While Trush was getting his ass kicked across Worthy Dungeon's Floor Four, Commander Paulados was in his office down at the Fort studying perhaps his least favorite subject: etiquette. When a knock sounds out on his door, the man isn't sure whether to appreciate the interruption or be irritated by it. "Yes? Come in!"
As it usually was, it's his Chief of Staff Harnriel who steps inside. The elf appears unbothered by his commander's brusque tone, well aware of what's causing him grief. Sadly, he isn't here today to make things any easier on him. "I'm afraid you have some important guests outside, sir, who arrived rather unannounced." At this pronouncement, Paulados' irritation almost turns into panic.
"What? Today!? Which house is it? We're not prepared!"
With this question at least, Harnriel can soothe him a little. "Ah, it's not any noble family of the Kingdom of the Rainlands, sir. It's the Valleylands army sir, at the gate."
Paulados simply stares at his Chief of Staff for a while. "...Ha! Good one, Harnriel. You've got a hell of a cardgame face."
"Thank you, sir. However, I was speaking honestly. There's currently five Valleylands soldiers outside, here to announce their presence in the vicinity."
There's another pause, followed by an eruption. "The vicinity!? At our gate!? They're lucky they didn't get shot just making their way over here! Why was there no advance notice?"
The elf keeps his voice level, hoping to restore some calm. "Well sir, although they did leave town several months ago, our agreement allowing them access to Worthy Dungeon does remain active and in place. I suppose they felt this was all the courtesy that was required."
"Gah, diplomacy again! Fair enough, I guess, but I do want to see these soldiers for myself. Send them - no, wait, don't let them into the Fort. Gather up a few men, we'll meet them at the gate."
"Of course, sir."
While it was only Paulados, Harnriel, and two escorts who met the Valleylands party, given that they were well within range of the Fort's archers the five Valleylanders were quite outnumbered. Still, they seemed calm enough, and Paulados was fairly certain they all seemed at least vaguely familiar. There was one man, an orc, with the rest of the group being women. A drider, another orc, a minotaur, and most notably, a small white-furred mousekin who was very recognizable to the man. Giving her a nod, Paulados opens with a casual greeting.
"Well, well, Sapper Tinsel Hansliss, yes? I wasn't sure we'd ever see you gracing our humble village again. As I recall, didn't you leave while saying something along the lines of 'I hope they find some high-ranking idiot to put in charge of this job'?"
The mousekin snorts. "Yeah, and it turns out that idiot is me! One correction, Commander, my correct rank is now Battle Alchemist. We've all been busy training up, so you're looking at a fully-qualified squad of Experts now."
"I see, well, congratulations on the promotions. I assume you're here for the same purpose - challenging the dungeon?"
"Yup. Word got back that one of our army vets has taken up a boss spot there and started making a name for himself, and apparently it's stirring up an...interest in a lot of other folks. Don't ask me why, I can't see myself ever wanting to spend eternity in a dungeon, maybe that's just orcs for you." The two orcs in her party stir slightly at the comment, but from the smirk on her face it seems like Tinsel said it specifically to needle them. "Anyhow, the initial agreement says we've got a right to be here, but we need to officially announce our presence. So, we're present."
Harniel asks the next question. "Indeed you are. However, if you've all been recently promoted, our records are no longer up to date. Mind updating us?"
Tinsel shrugs. "Sure thing. Kalasha of Bug'Kurc here's gone from Sniper to Steadyhand Sniper. Mesht's a Vanguard Charger now, and our healer, Haylizt, is a Shadow Priestess these days." She leans in and mock whispers to the elf. "She's the drider, FYI." The elf only raises an eyebrow in return, and she continues. "Oh, and yeah, the minotaur's Jantana Breakstone, she went up from a Rampager to a Regenerator of Rage. That about do it?"
Paulados nods, confident that his second in command will remember all of that. "Should be sufficient, thank you. I'm sure you remember our procedures for checking in before challenging the dungeon - is there anything else we can do to help you out today?"
Tinsel nods eagerly. "Yeah, we've been on the march for like a week now, and most of it still ain't got so much as a footpath yet. Point us to the new inn I heard about, I need a bath!"
It's not until the next day that Paulados' nightmare truly comes true, and the next party of arrivals shows up at his gate. This particular set is far too important to leave outside, but fortunately the significant expansion the Fort had experienced over the past season had included adding a proper conference room to the office section. As Harniel leads the latest guests inside, Paulados offers their leader a bow with his greeting. "Welcome to our humble garrison, Lord Arlon Perlin. I, Commander Sandson Paulados, welcome you to our humble facility. I take it you are the leader of House Perlin's visit to our community?"
