Act Complete! Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 1

[Xinnidy]

"Oh?" Sending Lionel was seldom necessary, with Count Allen making introductions quick and explaining the situation quicker. "The pleasure is mine, Count Stafford. It was but luck and divine providence that we passed by, but perhaps you could explain the issue better? How long has this village faced hardship?" Owen turned to address the Count without a bow, minding his position, rather level-headed in his posture. "It seems that this village is dry out of funds and can provide neither taxes nor self defense. If perhaps I could assess your situation better..."

Owen's vision trailed off as he spoke, meeting and fixating on the stern man behind the Count in a few moments. "And... you? You seem familiar, do you work for my father? State your name, and any words regarding this situation if you can spare."

[charlie_]

"There's still time in the future to learn it, I suppose." Claire mused. It certainly wasn't out of the question for her, but for now she would just stick to her tomes. When Cass began to move over to Owen, she kind of got the feeling that her input on what to do didn't matter, but ended up following her anyway. If it was an important conversation, it would be best if she wasn't kept out of the loop.

[riariadne]

Sidney watched quietly from her lounging position as the prince and duke negotiated. Politics as usual, I suppose... buncha nonsense I'm not interested in. She glanced over the vassals of the prince she hadn't yet spoken to, silently judging them based on what she'd observed. Hmm... this guy with the sword, he looks competent. The magic girl too, and she seems pretty charming. Horse-rider seems real fussy, one of them overly self-righteous types. Think that one's a pass. Oh, names- I'll have to learn names at some point.

Still thinking to herself, she idly spun her dagger before smirking and speaking up, looking at the swordsman. "Hey, mister swordsman! How quick of a thinker are you?" She threw the Zodiac Claw in his direction, intending to miss to the right, but ending up falling far short of him anyway. Frowning, she went to retrieve it, checking over and ensuring it wasn't damaged by her carelessness. Looks fine... that's good. "Hmm, my throwing arm could use work... well, anyway! Just like to get to know people with a bit of excitement. Name's Sidney, and chances are I might be heading off with you guys soon. What's your name?"

[Terrador]

Angus laughs, gesturing with his axe as if to use a staff. "After that last battle, I'm half considering it myself!" His chuckle fades a bit before addressing the matter at hand. "Well, I don't much need to know what's going on--but I've got good enough reason to be over there already, if that's the thing!" With a wink and another laugh, Angus makes a passing effort at brushing some dirt away before following the girls to join the intrigue in progress.

[Shin]

A taxing situation

Count Alleun stood up straight, ready to reply to the prince. "A good few years now, your majesty. Before me, my father owned these lands. He was not quite as lenient with tax collection, but never took more than was due. Harvests have been poor for a good decade, but it is only recently that we have been feeling the full front of it, sir. We've applied for help from the capital several times, but we have little to show for it."

The man next to him stepped forward, also giving a courteous bow. "Your highness, I am Ebert Ban. I am a tax officer under the employ of the capital. The village has had a poor tax record since you were an infant. Over the years they've scraped together payments, usually late. Due to the village's size, they're current in the lowest payment band. Currently they owe two thousand three hundred gold pieces."

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

Get rollin' with Jeeves

"Shall we depart, milady? All the preparations have been made for five." Jeeves interrupted, finding a perfect break in the conversation. "May I ask of our destination? If only so I know whether to bring your waterproof coat or not."

[Nanami Touko]

"Well, we can pay that, can't we, brother?" Cass said, hopping into the conversation as herself, Claire and Angus all approached the count. "If it'll help relieve some pressure off of these poor folk, them I'd say we should. It doesn't exactly solve their issues, but..." If their crops were turning poor for that long, then they needed some other source of money. Of course... It was beyond Cass for what that could be, but they needed something. Even if they paid that gold out, it'd just be slapping a bandaid on an infected wound. Bandaid eventually falls off, and the wound's still there. "Any ideas, Owen? Claire, Angus?" She turned her head to them for a moment, wondering if they had any input. They were intelligent individuals, they surely could think of something.

