|
Post by Kreans on Aug 5, 2018 9:52:15 GMT -5
Kreans observed Morith from the outside, from the outside it looked incredibly unimpressive, there were holes and cracked sections across the wall from where the SKC had attacked not long past, a fight that the Skaldi had not been part of and had only heard accounts of secondhand since it's happening a month ago. The scars of the fight were clear to see from the outside and presumably much the same or worse inside, he was prepared for a city of destruction once he did get inside as he'd heard it had been a difficult fight for all that had been involved from the Alliance's side.
When he did get closer to the wall instead of going through one of the regular gates he instead chose to walk straight through the wall, it was easier than detouring to the gates and he was happier to just walk through the rubble filled gap either way. Up close the damage was even more obvious, and looking into the town revealed more of the destruction that had taken place here not long ago, there were very few buildings that didn't have some sort of damage to them Kreans noted as he walked through what remained of Morith. Even from just what he could see it was obvious it had been one hell of a fight, rubble littered the floors from the various destroyed buildings and walls and the scent of death was still in the air, so thick that he almost choked on it and had to suppress a wracking cough that it threatened to bring that so far he'd escaped well enough.
It was obvious no reconstruction efforts had began yet as Kreans made his way through the town, drawing looks of fear and ire from it's occupants at a hulking Skaldi so casually walking through their city. If he could have helped it he wouldn't be here either, he needed some coin and this city's lord had the means to provide, at least if the poster he held in his hands was accurate that was, it was also a good chance to meet the lord of one of the Alliance cities and possibly turn it to his and his tribe's benefit. If he could earn some coin and possibly more then it would be well worth this venture into the uncertainty a human city provided for him, and if not then he kept his arm not far from his spear and was ready to use it should things turn bad.
As he approached the castle Kreans would note them watching him, he was a lone figure walking up to it's entrance and stopped far enough away that the guards hopefully wouldn't misinterpret his actions. It took him a moment to draw the roll of paper from his belt pouch and unroll it facing the guards before he spoke to convey his message. "I have heard your Lord seeks the power of words, reading and writing, and am here for the job and the reward it conveys."
Hacklung: 10
U62Y8dVx
|
|
|
Post by King Redgar Karligar on Aug 5, 2018 10:33:26 GMT -5
"Fuck me, a Skaldi that talks!"
One of the guards said. He was at first surprised to see the skaldi approach the castle. It was more of a tower, a poor excuse for a castle. It had no curtain wall around it. It had no cloister or courtyard. There was nothing other than the tower. But people still called it a castle in these parts because the other poorer excuses for castles were grods, and so a building made from stone that was taller than their house might as well have been a castle.
There were so many dead littering the city. People were just beginning to deal with it. The casualties from the battle had been massive on both sides. So massive that the working population of the city had a hard time dealing with the sheer amount of corpses. The disease that was burning through the country had started here. In the streets of this town that had failed to do the most basic of after battle clean ups.
Was it Redgar's fault? Not really. He didn't know this would be a problem. Mainly because when he conquered a town, and he had always been the attacker until now, he burned it to the ground. He never had to deal with disease like this before. So this was unexpected and he had yet to put two and two together.
"Alright, lizard. Your master send you here to fulfill the contract, eh? Go ahead into the tower then. Up the stairs to the third floor. That's where the lord is."
"Hey... isn't that the carraighe from the Duchy heading up the street? You think that's Lady Karligar?"
A carriage was in fact heading up the road. It was flanked by Karligar calvarymen. These two infantry were surprised to see them.
"The Duke's not married, ya git."
"Nah, I mean his sister. The fuck is she doing here. He sent her back to the Duchy."
"Well looks like that nasty bitch Katrina is back. Better shut up and prepare to get fucked. Lizard, you better haul tail. Get in front of the duke before this bitch here catches up with ya. She's worse than he is."
They'd usher the skaldi inside. The first floor of the tower was merely a dining hall. There was a hearth on every floor. The second floor was a staging area. There were some weapons lined up along the walls, but nothing in any sort of usable condition. The third floor had a desk and some tables as well as plenty of chairs. Redgar was sitting at the desk with his feet upon it. He was dressed in his battle gear, and was trying his best to not be sick or miserable.
