A Grand Design 11.

Mid Autumn. The Town Of Salme. The Duchy Of Dalmar. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

Looking at a group of riders who have just come into town, and are making their way to the duke's castle.
Tovis the war engineer quietly says "A nobleman and his troops" as the riders head around a corner and go out of sight.
Nodding his head in agreement, Beldane the cleric says "That's more of the duke's allies and vassals coming in" the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell continues with "They should have a fairly substantial army before long".
The young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic, nods his head in agreement with the member of the church of Glaine.
Then the two of them, war engineer and cleric, continue on their way back to the Wayfarer inn, where they and the rest of the group are staying.
As they do, they chat about their lives before they joined the group they're now with.
For Beldane who has been with the group the lest amount of time. Doesn't know the others in the group that well.
And Tovis doesn't mind sharing. Unlike a few others in the group. Notably lord Farque. Who only speaks to you when he wants to.
And Dorc da Orc, who tends to just growl and swear at the powerful cleric. And when the large ork does speak of his past, usually when he's drinking.
He usually talks of something wildly fantastical, that it's hard to take him seriously.
Then there's the complete opposite. In particular sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Who is all too willing to talk about the past. Even when you don't want to hear about it.
Beldane doesn't even have to prompt the former earl of Lé Dic to speak of his past. The large, heavily armoured knight will bring it up without even being asked.
And he'll go on and on about it. That it'll drive the fighting cleric to boredom. So much so, that he has to find excuses to get away from the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic when he's in that kind of mood.
"You must of been fairly young when you started designing things alongside your father" says the cleric in the church of Glaine as they continue to chat.
"I was fairly young" admits the young engineer, who follows on in a slightly dry tone with "The baron had plans" he continues with "That eventually came to fruition a number of years later" Tovis then adds "Which all came crashing down around him, when he came up against Percy's young niece and her army".
"And the group" says Beldane who has heard how the war engineer joined the group when they were in the kingdom of Druvic, helping the young lady Linara Lé Dic defend her fief against a baron Harkonin, whose army Tovis served in.
"And the group" says the young engineer who nods in agreement, as they turn a street corner, and enter the street the two storey inn they're staying at, is on.
When they're inside the Wayfarer inn, Beldane the cleric is cornered by sir Percavelle Lé Dic who wants to tell him something. Tovis who knows better, quickly slips away. And heads out the backdoor of the common room.
And makes his way out to the back courtyard of the Wayfarer inn. Where Lisell Maera is practicing her sword work under the not so watchful eye of Dorc da Orc. Who is sitting beneath a tree on the edge of the courtyard. Busy drinking from some barrels of ale. Which to him is much more important than watching the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury practice with the sword.
Sitting upon a bench on one side of the courtyard, the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic. Still finds himself attracted to Lisell Maera.
Oh he knows he has no chance with Lis, as she's more commonly called by the others in the group. As she rebuffed him a couple of times after he first joined the group.
But he still can't help but feel attracted to her at times like this. When things are quiet, and she's practicing with her sword like she is now.
"You're better than you were when i first met you lot" says Tovis the war engineer when Lis comes to a stop, and makes her way over to the bench and sits next to him.
Using a cloth she takes from her cloak that's draped over the end of the bench, and wiping the sweat from her forehead, Lisell Maera the messenger says "Thanks".
The attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, who will freely admit that she isn't the best with a shortsword, as it isn't her preferred weapons, then says "I'm still not that great with it".
"Better than me" dryly says the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic, which causes the messenger in the armies of Farque to chuckle.
Tovis can use a sword fine enough, and can swing one in battle if he really has to. Though he tends to use one like he's chopping at wood.
And when he first demonstrated that to lord Farque. The undead warlord wryly told him that no matter how much he practiced with a sword. He'd still be just as likely to chop at those he's fighting alongside with, as much as chop at those he's fighting against.
And to stick with using the hammer. As the war engineer is actually really good at wielding that particular weapon.
"Dorc am i getting better with the sword?" calls out Lisell Maera to the large ork sitting beneath one of the trees on the otherside of the courtyard.
A distracted sounding grunt comes from the ork warleader who is busy slurping the last of the ale from one of the barrels he's got with him.
"Critic" dryly says Lis with a shake of her head as she looks over at the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world sitting on the otherside of the courtyard, here at the back of the Wayfarer inn.
