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Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Jul 16, 2007 21:56:21 GMT -5
A dozen men on horse, with wagons laden with barrels of ale and sacks of grain is led through the bailey of the castle. Riding to the fore is a tall man perhaps in his early twenties but bearing some scars of battle. His hair and sparse beard are black. Eleven of the men are bearing black shields that mark them a part of that self-same organization, a guild of King's Landing merchants. The twelfth is a beardless boy with a flower trimmed green tabard.
"I bring goods for sale from my Grandfather, the Lord of Grassy Vale just north of here," he says.
Meanwhile, the mercenary leader is gazing about the towers of the keep hoping to spy out a banner or mark of heraldry, but there seems to be none.
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Post by Percy Rivers on Jul 16, 2007 22:00:04 GMT -5
After what seemed like an eternity a guard appeared on the battlements, "His Lord Hodrick grants entrance on the condition that you leave any shields or armor are left by the gates, you may keep your weapons."
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Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Jul 16, 2007 22:02:46 GMT -5
"Do we have some assurance of our safety? We are but a handful of men, and commissioned with guarding this caravan." With that said, the lead guard does begin unfastening his shield.
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Post by Percy Rivers on Jul 16, 2007 22:11:20 GMT -5
Hodrick leaned over to Callen who was standing out of view from the men below, "we could offer them your word as the king of westeros, but that would kind of contradict the story of your death you seem to like so much, besides men like these have learned long ago that a mere word is useless." He looked back down to the men below, and muttered, "they're few enough, if they try to make trouble they'll be easy enough to handle, and I don't seeing any dragon banners."
"You can keep your horses and have men on the gates in case you feel any need to leave (or escape, Hodrick thought of saying, but he was sure he had conveyed that part in the tone of his voice)."
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Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Jul 16, 2007 22:14:31 GMT -5
OOC: Could I get a quick clarification on Hodrick's place in the Royce family tree? I know his primary history is as Callen's mentor, but did he spend any time in the Vale?
"Your word is good enough for us. We've had enough of battle, half of us carry wounds already." The men enter (OOC: If allowed).
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Post by Percy Rivers on Jul 16, 2007 23:23:08 GMT -5
OOC: Umm, I'm not sure what Crake would say, but personally I would say Hodrick is Breyn's great uncle. Again it's up to Crake, but I thought it would be fun to introduce a character with a more well known last name. So far I'm picturing Hodrick as sort of a Greatjon/Robert Baratheon/the Blackfish type character
IC: Callen watched as the men entered and went down to meet them, he neared the man who appeared to be the leader. "Who are you, and what business do you have here at Summerhall?" he inquired.
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Post by The Smith on Jul 16, 2007 23:32:58 GMT -5
OOC: That's fine by me.
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Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Jul 16, 2007 23:35:12 GMT -5
OOC: Given his history with Callen, I'm going to act under the assumption that he wasn't living (at least primarily) in Runestone in the past two decades.
IC: "I'm Captain Skag Snow, with the Black Shields. Mercantile company. We're the wagon guards. It's the young man who has the business. His grandfather is lord in a valley north of here, and saw that men had moved into the castle. He was hoping to sell you some goods. He took us in when we were hurt, so we agreed to guard his grain and his grandson."
"I've introduced myself. Who is the new lord here, anyway? We would pay our respects."
It seemed odd to Snow that they were so defensive. It was not wartime, and merchants bearing foodstuffs were rarely unwelcome in arid lands like this, but he bit his tongue.
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Post by Percy Rivers on Jul 16, 2007 23:37:43 GMT -5
Callen glanced warily from Snow to Hodrick, who shrugged, "we could use more food, were starting to run low on bread." Callen looked back at Snow, "very well come with me up to the tower, and bring your charge, I'll tell you everything there."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2007 3:48:39 GMT -5
"There is no lord here," Aranya said, appearing at Callen's shoulder. She couldn't see the captain clearly, but it made no matter. "Ser Hodrick is castellan of Summerhall. This is Vylarr Heaford, Captain of the Sun Swords, a sellsword company." She was wary and suspicious. It would not be easy to recognize Callen, but this northerner Snow looked oddly familiar.
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Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Jul 17, 2007 9:09:32 GMT -5
Captain Snow looked up to reply, "Sun Swo-" and is thunderstruck, as if he saw a ghost. He starts again, "Ser Hod-" but trails off indecipherably. He shifts in his saddle, wipes the dust and travel from his eyes, and looks down.
Urri Hastwyck, with more composure than his captain, says "We'll do our business with the Castellan, then. We're happy as not to be spending time around lords anyways. And you, Heaford, eh? Sun Swords? New company from over in the Free Cities, or mostly Dornish? Haven't heard of you before."
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Post by Percy Rivers on Jul 17, 2007 12:43:01 GMT -5
Hodrick took the young man to the tower to conduct their business, but Callen stood where he was, eyeing Captain Snow. "Most of our contracts were from across the Narrow Sea, but I'm orignally from Westeros. Were just holding the castle till His Grace comes to claim it," answered Callen.
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Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Jul 17, 2007 12:50:06 GMT -5
Snow remains silent, and continues to look down. He appears troubled.
Urri speaks, "Well welcome back, then, lad. Decent work for companies these days, trade is strong. We're part of a larger guild, you see, and our bosses in King's Landing are always looking for good companies of sellswords."
"How were things across the Narrow Sea? I always meant to travel, but I prefer a saddle to a ship and no one's found a landbridge," the gruff man asks.
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Post by Percy Rivers on Jul 17, 2007 12:54:46 GMT -5
The tension hung so heavy and thick it was as stifling as the heat of the Dornish sun. "Things are well enough, there's always some war between the Free Cities to fight in. And the recent conflict between Ibben and Qarth provided good business," shifting topics he said, "so your part of a merchants guild then? I hear the king has been trying to stomp those out?" His hand drifted close to his sword, but then he thought better of it and kept his arms crossed.
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Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Jul 17, 2007 14:57:54 GMT -5
If the air was tense, Urri did not sense it.
"Stomp them out? Goodness no. If he tried, he'd end up the same as Rodrick. Truth is the lords are behind most the guilds, not ours, but elsewhere. The Tyrells created a guild in the Reach, instead of letting the merchants organize it themselves. Same with Baldy in the Westerlands, he's taken charge of all the mines and calls it a Goldminer's Guild. As if the power lay with the merchants, and not the Lions. There are all shams. If King Aeron tried to put a stop to it, you can bet an army of Lions and Flowers and more would be on the march."
"The Black Shields grew up proper, born to protect the artisans of King's Landing. There was butchery in the streets during the rebellion, and the Black Shields were born to guard against such scummery. You likely missed it all if you were across the Narrow Sea, but gutters ran red the day the rebellion started."
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Hope you all are well and happy.