He was both sick and miserable. The Hacklung was killing everyone.
Katrina arrived up front, she was several moments behind the Skaldi Kreans. She got out of her carriage and stuck her nose up. The city was a mess. It smelled awful.
"My Lady Karligar, how can we assist you."
"Shut up, mook. Get out of my way. I'm here to see my brother, the Duke. Is he still alive?"
"Yes, My Lady."
"Shut up."
She bolted past them and started up the stairs.
|
|
|
Post by Kreans on Aug 5, 2018 10:58:56 GMT -5
The first thing that he would do before entering the building was to growl deeply at the guardsmen who'd made reference to a master, Kreans did not take kindly to the idea that he was thought of as anything other than a free Skaldi and locked eyes with the guard that had said it. "I am no Gorklu, I am a free Skaldi with no master and you'd better remember that." He'd digest what the guard had said about the carriage working it's way up the street and look at it for a moment before striding into the tower, arriving in the empty dining hall and quickly locating the stairs to continue his ascent. The next floor was somewhat more familiar to him, a room of weapons lined up neatly and ready for use, not that a single one of the weapons could compare to even the most brittle and weak of what he could make, whether they were decorative only or just Morith had a shortage of good weapons he could not discern from this one room. One thing that he did note with some happiness however was that the stench of death inside wasn't as bad as it was outside.
Upon reaching the third floor Kreans would take another moment before stepping towards the desk that was the main focus of the room, presumably because it was occupied by the city's lord who was lounging in armour and looking disheartened. Kreans allowed a few moments for the lord to catch sight of him, fully knowing that of course he must have heard the huge Skaldi coming and seen him as he rose up the stairs. It irked him to have to show respect to a human after all they'd done to his kind, but he would at least attempt to do so for now, holding up the same poster he'd shown to the guards outside before he spoke, "I am here to fill the job that you've advertised in teaching you reading and writing. We will begin as soon as is possible."
|
|
|
Post by King Redgar Karligar on Aug 5, 2018 12:01:06 GMT -5
Katrina clopped up the stairs of the tower in heels an inch and a half high. Her dress flowing behind her on the steps, her hands holding bunches of it trying to keep it off the dusty floors. Her mouth was held in a grimace as she grew angrier with each step. This city was a mess. Redgar had done nothing it seemed to get it back to its former glory. Her entire plan was going to take so much longer now. He was such a dolt.
Redgar noticed the Skaldi and listened to him speak before getting a word out on his own. If he had been an assassin, well... that would have been unfortunate because his guards were shit apparently, and just let anyone in with a notice posting. He blinked at the Skaldi and nearly laughed.
"You're going to teach me to read and write? Can you do it yourself?"
Katrina came into the room a moment later.
"Well, what is this? Are you consorting with animals while you languish in this tower and allow one of the richest cities in the country fall into complete ruin?"
"Gods, Katrina... what the hell are you doing here?"
"Retrieving you. You look awful, and this city looks awful. Your appointment to governor is going to be thrown away if you continue on like this. What is this Skaldi doing here?"
"Apparently he is here to teach me to read and write."
"What do you need that for?"
Katrina, who knew how to read and write did not like the idea of her brother getting ideas about receiving scholarly training. It would impede her plans. That was not acceptable.
"Apparently, there are things happening around me that impact me and my property and my rights as Lord and Duke that I have no idea about because I can't read or write. Because I never bothered to learn because I listened to you and father tell me it wasn't important. Why I ever listened to father is beyond me. Then I find out that things are happening in my land that you are responsible for and I'm at a loss to explain it. Do you know how that makes me look? I can't explain the forsaken toll you put together because I can't bloody well read it!"
"I've explained it to you. Send this creature away. We can talk about this in private."
"No, I think the Skaldi will stay. Go to a different floor Katrina, I don't need you here for this."
"I am aghast at your behavior brother. But I will do as you command."
Katrina glared at the Skaldi, then smiled at her brother, and left the room. She proceeded up the stairs to a different level of the tower.
"Where were we?"