The man nods in response. He's younger than the Commander, but in his late twenties, and carries himself with an aura of experience with command. As he should - the first son of a Count was no minor position in the Rainlands. His dirty-blond hair was short, kept to an almost military trim, and although he showed no signs of scars on his face he didn't look like he had come to Grassbrook to party, either. He had some serious garb on as well, a set of light traveling armor, marked with the emblem of his house and its blue and white colors.
"Indeed I do. The rest of our expedition waits outside, but allow me to introduce the other primary members of my entourage." He steps aside slightly, and Paulados watches as four more people step into the room, all humans, but two of them men and two of them women. "First, allow me to present my cousins, the Honorable Raylin Perlin and the Honorable Sansie Forlin." Raylin looks like a somewhat younger version of his cousin, although rather less business-like, with an easy smile appearing on his face. Meanwhile Sansie is dressed more as a mage, her long, curly brunette hair draping over a set of robes that also bear their house emblem. "Also, please welcome Taylim of Anchorfest, my most trusted bodyguard, and Deylia Niyen, a favored handmaiden of Sansie here." The bodyguard is clearly the oldest of the group, and the only one bearing noticeable battle marks on his skin, his jet-black hair also doing quite a bit to make him stand out. The younger Deylia meanwhile was perhaps an even more distant cousin of the main family than her mistress, and although she wears a robe similar to Sansie's her hair is the same smooth blonde as Arlon's.
"Welcome to all of you as well. Please, take a seat. Harniel, refreshments, if you would?" The group settles down into their chairs with Paulados at the head and Arlon to his right, and as Harniel begins setting out cups of tea, Paulados gets to the second thing on his 'list of things to say to the blasted nobles when they showed up'.
"First off, my lord, allow me to express my deepest condolences on the deaths of your other cousins in Worthy Dungeon some weeks past. I'm afraid we still do not know the exact cause of their disappearance, and likely never will."
The lord gives an understanding nod. "It's no fault of your own, Commander. My cousins...didn't take this as seriously as they ought to have. They rushed down here, eager to be 'first' in the region, and thought that they had discovered a cute little trick that would earn them easy glory." He glances at the other members of his party, who return his grim look. "I think most of us at some point learn the lesson that dungeons care little for noble rank, and unfortunately not everyone gets to survive that lesson. Even worse is the lesson that dungeons rarely care for 'cheaters'. I do wish the dungeon had been lenient enough to let at least some survive, but if you're worried that we may be here to enact vengeance on the place, allow me to set your mind at ease."
"I'm sure the Challengers Association will be glad to hear that. But if you don't mind my asking, why have so many of you come? This party marks the second group of representatives from House Perlin, and I'm given to understand that House Highbranch will also have a party arriving in the near future. This seems a little too...organized to be simply be a matter of working on your Association rank?"
Arlon's smile is slight, but it's the largest he's shown since he arrived. "Well, that is a side benefit. Proving oneself through Challenging is considered quite honorable for a heir, and it's much more difficult to find time to do so once we take over our titles. But yes, we're not here to work on our individual reputations - this is family business."
The military officer frowns. "How so? The territory around Grassbrook is run directly by the king, as most lands directly bordering the Domain are. I'm not aware of any holdings your family possesses in the region?"
Cousin Raylin takes this question, his grin much wider than Arlon's. "Well, we don't possess any yet, is the pressing point. But you're aware of course of how valuable an investment Grassbrook now is? There's what - ten, fifteen dungeons in all the Rainlands these days? Even a poor one is a valuable asset, and by all accounts Worthy Dungeon is not going to grow into a poor dungeon."
Paulados still feels somewhat confused. "So you're here to...shop around for new lands? I'll admit, I don't come from a noble house myself, so I'm not entirely familiar on how that process works."
Sansie, sitting to his left, laughs brightly. "Oh, shopping, if only it was that easy. No, Commander, we're here to compete."
The man's eyes begin to bulge slightly. "A competition? For rule of this territory? I haven't heard of any such thing!"
Arlon takes over again, clarifying the point. "And you wouldn't - it's not that direct a sort of affair. The territory has become quite a prize, and so every house with an interest in growing - which is almost all of them - is going to start pressuring the king into signing it over to their hands, in exchange for support for this or that, or some other sort of favor. The king will dangle it over everyone's heads for a while, of course, holding out for the best deal or claim, but he can't do so forever or it will begin to develop into a seed for true inter-house rivalries. We have other family members working on the deal side of the equation, while we're here as part of the claim portion."
