ADmiral3
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2016
- Posts
- 232
"What do you mean there are no offers?!"
This was unbelievable. I had just arrived back at the inn where I was currently spending most of my time. I was in Anderrum, the largest city in the land. Anything you could possibly need could be found here, from stores to companions to secrets. As one of the primary shipping locations, the diversity of population here was something that couldn't be had anywhere else. Which of course, made it the perfect place for me to find my newest apprentice. Apprentice for what?
Okay, more about me.
I'm a human, with dark hair reaching my shoulders when it was down. I stood tall as a knight, and I had the muscled physique to show from my years of combat. I'm a ranking member of the Black Dragon Battalion. We take hopeful adventurers and travelers and turn them into an elite fighting group. There was no evil in the land that could stand against a group of Black Dragons. So when I came to Anderrum, and posted signs to come to this inn, I had expected young men and women to pour in by the boatload, ranging from dwarves to dragonborn. Some would be fresh off of the plow, the thought of adventure stirring the fire in their hearts. Some would be trained, in the arts of stealth, or magic, or combat. But so far, I hadn't seen anyone out of the ordinary. Just the same regular customers sitting at their respective tables nursing mugs to themselves. Eventually I had decided to spend my time searching the city, giving the barkeep, Aril, a gold to pull over anyone who could show up at the bar for me. When I got back to the bar, expecting to walk into at least two or three excited trainees, I was greeted with an empty bar, save for Aril.
"I'm sorry, Falkon, I don't know what to say. I guess the people here have a higher sense of self-preservation than the sellswords of old."
"We're not sellswords," I snapped at him, "We are the Battalion. And if they believe that we will be here to protect them from the horrors out there forever, they'll soon discover how wrong they are. Unless we take in more recruits, there will be no one left to help those in need!"
Aril gave me a shrug, continuing to wash empty glasses as he listened to me. He seemed morei ntent with keeping his bar clean than giving me any solid help. Well, it was his choice. I doubted he held any sacred solution to my plight anyhow, he had been born and raised in this city. While I was sure that he had heard many exciting stories of death and adventure at this bar, the man was not a brave one.
Were the people here really so scared? Surely the Battalion didn't hold a black mark for the people, we always rose to deefeat whatever evil we challenged. Sure, men were killed in combat, but without those men, who would be there to stop the creatures outside? I needed to find someone unafraid, a place untainted by the bandwagon fears of the general population. And I knew just where to find it.
I went up to my room and packed my things, rolling my bedroll and slinging it across my back, over my bag. When I came down the stairs in the common room again, Aril looked at my newly donned armor with a curiosity.
"Going somewhere?"
I nodded at him, saying, "I am going to the west, the Kandrel mountains. There are towns there, civilizations without the sturdy walls of Anderrum, maybe there I can find someone brave enough to take the oath of the Battalion with me." And with that, I turned and walked out the door, making my way around the building to the stables. There, I mounted my horse, Calast, and rode out into the streets. As I rode, my horse put me above those walking around me, and I could see the people as they noticed the large figure in their midst. Some looked at me with a blatant awe, but most kept their heads down, scurrying past me like rats to a body. Cowards. These people believed that my protection was their right. How short sighted. They would live here in ther ignorance, I would find another to raise. There had to be someone out there still willing to help others, and join the Battalion.
Once I passed the gates, I was on my own. The noise of the people was suddenly cut off behind me as the gates slammed shut, separating me from the civilized world. I rode for days, Camping only when needed, sometimes continuing my travels through the night. After a time I could see the Kandrel mountains rising high in the distance, and at their base, a small settlement. There were sure to be more towns scattered throughout the hills, but I could find them at a later time. I would ride from town to town until I could find a suitable volunteer. They would serve well, I would make sure of it.
This was unbelievable. I had just arrived back at the inn where I was currently spending most of my time. I was in Anderrum, the largest city in the land. Anything you could possibly need could be found here, from stores to companions to secrets. As one of the primary shipping locations, the diversity of population here was something that couldn't be had anywhere else. Which of course, made it the perfect place for me to find my newest apprentice. Apprentice for what?
Okay, more about me.
I'm a human, with dark hair reaching my shoulders when it was down. I stood tall as a knight, and I had the muscled physique to show from my years of combat. I'm a ranking member of the Black Dragon Battalion. We take hopeful adventurers and travelers and turn them into an elite fighting group. There was no evil in the land that could stand against a group of Black Dragons. So when I came to Anderrum, and posted signs to come to this inn, I had expected young men and women to pour in by the boatload, ranging from dwarves to dragonborn. Some would be fresh off of the plow, the thought of adventure stirring the fire in their hearts. Some would be trained, in the arts of stealth, or magic, or combat. But so far, I hadn't seen anyone out of the ordinary. Just the same regular customers sitting at their respective tables nursing mugs to themselves. Eventually I had decided to spend my time searching the city, giving the barkeep, Aril, a gold to pull over anyone who could show up at the bar for me. When I got back to the bar, expecting to walk into at least two or three excited trainees, I was greeted with an empty bar, save for Aril.
"I'm sorry, Falkon, I don't know what to say. I guess the people here have a higher sense of self-preservation than the sellswords of old."
"We're not sellswords," I snapped at him, "We are the Battalion. And if they believe that we will be here to protect them from the horrors out there forever, they'll soon discover how wrong they are. Unless we take in more recruits, there will be no one left to help those in need!"
Aril gave me a shrug, continuing to wash empty glasses as he listened to me. He seemed morei ntent with keeping his bar clean than giving me any solid help. Well, it was his choice. I doubted he held any sacred solution to my plight anyhow, he had been born and raised in this city. While I was sure that he had heard many exciting stories of death and adventure at this bar, the man was not a brave one.
Were the people here really so scared? Surely the Battalion didn't hold a black mark for the people, we always rose to deefeat whatever evil we challenged. Sure, men were killed in combat, but without those men, who would be there to stop the creatures outside? I needed to find someone unafraid, a place untainted by the bandwagon fears of the general population. And I knew just where to find it.
I went up to my room and packed my things, rolling my bedroll and slinging it across my back, over my bag. When I came down the stairs in the common room again, Aril looked at my newly donned armor with a curiosity.
"Going somewhere?"
I nodded at him, saying, "I am going to the west, the Kandrel mountains. There are towns there, civilizations without the sturdy walls of Anderrum, maybe there I can find someone brave enough to take the oath of the Battalion with me." And with that, I turned and walked out the door, making my way around the building to the stables. There, I mounted my horse, Calast, and rode out into the streets. As I rode, my horse put me above those walking around me, and I could see the people as they noticed the large figure in their midst. Some looked at me with a blatant awe, but most kept their heads down, scurrying past me like rats to a body. Cowards. These people believed that my protection was their right. How short sighted. They would live here in ther ignorance, I would find another to raise. There had to be someone out there still willing to help others, and join the Battalion.
Once I passed the gates, I was on my own. The noise of the people was suddenly cut off behind me as the gates slammed shut, separating me from the civilized world. I rode for days, Camping only when needed, sometimes continuing my travels through the night. After a time I could see the Kandrel mountains rising high in the distance, and at their base, a small settlement. There were sure to be more towns scattered throughout the hills, but I could find them at a later time. I would ride from town to town until I could find a suitable volunteer. They would serve well, I would make sure of it.
