edge of his clothes. What the hell? Must be a powerful mage. But why is he wearing so much out in this heat? Maybe he has some sort of wasting disease. Overcome by curiosity, Stanet turned towards the elf and spoke.

"And whom do you represent?"

Rihad, Keep

Vorandaril watched as a woman, seemingly a sailor, spoke. “My name is Camille Leon,” she announced to the Knight Commander, bowing her head to him. “I am the captain of the finest ship that currently sails, and perhaps ever has sailed, the seas of Tamriel, The Lusty Lady. My crew numbers at about 100 members, including hardened warriors, experienced rouges, and devastating mages, as well as talented cooks. They are some of the best mercenaries, bounty hunters, ex-Legionaries, and sailors in the world." So she's a pirate. A seafaring bandit. In any other situation, the Knights would probably be have her hanged if she showed up here. But here she is, a potentially legitimate ally. It is too bad they probably won't do the same for me if they knew I was a lich.

As the lich turned his attention back outward, he realized that the Knight Commander was now studying him. So, it looks like it will be my turn to speak. Sure enough, the Knight Commander spoke.

"And whom do you represent"

Vorandaril took a moment to collect his thoughts, then replied, "I represent none but myself. I am Vorandaril, battlemage and master of the School of Mysticism. I have come here because I wish to bring my powers to bear against those that would take away our freedom to use and study magic. All I ask in return is for you to share your order's arcane resources with me."

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