"And how do you plan on staking a claim on the region?"
Raylin speaks up once again. "At a basic minimum, by actually conquering the dungeon, of course! It would be very embarrassing for a family to be unable to actually challenge the dungeon they claim to administrate. By being the first noble household to clear the place, it would be a feather in our cap, and by earning greater rewards than any competitors, it would be another. Also, if perhaps our presence could discourage other families from hanging about the place..."
Paulados notices something in the man's voice as he trails off, and winces as he realizes what it means. "Is it your intention to engage in many duels while you're staying in Grassbrook, Honorable Perlin?"
The man smirks. "I have no specific plans, but if I were, you could rest assured that we do not wish for any lives to be lost in the process."
"...Well, that is your prerogative as members of a noble house, of course. As for the dungeon, you say you're better prepared than your unfortunate cousins?"
Sansie nods. "Indeed - we're not children playing like this is a game. We've not cursed ourselves with anything, and furthermore, we're all Expert-rated by the Association on our own merits. I myself am a Noble Elementalist, while my cousins here are a Noble Vanguard and Noble Marksman. Taylim is a Royal Protector, as you may have guessed, and my Deylia here is a Maid of Health." She gives a nod and smile to her handmaiden, while Paulados wonders if he heard that right.
"Forgive my asking so, but...you intend to take a Maid into a dungeon?"
Deylia answers for herself, her smile full of teeth. "Trust me, Commander - the Maid classes assigned by the Challenger's Association are more than capable of handling dungeon threats."
"I see, well...I won't second-guess you or the Association. I hope you won't hold it against me if I hope your...competitors are as well-prepared as you are. Is there anything I can do to assist in your stay, however?"
Arlon shakes his head. "We won't hold the army's neutrality against you, Commander, and I think we should be able to take care of our own needs for the moment. Rooms have already been reserved for us at the local inn, and the rest of our retainers have set up a campsite with the Association's assistance. I'll be sure to let you know if anything comes up, of course."
"Of course. Well, in that case, welcome again to Grassbrook, and I wish you good luck on your expedition to the dungeon."
He then thinks again, and revises his statement. "...Or in this case, I wish you bad luck, I suppose."
While Trush was getting his ass kicked across Worthy Dungeon's Floor Four, Commander Paulados was in his office down at the Fort studying perhaps his least favorite subject: etiquette. When a knock sounds out on his door, the man isn't sure whether to appreciate the interruption or be irritated by it. "Yes? Come in!"
As it usually was, it's his Chief of Staff Harnriel who steps inside. The elf appears unbothered by his commander's brusque tone, well aware of what's causing him grief. Sadly, he isn't here today to make things any easier on him. "I'm afraid you have some important guests outside, sir, who arrived rather unannounced." At this pronouncement, Paulados' irritation almost turns into panic.
"What? Today!? Which house is it? We're not prepared!"
With this question at least, Harnriel can soothe him a little. "Ah, it's not any noble family of the Kingdom of the Rainlands, sir. It's the Valleylands army sir, at the gate."
Paulados simply stares at his Chief of Staff for a while. "...Ha! Good one, Harnriel. You've got a hell of a cardgame face."
"Thank you, sir. However, I was speaking honestly. There's currently five Valleylands soldiers outside, here to announce their presence in the vicinity."
There's another pause, followed by an eruption. "The vicinity!? At our gate!? They're lucky they didn't get shot just making their way over here! Why was there no advance notice?"
The elf keeps his voice level, hoping to restore some calm. "Well sir, although they did leave town several months ago, our agreement allowing them access to Worthy Dungeon does remain active and in place. I suppose they felt this was all the courtesy that was required."
"Gah, diplomacy again! Fair enough, I guess, but I do want to see these soldiers for myself. Send them - no, wait, don't let them into the Fort. Gather up a few men, we'll meet them at the gate."
"Of course, sir."
While it was only Paulados, Harnriel, and two escorts who met the Valleylands party, given that they were well within range of the Fort's archers the five Valleylanders were quite outnumbered. Still, they seemed calm enough, and Paulados was fairly certain they all seemed at least vaguely familiar. There was one man, an orc, with the rest of the group being women. A drider, another orc, a minotaur, and most notably, a small white-furred mousekin who was very recognizable to the man. Giving her a nod, Paulados opens with a casual greeting.