[charlie_]

"Well, the solution would be to find out the cause of the harvest failing." Claire responded. "There has to be some sort of reasoning behind it." She looked at the Count and taxman expectantly - she hadn't the foggiest idea about farming in general, so it was up to them to figure out what the issue was.

[Shin]

Ebert cleared his throat, addressing Claire's question. "Output's never been good here, not in the twenty years I've been serving the crown. The soil quality is subpar and the village has no specific produce other than its small armory. Quite simply, it's a poor village in a poor place inhabited by poor people. There's not much more to it than that. It's simply not feasible for it to exist as a separate estate."

Alleun didn't seem content with the last statement, he shot Ebert a rather sharp look. "I'm rather unwilling to hand over the village to the likes of Dettard." he retorted. "I don't want any of my villagers... accidentally finding a crossbow bolt in their back."

[Xinnidy]

"Two thousand and three hundred? I see." Owen repeated the words flatly, figuring it not the worst loss, but rather telling of how the Count just wasn't able to pay debts back. Not expecting Cassandra to step in so ready to that nature of discussion, Owen took his time and a turn of his head to respond. "We could relieve him of their current debt, that's a less roundabout way of doing it. Still... you are right that this won't solve the problem." Sigh.

With a shake of his head, Owen pondered Ebert's advice with fair concern. "I can see your point, Sir Ban, yet I wonder if there's something more optimal in our cards. If the soil is poor for crops, perhaps it's the focus of this village that needs shifting, maybe--" Owen cut his words at Count Alleun's comment, staring the man with surprise and hint of curiosity at the comment's revelant target. "I beg your pardon?" Owen replied, keeping his tone mild. "Such an incident seems... rather dire. Is there something concerning the baron that makes your mind think such?" There would be no better timing in this conversation to gather information.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Xinnidy

[Oersted]

As the battle ended and gave way into conversation, Gerrard went about sheathing his sword and slinging it onto his back. It was a bit of a hassle but the power the blade gave his swings more than made up for such a minor thing. Perhaps he souldn't have put it away so soon as, with little warning, the newly hired lady thief decided to throw her knife at him. Reacting as quickly as he could he dodged to the left; though, it soon became apparent that he hadn't even needed to move, the dagger landing a more than safe distance in front of him. "Crazy woman," he grumbled as Sidney retrieved her dagger. "I'm Gerrard, I'm one of the prince's vassals." As much as he didn't like her, Owen had hired her. She would likely be accompanying them for the rest of the trip, and for that reason felt he shouldn't be overly hostile to the lady thief.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Oersquirrel

[riariadne]

Hmmm, don't seem to be selling myself the best here. C'mon, it was a joke! Sidney bit her lip, but put her knife away- it wasn't helping her much on that aspect. "Vassals, huh... you looked like you were pretty good out there out of the group. You and the mage girl. Can't say I saw the horseman do too much, though... well, anyway! Glad to have some good allies with me, for... whatever I'm supposed to be doing. Still need to work some of that out with the prince..."

Sure enough, there seemed to be mention of a plot with a certain baron. Oh, so this is where things get interesting, is it? Still, she didn't say anything that could jeopardize Owen's talk with the Count- and her own employment chance. At the same time, she didn't want to miss out on hearing what it was supposed to be about, sauntering on back to situate herself not far behind Owen.

[scorri]

"A normal contract for standard combat, nothing major, would be about 3000 gold. A simple escort mission would be about half that, and hazard pay would build on it depending on the extent that the mission goes beyond standard. Would that be acceptable?" Niko attempted to look comfortable with the dealings since he hadn't really ever had to do this but he didn't want to seem weak to their potential employer.

[Shin]

Dat Dettard

Count Alleun did not seem to regret his words, looking at Lionel with an unimpressed expression. "His father's death was rather unfortunate, almost too unfortunate. I'm sure you can read between the lines. I know Dettard, let's just say he wasn't too upset after it happened."

Scoffing at the notion of Dettard's treachery, Ebert shook his head. "Your imagination runs wild, young Count. There was an investigation and nothing ever came of it. You make it sound like Dettard is a scheming madman."

