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`Apr. 25, 2025` · [[Horseapple]] · #Fragment #Characters #Warband
> [!custom-callout]- All mentions, includes keyword *“npc9”*
> *Pulled from* [[2-strings-(Warband)]]
> - “You there, good {man/woman}, be so kind as to fetch me another drink, eh?”
> - “My most humble apologies. It is sometimes hard to recognize folk amid the smoke and gloom here. I still cannot believe that I must make my home in such a place.”
> - “I was my father's first son, and his heir. But my mother died, and my father remarried. His new wife thought that her son should inherit. She could not move against me openly, but the other day I fed a pot of suet that had been left out for me to one of my hounds, and it keeled over. I accused my stepmother, but my father, befuddled by her witchcraft, refused to believe me and ordered me to leave his sight.”
> - “I hope to offer my sword to some worthy captain, as it is the only honourable profession for a man of my birth apart from owning land, but in the meantime I am condemned to make my bed among thieves, vagabonds, merchants, and the other riff-raff of the road.”
> - “I've offered my sword to a few lords in these parts. But I find as often as not they'll ask me to run messages, or train peasants, or some other job not fit for a gentleman.”
> - “I am a gentleman, and prefer to fight with sword and lance. I recognize that you are of lower birth than I, there is no shame for me to serve under an experienced captain -- presuming, of course, that your followers do not become too familiar with me. I assume that will not be a problem?”
> - “That's very good of you. And before I join, can you lend me {reg3} denars, so that I can buy some proper clothing that befits a gentleman of noble birth such as myself. The coat on me has been worn down badly due to my recent bad fortune, and I cannot let common soldiers mistake me as one of their own.”
> “{Sir/Madame} -- it is not my way to {s21}. Men of my house will accept death but not dishonour. Please do not make me ashamed to serve under you.”
> - “Captain, I am dismayed that you {s21}. A {gentleman/gentlewoman} such as yourself should exhibit the highest standards of honour at all times.”
> - “Sir -- {s11} is a base braggart, a man with no respect for the honour of women. I am tired of hearing how he conquered this or that damsel.”
> - “If he persists, I shall tell him that he is a base varlot, and if it comes to blows I will not apologize. That is all, {sir/madame}.
> - “He's just a simple brigand, as far as I can tell. House of Rolf, my arse. Genuine blue-bloods are bad enough, but those who pretend to be blue-bloods are bloody intolerable. Anyway, I might have said something a bit sharp to him a minute ago. He seemed to take offense, anyway. I just thought you should know.”
> - “{Sir/My lady}, I hope you do not mind me telling you this, but in my opinion {s11}, the merchant, does not know his place. During that last battle, he cut in front of me to engage a foe whom I had marked for my own.”
> - “I appreciate that he is willing to risk his life in battle, but that alone does not make a gentleman. He is not of noble birth, and his family's wealth comes from commerce and usury. He may fight with us as an auxiliary, but should not attempt to steal glory from his betters.”
> - “Captain. {s11} acquitted herself well in that fight back there. A fine, modest maiden she is, if I dare say so myself.”
> - “Were she of noble blood, I might ask for her hand. It is a pity that she is a merchant's daughter. But speaking with her is a pleasant way to pass time on the march.”
> - “We have fought well together, and earned ourselves much glory. But I have some reservations about your leadership, and at any rate have my patrimony to reclaim. I will be leaving you. Perhaps we will meet again.”
> - “My dear, dear {man/lady}! So good it is to see you! I have sought service with the lords of this land, but have been most grieviously disappointed. Half of them ask me to collect debts from fellow lords, as though I were a banker's errand boy, or chase down his serfs, as though I were a farm overseer. One even asked me to murder one of his creditors! I have looked for you, to see if you would wish me to join you again.”
> - “Behold the Rock of Rivacheg! The strongest fortress in Calradia. My father was one of those who held the line here against the Nords, when they first tried to push inland from the coast.”
> - “The Nords would sail up the river in their longships. The townsmen of the coast could have stopped them, but they were cowards then, as they are today, and paid them a yearly stipend, known as the Nordgeld, to be let in peace. But the Vaegir king would not pay. My father decided to come over the mountains, to fight with the Vaegir hosts. Three summers in a row they tried to take the Rock, and each time the Vaegir lords held them back.”
> - “Just as the Nords can call on their kinfolk overseas, so does the Vaegir king call on his kinfolk from over the mountains. Had my father not disinherited me, I would also have taken an oath of fealty to the lord of Reyvadin. But just as I was shorn of my inheritance, so also was I shown of my obligations, and it is the Vaegir king's loss.”
> - “I am from the Vaegir homeland over the mountains, where the Vaegir lords lived before the Emperor brought them in Calradia.”
> - “Very good, my lord. I'm a Vaegir by blood, but Yaroglek never stood for me when I was cheated of my inheritance. So I don't owe him anything, and I say, 'Let the throne go to the most valiant!' Which would be you, {sir/my lady}.”
> - “I would, {sir/madame}, and others would too. But here's what I think -- you need to show the noble lords that you'll uphold their ancient rights. Right now, Calradia's a mess -- the lord owns the land, except it's the king who owns the forest, but the city has the right to levy tax at its gates, and the commons can use the pastures on odd Tuesdays, except in Rivacheg when it's Wednesday. Who can remember? So I say you make things simple, like it was in the old days -- first the {king/sovereign}, then the lords, then everyone else.”
> - “It's perfectly sensible, {sir/madame} -- and we'll be free of those cursed writs and burghers' petitions and scrolls that take up all of my time and yours, when we should both be out fighting for the glory of your kingdom. Give me leave and I'll spread word among the noble lords of this land that you're here to restore the old ways, and I'll bet there will plenty who will follow you into battle.”
> - “{Sir/Madame} -- it is with great regret that I have learned that you have told Baheshtur to let his people know that you will allow them to lead their flocks over the lands of their betters. I hope that I am mistaken about this, sir. The money we demand is but small compensation for the damage they cause to our flocks and the pollution of our water sources. My {lord/lady}, if your future kingdom is to be some nomads' paradise, then I for one do not look forward to it.”
> - “{Sir/My lady} -- it has been some time since I sampled the delights of {s17}, where gentlefolk such as myself are wont to partake of the hospitality of the most puissant and generous lord. If you wish, I could perhaps go there, and let you know something about the concerns that weigh on the minds of the great peers of the {s18}.”
> - “{Sire/My lady}, I was cheated of my inheritance -- but now, with this offer of this estate, you make right what was wrong. It would give me the greatest honor to serve you, to fight for you, and to hold this land in fief to you.”
> - “I will not accept fault for the circumstances which have led us to become enemies. I want you to know that my conscience is clear, although my heart is heavy.”
> - “Boss -- you've given leave to Alayen to go tell the nobles that they will have rights over pasture, market, and forest? I can't say I like that. Give him his way, and he'll set up gibbets in every village in the land, where there will dangle some poor sod like me who thought he might pick up a bow, head to the woods and put a bit of meat on his table.”
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>*“A massive `Mount & Blade` wikipedia.”*<br>About [Encyclopædia Calradica](About-the-Encyclopædia.md)<br>About the [Project](Project-(Pillar).md)<br>About the [Author](Horseapple.md) <br>