"Well, well, Sapper Tinsel Hansliss, yes? I wasn't sure we'd ever see you gracing our humble village again. As I recall, didn't you leave while saying something along the lines of 'I hope they find some high-ranking idiot to put in charge of this job'?"
The mousekin snorts. "Yeah, and it turns out that idiot is me! One correction, Commander, my correct rank is now Battle Alchemist. We've all been busy training up, so you're looking at a fully-qualified squad of Experts now."
"I see, well, congratulations on the promotions. I assume you're here for the same purpose - challenging the dungeon?"
"Yup. Word got back that one of our army vets has taken up a boss spot there and started making a name for himself, and apparently it's stirring up an...interest in a lot of other folks. Don't ask me why, I can't see myself ever wanting to spend eternity in a dungeon, maybe that's just orcs for you." The two orcs in her party stir slightly at the comment, but from the smirk on her face it seems like Tinsel said it specifically to needle them. "Anyhow, the initial agreement says we've got a right to be here, but we need to officially announce our presence. So, we're present."
Harniel asks the next question. "Indeed you are. However, if you've all been recently promoted, our records are no longer up to date. Mind updating us?"
Tinsel shrugs. "Sure thing. Kalasha of Bug'Kurc here's gone from Sniper to Steadyhand Sniper. Mesht's a Vanguard Charger now, and our healer, Haylizt, is a Shadow Priestess these days." She leans in and mock whispers to the elf. "She's the drider, FYI." The elf only raises an eyebrow in return, and she continues. "Oh, and yeah, the minotaur's Jantana Breakstone, she went up from a Rampager to a Regenerator of Rage. That about do it?"
Paulados nods, confident that his second in command will remember all of that. "Should be sufficient, thank you. I'm sure you remember our procedures for checking in before challenging the dungeon - is there anything else we can do to help you out today?"
Tinsel nods eagerly. "Yeah, we've been on the march for like a week now, and most of it still ain't got so much as a footpath yet. Point us to the new inn I heard about, I need a bath!"
It's not until the next day that Paulados' nightmare truly comes true, and the next party of arrivals shows up at his gate. This particular set is far too important to leave outside, but fortunately the significant expansion the Fort had experienced over the past season had included adding a proper conference room to the office section. As Harniel leads the latest guests inside, Paulados offers their leader a bow with his greeting. "Welcome to our humble garrison, Lord Arlon Perlin. I, Commander Sandson Paulados, welcome you to our humble facility. I take it you are the leader of House Perlin's visit to our community?"
The man nods in response. He's younger than the Commander, but in his late twenties, and carries himself with an aura of experience with command. As he should - the first son of a Count was no minor position in the Rainlands. His dirty-blond hair was short, kept to an almost military trim, and although he showed no signs of scars on his face he didn't look like he had come to Grassbrook to party, either. He had some serious garb on as well, a set of light traveling armor, marked with the emblem of his house and its blue and white colors.
"Indeed I do. The rest of our expedition waits outside, but allow me to introduce the other primary members of my entourage." He steps aside slightly, and Paulados watches as four more people step into the room, all humans, but two of them men and two of them women. "First, allow me to present my cousins, the Honorable Raylin Perlin and the Honorable Sansie Forlin." Raylin looks like a somewhat younger version of his cousin, although rather less business-like, with an easy smile appearing on his face. Meanwhile Sansie is dressed more as a mage, her long, curly brunette hair draping over a set of robes that also bear their house emblem. "Also, please welcome Taylim of Anchorfest, my most trusted bodyguard, and Deylia Niyen, a favored handmaiden of Sansie here." The bodyguard is clearly the oldest of the group, and the only one bearing noticeable battle marks on his skin, his jet-black hair also doing quite a bit to make him stand out. The younger Deylia meanwhile was perhaps an even more distant cousin of the main family than her mistress, and although she wears a robe similar to Sansie's her hair is the same smooth blonde as Arlon's.
"Welcome to all of you as well. Please, take a seat. Harniel, refreshments, if you would?" The group settles down into their chairs with Paulados at the head and Arlon to his right, and as Harniel begins setting out cups of tea, Paulados gets to the second thing on his 'list of things to say to the blasted nobles when they showed up'.
"First off, my lord, allow me to express my deepest condolences on the deaths of your other cousins in Worthy Dungeon some weeks past. I'm afraid we still do not know the exact cause of their disappearance, and likely never will."