Bargaining

The price suggested by Niko didn't seem too outrageous, or at least Jeeves didn't seem too taken aback by it. "I do wonder how many tea sets three thousand might procure." he mused to himself, leaving Adele to decide the fees for herself.

[Nanami Touko]

"Dettard? But he's the reason we're out here! We're here to investigate and see what no good that foul man's up to," Cass said, speaking her mind without thinking. Her father wouldn't lie to them, he had to be evil. Honestly, this Ebert man must've just been covering up for him. Cass folded her arms harder, and stared him down, stepping a bit closer to Owen. They could take this guy if they had to!

[Jedi]

Lionel had seen the expression in Alleun's eyes.

"If I may speak now" He made a brief bow

"As a Kylander, I've met Dettard a select few times. The boy was always trying to stand out from his father, doing even the most outlandish things."

"We are currently investigating his current treks into Magonsaete, which according to reports. He's been spending more time there, instead of his homeland since his fathers demise, we have some reason to suspect him, and this just makes the reports sound more likely" .....

Although before he could finish, Cass had interrupted.

"Well I see, you intended to explain what I was going to." He said after giving her a small glance.

"So as you see Count Alleun, we have reasons to at least look into your claims as they stand." He proceeded to stand at brief attention at Owen's side after speaking. As if he was the young prince's bodyguard.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Jedi

[Xinnidy]

"...Uh, well." Owen hadn't quite expected Cass and Lionel to jump in and spill the beans so quickly, but that could still work. "Erbert, there's been enough recent activity concerning Baron Dettard to warrant another investigation. You needn't worry about that, however. Focus on your task and collect tax from other small villages. I will formally inform the king of this village's particular case, and we can further discuss it then." Waving his hand, Owen turned to Count Alleun again, interested further in his words. "You seem to have a lot you wish to say about Dettard, but perhaps the open is not the place to make such accusations. I'd also like to talk about a short-term possibility for your debt, but I must depart soon." Owen hoped his words would state implicitly enough that he wanted to move the conversation indoors --were they to continue that line of thought, of course-- and probably not linger much longer.

"Lionel, tell those who'd rather stay outside they're free to wander the village for a while... though I doubt anyone would find much to pass time. Perhaps offer a visit to the armory if they wish." Another dismissive sign, "Now then... is there anything else you'd like to comment, Count Alleun?"

[Jedi]

Lionel, upon seeing the sigh remarked "If I acted too hastily for you in terms of telling them about our mission." He bowed "I will take any punishment you see fit, but as for now. I'll inform the others as you wish" He left Owen and Alleun to their own affairs, meeting up with the vassals and Sidney.

"Lord Owen instructs that those who remain outside during his council with Count Alleun are free to wander the village and pay visits to the armory and small shops." He then said, "I hope none of you will cause any undue trouble" he glanced at Sidney briefly.

"I think it would be beneficial to stay in at least groups of two, so you have each others backs." He sighed, this situation was getting slightly complicated. "What would Erbert have to gain, if anything from trying to dissuade Owen from investigating Dettard...?" But he shook his head in his thoughts "Likely just doing his job, I don't think he meant any harm."

After telling them this, he slumped against the side of the room where Owen was trying to lead Alleun in for conversation. Someone has to keep watch... He remarked to himself, taking out his lance and cleaning what he hadn't managed to get off already.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Jedi

[Nanami Touko]

Cass' arms weren't leaving their folded state, shaking her head at Lionel. "You shall not be punished, Lionel. If we're to trust everyone here, it doesn't matter what we say, if we say it." Surely Ebert was to be trusted, so it didn't matter what they said to him. In any case, Owen was making to take the conversation inside, and that seemed like something she should be a part of. She had to learn all of this... Politics and espionage stuff at some point, so she followed after Owen and the count, keeping pace with her brother. If there was anything important she'd do her best to share it with the vassals she liked the most.

[riariadne]

Sidney kept to herself once more until she was so rudely accused of being up to mischief. "Me, get into trouble? I'm appalled at the suggestion, sir!" she spoke in shock. "Not that I really wanna be heading off. This is the interesting stuff now. And I'll not have any objections- this is the sort of thing the prince thought I could be useful for, is it not? No, I'll be staying to hear all there is to hear about Baron Dettard, at the least... I might pass on the tax talk, though, not terribly much for me to get involved in there."