Then just as the war engineer is about to ask the messenger something. A boy makes his way out of the backdoor of the common room. Looks around, gawks at Dorc da Orc when he spots him.
Then remembering what he's here for, he continues to look around, spots Lis sitting next to Tovis, and makes his way over to her.
Though he keeps glancing at Dorkindle as he does so.
"Lady a message" says the boy, who the attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury recognises from the airdocks, who runs messages for ships that come into Salme.
"A trader has come in from Oaklynn on his way to the coast" says the boy who continues with "He has something for you".
Lisell Maera after sharing a look with Tovis the war engineer, says to the young boy "Tell him I'll be along shortly to pick it up".
The boy nods, then hurries back the way he came, though as he crosses the courtyard, he can't help but look sideways at the ork who is a general in the armies of Farque.
"I'll come along" says Tovis who gets up with Lis as she puts on her cloak.
The attractive young woman originally from the city-state of Brattonbury nods, then quietly says "It must be important whatever it is" she continues with "As the next ones from Mira aren't due until the beginning of next week".
The war engineer nods, then the two of them cross the courtyard, and Lisell Maera says to the ork weaponsmith "Dorc we're going to the docks to pick up something" she then adds "Tell the lord if he comes back before we get back".
The large ork just grunts in acknowledgment. Which is fine enough for Lis, as at least the warleader of the ork race didn't flat out ignore her.
After Lisell Maera and Tovis the war engineer go back into the Wayfarer inn through the backdoor.
Dorc da Orc puts down the barrel of ale he's just finished. And he tilts his head to one side to hear what's going on inside.
He hears Lis and Tovis go out the front of the inn and head along the street, on their way to the town's airdocks.
While inside, he hears the loudmouth knight, sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Telling Beldane the cleric about a particularly battle he was in a number of years ago.
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world dismissively snorts as he hears the former paladin describing the battle.
Dorkindle thinks the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic is talking utter shit. As the ork warleader was in the exact same battle. On the otherside. Who came close to killing the former knight of the first class a number of times during that battle.
"Lying fucken knight cunt" mutters Dorc da Orc in his native language, then after he looks around, the large ork who is the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks stands up and says "Hey cunt" to a stablehand watching him from the open doors of the inn's stables.
"Make sure no fucker touches that" says the ork weaponsmith gesturing at the barrel of ale he's yet to broach and drink from.
The stablehand who actually understood what the ork general just said, nods his head that he will.
Dorkindle grunts in satisfaction, then he quickly makes his way along the tree lined side of the courtyard at the back of the Wayfarer inn. And when he gets to the wall at that end, he easily climbs over it to get into the alleyway behind the inn and stables.
The big, burly ork sniffs, then grunts, and goes left down the alleyway, softly chuckling to himself as he does so. Then Dorc da Orc scowls in anger. Which quickly changes to a grin of anticipation. Followed by another chuckle as he reaches the end of the empty alleyway.
Where he looks out at the street the alleyway ends up in. He looks both ways, then goes to the right.
He tries to be inconspicuous as he heads through town. But it doesn't really work considering he's seven and half foot tall, weighs seven hundred and fifty pounds. Is all green. And is covered, basically from head to foot, in weapons. Enough to outfit a company of soldiers in any army.
As he makes his way through the town of Salme, frequently sniffing. The ork warleader who is a general in the armies of Farque. Alternates between scowling in anger, and grinning with pleasure.
Which if people didn't have enough reason to keep out of his way already. Then doing that surely does. And the fact he more than reeks. As he hasn't been rained on in a while. Nor has he fallen in, or been pushed into a stream or river of late.
The ork weaponsmith ends up in the south side of the town of Salme. In an alley behind a number of shops.
The large ork looks over to a tin merchants shop down the street. Alternatively glaring and grinning as he does so.
Then Dorkindle who knows that lord Farque, Arvelle the plainsman and Tamric Drubine are on the otherside of town at the duke's castle.
While Lisell Maera and Tovis the war engineer are now at the town's modest sized airdocks near the castle.
And Beldane the cleric and sir Percavelle Lé Dic are back at the Wayfarer inn.
And Helbe the elven thief and Narladene the ground pixie are out of town at the moment.