Hacklung: 10 kO4iMypY
It was in that moment after Katrina left that Redgar was overtaken by the disease. He began to cough in a violent fit. He fell onto the desk, from which he had gotten up while he was yelling at his bitch of a sister. Blood splattered the papers there.
Attempting to recover: 20
HP: 360/400·
|
|
|
Post by Kreans on Aug 5, 2018 12:31:05 GMT -5
"I can read and write in your High Cruic, it seems you cannot and it is something you need to learn." Now he was glad that he'd attended those lessons in Innorsford, it was providing him some way to get money for himself and potentially more from the lord should he be capable of providing as was said on the poster. It was however unfortunate when the woman came into the room and began insulting him, there was a definite friction between the two of them as he spoke, it seemed that she was stealing his power as he could not read the things that she created, he was weak in this way if he was allowing her to make decisions for him when he was the true lord of this city. She seemed quite aggressive towards the Skaldi, and Kreans eyes fixed on her as though she were his next prey, focussing on her as their conversation continued and readying himself to speak out against her and put the human back in her place where she belonged.
Luckily the Lord sent her away, and Kreans eyes would follow her as she left the room still locked until she was finally out of his sight, he was glad at the least that the Lord had sent her away rather than him, maybe he did have some spine against his family. He'd heard the lord was quite a formidable warrior as well as general, he was dressed as a man of war but Kreans had yet to see him take action and doubted that he would during this visit, he was not here to fight only to teach this lord the power of reading and writing, collect his money and see what else he could gain.
For now however the Lord was coughing his lungs out quite literally at the desk, falling onto it and painting it with the blood coming from his mouth, Kreans looked on impassively observing the effects of the Hacklung that was sweeping through Cruinthe since the dead had not been properly disposed of after the battle. It seemed that the Lord was having quite the trouble catching his breath between all the blood he was coughing up, he was quite quickly losing vitality and that suited Keans quite fine, there was no harm to seeing a human die in his eyes, if anything it was oddly entertaining. The Skaldi however remained exactly as he had been since the woman had left the room, standing straight and tall watching the Lord.
|
|
|
Post by King Redgar Karligar on Aug 5, 2018 12:47:21 GMT -5
Redgar was quite literally feeling like he was going to die here in this room and the only witness would be this Skaldi. Redgar had respect for the Skaldi in one way, they were strong warriors. From what he could tell between glances at this one in particular, was that was indeed true. Other than the Skaldi he met at Rosterford, which they had renamed New Skaldira, this was the only other one he could remember seeing.
He struggled to regain mastery over himself.
Recovering from Hacklung: 20 d9ab6E6H Success! 5.
"Ha... ha... Well... that leaves not the impression a Duke should make upon his tutor. Alright, let's say I believe you. I'd like to learn to read and write. How do we go about this? I'm sure you'd like to get one over that bitch of a sister of mine too, since she called you an animal."
HP: 360/400
|
|
|
Post by Kreans on Aug 5, 2018 12:57:08 GMT -5
It seemed that he had regained control, there was blood splattering the desk between them and drips of it on him but he seemed none the worse once he had mastered his body once again, a point that caused a slight bit of respect in Kreans at his fortitude. It seemed also that the Duke, as he now found out the man was, had also caught the fact that he held some ire for the sister at her comments. "I am glad to see that you are a man who knows Skaldi to be more than animals, that will help this pass easier for us both. I'd presume that you have some papers and writing implements around that we could use? A few sets will will likely do and i'd imagine quite a lot of paper will be necessary, it's likely a lot of mistakes will be made."
It was going far easier than he had expected, he'd thought the Duke likely would have required proof and there had been the possibility he'd have drawn some anger for his desire to 'get one over' on his sister, instead he seemed more than happy with the idea on both counts, a situation he'd not expected at all. This Duke was interesting to him, there was the slightest glimmer of respect in his heart but for the most part he still remained wary of him, he was still a human after all and so there was no trust present in Kreans yet.
|
|
|
Post by King Redgar Karligar on Aug 5, 2018 13:44:51 GMT -5
"Yes of course. I am Duke Scyld Redgar Karligar. You may call me Duke Karligar. Who are you?"