[Nanami Touko]

"Eeeexcuse me." Cass said, having to stop herself upon hearing that. "Noooo, no no no. No, I don't think so, thief." She spun around on the spot, shaking her head and glaring down Sidney. "I rightfully do not care if my brother has thought about hiring you, you shall have no place amongst our discussion. I'll not allow a thief who had been working with the bandits that have just attempted to kill us listen in to anything that may include royal secrets. Shoo, shoo, go on. Lionel, Angus," she said to the advisor, then jerking her head at the vassal to bring him over. "Keep our guest entertained, and make sure she does not involve herself in this. If there is anything at all that Owen believes you will find necessary to know, then he can tell you after." Cass huffed again, turning back to the count and her brother. The sheer audacity of this woman! I can't stand her!

[riariadne]

"Why not?" Sidney objected. I'll not have a Princess's irritating tantrum ruin this! "Infiltration and espionage- that's what I'm here for, isn't it? Does the thought of me being useful truly appall you so? Call me thief or bad guy- that's what's easy for you, even though there are plenty of walks of life you don't understand. But when it comes to secrecy and information, that's where I'm in my element to know things about the situation. Treachery seems to be afoot, and I'd naturally be useful there rather than you dismissing my assistance without a thought. At the least, it would be wise to leave the choice to the prince, wouldn't it?"

She looked towards Owen intensely for a moment before averting her gaze, frowning. Who am I kidding? Of course she's not going to consider my thoughts or listen to anyone but her brother. They'll treat me like some a lackey at best, a dog picking at scraps! What would they know about pain? Her frustration at the princess's childish outlook showed in crimson across her face, but she knew better than to lash out, shaking her head and finding it hard to look at the prince again. Here I thought this was my chance to make a move rather than being stuck in this... stupid situation. What a joke.

"... Well, Prince?" she asked after the moment of silence, her tone more subdued. She looked back up at him- a mellow stare, far less fiery than she had been previously. "You gonna give me a real shot or what?"

[Nanami Touko]

"If I am to trust you to be untrustworthy, then I think it simple why you shouldn't be a part of this talk," Cass shrugged, not bothering to turn around to address her again. It didn't matter how good she said she was, she was a part of their enemies moments ago, and had they been losing that fight, Cass had every thought this woman would've turned on them as well. Vultures, all of them. That's all that bandits and thieves are. There's no reason to prey on those less fortunate than you simply because you think it's the right choice. Disgusting. Unfortunately, one thing she'd said held weight, and that was Owen's word. She momentarily glanced back at this Sidney, a smirk growing at the red frustration apparent on her face. "You're right about that one thing-- though I will trust my brother to make the right decision."

[Ether]

"Hmm... the fee doesn't seem unreasonable, though I suppose that would depend on what you consider standard combat to be." Adele replied, folding her hands together, and gently drumming her fingers, as she leaned forward to take better stock of Niko. You could learn a lot of someone by their disposition in dealings, after all.

[scorri]

Niko gave a casual seeming shrug. "The combat we just had would probably qualify as standard or just a tad easier than standard. Bandits, no sort of special weaponry, we were outnumbered but not significantly so. That sort of thing. Difficult combat comes when the enemy has siege weaponry, significant number advantages, attacking fortified positions, that sort of thing." He leaned back in his chair, on more comfortable ground at this point. They weren't talking about any... sensitive subjects, though he wondered why she hadn't brought up the point of a mercenary group with only two members yet, and she had accepted his pricing which made him think he'd remembered their prices correctly. Hopefully things would continue to go this smoothly.

[Shin]

Alleun shook his head, stepping back a step. "No, your highness, I feel that's quite enough. We can continue discussions when you're less busy."

Ebert also seemed rather content with the Prince's suggestion. Clearing his throat, he bowed. "Very well, I shall return to the capital to discuss such arrangements, your highness. The debt collection shall be postponed for this month." He looked at Sidney, cocking his eyebrow. "Your father would be interested to see your hiring habits."