Waits in the alleyway for an opportunity. He doesn't have to wait long. When he spots a goblin coming down the street in this direction.
"Fucken gob-a-lin will do" Dorc da Orc mutters to himself, then he steps back and when the goblin gets to the mouth of the alleyway, the large ork says in the common language "In here cunt".
The goblin jumps in fright when he hears the ork warleader, who he stares at, too frightened to move.
The large ork rolls his eyes, then says "Me not gonna eats you" he then mutters in the ork language "You fuckers taste yucky anyway".
Dorkindle gestures the dark green goblin into the alleyway, and tells him "Me gots a fucken job for you".
Though at first reluctant, the goblin then quickly steps into the alleyway and says "Yes boss" when the ork weaponsmith holds out a handful of coins.
The big, burly ork who is always a little careless with his coins, gives them to the goblin. They're a mix of gold, silver and copper coins. More than the goblin will ever make in a week. Infact it's more than it will make in a month of work.
"You knows that fucken tinsmith's down the street?" asks Dorc da Orc who then adds "And the fucken boss in there?".
"Yes boss, that's Bretal" says the dark goblin, who does all sorts of jobs for the various merchants in the south part of town.
"Goods" murmurs the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks. Then he tells the goblin, who doesn't get too close to the large ork again, because he stinks. What he wants him to do.
The goblin listens carefully as the general in the armies of Farque tells him to go into the tinsmith's and tell the merchant that a trader wants to talk to him about a potential deal.
From one of his sacks, Dorkindle takes out a small ingot of high quality iron that he got from a trader at the airdocks yesterday.
He gives it to the goblin, and tells him to give it to the merchant who owns the tinsmith's, and tell him that's the quality of iron he has for sale. And to have the merchant meet him.
"You know that fucken wine shop around the corner?" asks the large ork gesturing back down the alleyway.
"The taverna, i do boss" says the goblin "Goods" says Dorc da Orc who continues with "Tell him to meet me there" he follows that with "Me is fucken busy, so me won't be there fucken long".
The dark goblin nods, then the ork weaponsmith tells him "Don't fucken says who me is, or what's me look like" the warleader of the ork race then mutters in his native language "The fucken cunt will knows what me is if you do".
"Just say" continues Dorkindle in the common language, who briefly pauses then grins as he adds "The big rich boss wants to see him" he follows that with "And me will be sitting out the front of that fucken wine shop" the large ork looks at the goblin and says "Got it?".
"Got it boss" says the goblin, the ork weaponsmith nods, then says "Repeats what me wants you to fucken do".
The goblin does so, and satisfied that the goblin will do what he's tasked it to do, Dorc da Orc tells him "Go on, get going" followed by "Oh and another thing, don't fucken come along with the tinsmith".
"Yes boss" says the dark goblin, who with the ingot of iron in his hand, makes his way out of the alleyway, and crosses the street.
"Fucken gob-a-lin" mutters the large ork as the goblin trips, and almost falls flat on his face.
But he makes it across the street without falling, and heads down to where the tin merchant's shop is located.
Dorkindle who is peeking out of the alleyway, steps back when he sees the goblin enter the tinsmith's.
The general in the armies of the lands Farque takes a couple of steps to the side, and puts his back up against the wall behind him.
Then he repeatedly sniffs, and listens carefully. Until a short while later, he hears and smells the goblin exit the tinsmith's, followed by the merchant.
And as the goblin heads the other way down the street. The tin merchant heads this way. Towards the alleyway, which is the quickest way to the nearby taverna on the next street over.
Dorc da Orc who is absolutely still, and who has worked on a plan he has come with for the last few days. Grins when he smells and hears the tin merchant heading this way.
The large ork then snaps out his right arm, and grabs the tin merchant Bretal by the throat as he's about to step into the alleyway.
The ork warleader lifts him up by the throat, swings him around and slams his head into the wall behind him. Not once, nor twice, but three times. The tin merchant was dead after the first time his head was smashed into the wall.
Dorc da Orc then flings the basically headless body up onto the roof behind him.
Then he casually walks back down the alleyway, knowing that he's just killed the tin merchant, Bretal the dwarf.
The ork general who is grinning from ear to ear, whistles, badly and out of tune, as he heads back through the town of Salme to the Wayfarer inn . . . . . .