He wasn't really listening to Kreans. He just heard that there will be a need for lots of paper and realized that he hadn't introduced himself yet. Nor had the Skaldi either. Or he didn't remember. Probably the second one. Either way, he still wouldn't care.
Redgar reached into the desk and brought out a few sheets of paper. He took the bloody ones and tossed them onto the floor by the desk. They'd get cleaned up later by a servant. Wherever the hell the servant was. He found a quill and some ink as well. That should be all he needed? He wasn't entirely sure, but it was best to pretend to know at least how the basics of reading and writing were done.
"So, what first?"
Hacklung: 10 F7Q|BNVv
HP: 320/400
He started hacking again. But this time he turned himself away, behind the desk. It wouldn't do for him to get it all over the paper again. He brought out a handkerchief and pressed it to his mouth as he coughed.
Recovery: 20
·
|
|
|
Post by Kreans on Aug 5, 2018 15:11:17 GMT -5
Duke Scyld Redgar Karligar, a long title proper for a Duke, he'd address the man as he chose when it came down to it but it was nice of him to give some options and introduce himself properly now that they were to get down to him actually teaching the Duke how to read and write. "I am Kreans of the Shadowscales. Now shall we get down to business."
He was pleased to see the Duke pull out papers and a quill with ink, throwing the papers splattered with his lifeblood to one side onto the floor where the blood seeped out and into the wood, it was not something for Kreans to care about this was not his home and so it didn't matter if damage was caused to it by the homeowner's carelessness. It seemed more damage was incoming however as the Duke once again began coughing blood, this time however he had the thought at least to turn himself away so that the blood wouldn't be splattered all across the clean paper, and instead was catching it in a handkerchief which seemed a far better idea.
While he waited for the Duke to recover he'd write out some basic grammar on a piece of paper, explaining the difference between the incorrect grammar and correct as he wrote it, the writing was more for him to keep a note than anything else of what he was saying, the Duke couldn't read it anyway. Before he could start teaching the Duke to read and write he'd have to teach the Duke the correct grammar, spelling and how to actually pronounce a lot of the High Cruic words that he doubted the currently somewhat dying man would know.
Teaching High Cruic I (1/5)
|
|
|
Post by King Redgar Karligar on Aug 5, 2018 16:37:13 GMT -5
The currently somewhat dying man was focusing on two things at once, which was really hard for him. He was focusing on learning what Kreans was telling him, and not dying. Those two things would depend on one another. For example, if he perished from the Hacklung, he could not learn the High Cruic. Which would render everything else moot. Especially getting one up over his sister. That he couldn't abide.
Recovery: 20 8mDHWCQx
HP: 320/400
He managed to recover from the coughing fit fine. He folded up the handkerchief to let it absorb so he could dry it out later. Unfortunately he would probably be using it again soon. He listened to Krean's talk about High Cruic. It sounded like speaking as his sister does. Which was annoying. Then he remembered that it annoyed him only because he didn't know what all those big words really meant. He had a hard time working through the context without proper definitions to go on. This grammar stuff was hard too. The pronunciation of words wasn't so difficult, he had grown up hearing them all his life.
"Go on. Don't let my illness stop you. Everyone in this damn town has it. Haven't had a chance to take care of everything yet. The bodies in the streets keep piling up. Some from the plague, some from the battle. It's been almost a month now."
|
|
|
Post by Kreans on Aug 5, 2018 17:06:18 GMT -5
The Duke wasn't as difficult a student as he'd been expecting, the near constant hacking cough that affected him was the hardest part of trying to teach him as Kreans was worried that if it got bad enough he'd simply slump over the desk and die how he was, that way he couldn't complete the job that had been set out and so he wouldn't be paid so the whole visit would have been useless. Still he wasn't going to stop his lessons just because the Duke was dying, he would power on and just hope the man could split his attention and focus even with the disease as it was, if he were to stop every time the man coughed they'd never get anywhere.
"The basics of High Cruic as far as I have seen so far is to use as many long, complicated and proper words in order to make yourself seem more intelligent. That may just be the view of a Skaldi but in that I think you can agree." He'd not give the Duke any time to agree and would instead carry on with his teaching, running him through a selection of words that he'd only just recently learnt himself at his own training in Innorsford, they were fresh in his mind and he was sure that for the most part he was getting things right.