The lord gives an understanding nod. "It's no fault of your own, Commander. My cousins...didn't take this as seriously as they ought to have. They rushed down here, eager to be 'first' in the region, and thought that they had discovered a cute little trick that would earn them easy glory." He glances at the other members of his party, who return his grim look. "I think most of us at some point learn the lesson that dungeons care little for noble rank, and unfortunately not everyone gets to survive that lesson. Even worse is the lesson that dungeons rarely care for 'cheaters'. I do wish the dungeon had been lenient enough to let at least some survive, but if you're worried that we may be here to enact vengeance on the place, allow me to set your mind at ease."
"I'm sure the Challengers Association will be glad to hear that. But if you don't mind my asking, why have so many of you come? This party marks the second group of representatives from House Perlin, and I'm given to understand that House Highbranch will also have a party arriving in the near future. This seems a little too...organized to be simply be a matter of working on your Association rank?"
Arlon's smile is slight, but it's the largest he's shown since he arrived. "Well, that is a side benefit. Proving oneself through Challenging is considered quite honorable for a heir, and it's much more difficult to find time to do so once we take over our titles. But yes, we're not here to work on our individual reputations - this is family business."
The military officer frowns. "How so? The territory around Grassbrook is run directly by the king, as most lands directly bordering the Domain are. I'm not aware of any holdings your family possesses in the region?"
Cousin Raylin takes this question, his grin much wider than Arlon's. "Well, we don't possess any yet, is the pressing point. But you're aware of course of how valuable an investment Grassbrook now is? There's what - ten, fifteen dungeons in all the Rainlands these days? Even a poor one is a valuable asset, and by all accounts Worthy Dungeon is not going to grow into a poor dungeon."
Paulados still feels somewhat confused. "So you're here to...shop around for new lands? I'll admit, I don't come from a noble house myself, so I'm not entirely familiar on how that process works."
Sansie, sitting to his left, laughs brightly. "Oh, shopping, if only it was that easy. No, Commander, we're here to compete."
The man's eyes begin to bulge slightly. "A competition? For rule of this territory? I haven't heard of any such thing!"
Arlon takes over again, clarifying the point. "And you wouldn't - it's not that direct a sort of affair. The territory has become quite a prize, and so every house with an interest in growing - which is almost all of them - is going to start pressuring the king into signing it over to their hands, in exchange for support for this or that, or some other sort of favor. The king will dangle it over everyone's heads for a while, of course, holding out for the best deal or claim, but he can't do so forever or it will begin to develop into a seed for true inter-house rivalries. We have other family members working on the deal side of the equation, while we're here as part of the claim portion."
"And how do you plan on staking a claim on the region?"
Raylin speaks up once again. "At a basic minimum, by actually conquering the dungeon, of course! It would be very embarrassing for a family to be unable to actually challenge the dungeon they claim to administrate. By being the first noble household to clear the place, it would be a feather in our cap, and by earning greater rewards than any competitors, it would be another. Also, if perhaps our presence could discourage other families from hanging about the place..."
Paulados notices something in the man's voice as he trails off, and winces as he realizes what it means. "Is it your intention to engage in many duels while you're staying in Grassbrook, Honorable Perlin?"
The man smirks. "I have no specific plans, but if I were, you could rest assured that we do not wish for any lives to be lost in the process."
"...Well, that is your prerogative as members of a noble house, of course. As for the dungeon, you say you're better prepared than your unfortunate cousins?"
Sansie nods. "Indeed - we're not children playing like this is a game. We've not cursed ourselves with anything, and furthermore, we're all Expert-rated by the Association on our own merits. I myself am a Noble Elementalist, while my cousins here are a Noble Vanguard and Noble Marksman. Taylim is a Royal Protector, as you may have guessed, and my Deylia here is a Maid of Health." She gives a nod and smile to her handmaiden, while Paulados wonders if he heard that right.
"Forgive my asking so, but...you intend to take a Maid into a dungeon?"
Deylia answers for herself, her smile full of teeth. "Trust me, Commander - the Maid classes assigned by the Challenger's Association are more than capable of handling dungeon threats."
"I see, well...I won't second-guess you or the Association. I hope you won't hold it against me if I hope your...competitors are as well-prepared as you are. Is there anything I can do to assist in your stay, however?"
Arlon shakes his head. "We won't hold the army's neutrality against you, Commander, and I think we should be able to take care of our own needs for the moment. Rooms have already been reserved for us at the local inn, and the rest of our retainers have set up a campsite with the Association's assistance. I'll be sure to let you know if anything comes up, of course."
"Of course. Well, in that case, welcome again to Grassbrook, and I wish you good luck on your expedition to the dungeon."
He then thinks again, and revises his statement. "...Or in this case, I wish you bad luck, I suppose."