"I've been lucky enough to avoid the plague so far, although others of my tribe have not been so fortunate." Kreans would grimace as he spoke, it was terrible to see so many of his own people struck down by a plague they had no cure for. "If you have such a problem with bodies mounting up why not organise the efforts and burn them, those that already have the disease can't catch it again from the corpses after all." It seemed a logical choice after all, why the human hadn't at least set the wheels in motion for it was a wonder, the quicker the rotting corpses were disposed of the sooner this could be over.
Teaching Redgar High Cruic I (2/5)
|
|
|
Post by King Redgar Karligar on Aug 5, 2018 17:17:03 GMT -5
"I see, yes I agree with that... assessment? That is the right word. This is good. Let's keep going."
Redgar was absorbing more than he thought he would. He wasn't much of a scholar himself. He still knew that and believed that. But there was no harm in trying to do what he needed to do so that his sister couldn't continue to do shit behind his back. If she was going to screw anyone it was going to be on his orders. Not under her own ambitions. He wasn't going to let her keep on using his property and possessions to fulfill her business.
Hacklung: 10 Vl2JsDBD
|
|
|
Post by Kreans on Aug 5, 2018 17:22:47 GMT -5
Kreans nodded at the Duke's use of assessment, "That was good, long important sounding words are the basics of this, you used that one correctly." He was definitely right that the Duke was sucking it all up far faster than he'd expected, maybe he was just a particularly talented learner or a scholar in the making, although that seemed unlikely considering the man sat suited for war and with a reputation as a brutal fighter. Whatever the reasoning was it made the Skaldi's job far easier and so he was thankful, the quicker he could get this done the better in his opinion, then he could leave the city and the humans behind and go back to lands where he could trust those around him to at least some extent.
While he had the Duke's attention and the disease seemed to have calmed itself for some small measure of time he advanced the lessons, adding more complex words into the mix as he seemed to be grasping those easier ones quite quickly. It wouldn't be long before the Duke's knowledge would rival his own, not that his was particularly astounding.
Teaching Redgar High Cruic (3/5)
|
|
|
Post by King Redgar Karligar on Aug 5, 2018 17:26:47 GMT -5
"This is not as difficult as I once thought. Perhaps I should have applied these lessons to my life at an earlier date. How was that?"
Not so bad. He was doing better. He was almost proud of himself. He didn't want to get too cocky in this endeavor though. This was like walking through a marsh with only infantry at your command, unaware of your surroundings. Anyone could be setting up an ambush. There could be some kind of grammar trap he was about to fall for. This was how he thought about learning these words and this language. Like it was warfare. Perhaps it was a form of combat he hadn't taken notice of before.
Hacklung: 20
|Zvb_P|m
Hp: 280/400
Redgar started another coughing fit. This damnable disease was the thing ambushing him now.
Recovery: 20 ·
|
|
|
Post by Kreans on Aug 6, 2018 15:25:04 GMT -5
"That was good, your mastery of High Cruic is proceeding far quicker than I'd thought it would, something I'm quite pleased to say." Kreans would reply, nodding as he said so, the faster the Duke managed to process High Cruic and become proficient in it the faster he could complete his work. Although he found the man somewhat agreeable, for a human at least, he still had no desire to stay longer than was necessary in order for him do his work, take his rewards and to get himself out of here.
Unfortunately it seemed nature disagreed with his idea of speedy lessons, Redgar once again fell prey to the disease and began coughing and spluttering all over the place again. Kreans took a step back with his paper in hand to keep himself out of the splash zone of Redgar's blood, the paper also he'd written much on so had no desire to see it ruined so quickly. Still, he didn't care overly if the Duke was slowly dying from hacking up vital parts and seemingly quite a lot of the blood in his body, he was alive currently and so the lesson could continue with, if the Duke died it would be obvious it wasn't his fault due to how he died, although if it looked as though it would be a close things the Skaldi may have to leave as human's natural distrust of his kind could cause them to assume it were him.
Either way, for now he'd simply continue on in his lesson and watch on as the Duke slowly lost his vitality while he spoke.
Teaching Redgar High Cruic (4/5)
|
|