The Find 14.

Autumn.

Late in the afternoon. In the ancient city of Dalphene. More commonly called The City of Ruins.
"By chance have you seen this person?" asks Shur Kee the monk.
The stablemaster, of one of the few stables actually down here in the City of Ruins.
Briefly thinks about telling the short, statured monk in the strange looking clothing, wearing an even stranger looking conical shaped hat to get lost.
But he wisely decides not to, and instead takes another look at the piece of parchment the wandering monk is holding.
"Can't say that i have, sorry" says the stablemaster after examining, not to mention admiring the quality of the illustration on the parchment paper.
The stablemaster waves over his stablehand, to see if he knows the person illustrated on the piece of parchment. He too, doesn't know who it is, or has seen them before.
The acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li thanks the two men, then moves off through the large village.
Looking for where the others could be, on what's been cool, though not cold day, here in the giant hole in the ground.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, or as it's more commonly known as, the City of Ruins.
The large sprawling village, is the one furthest to the east. Up against the east wall of the pit.
And the village that's basically the demarcation line between what's considered fairly civilized.
To the free for all, that the rest of the City of Ruins is just to the north of it.
Not that the line doesn't get crossed here in the large village often, it does.
As over the years there's been more than a few battles involving anyone, and everyone.
Bands of adventurers, mercenary companies, wild goblin tribes, you name it.
They've fought here in the large village, which has been destroyed then rebuilt a number of times over the millennia.
Infact, as Shur Kee stops along the side of a street, there's evidence of such recent events.
As there's a few burnt out buildings, on the western edge of the large village.
Signs of a recent battle between a pair of rival mercenary companies, fighting over the loot one of them had found further north in the City of Ruins.
As he looks in that direction, the physical adept who hails from the far east coast of the continent. The kingdom of Wah Lee to be exact.
Spots a large, heavily armoured figure leap up onto the roof of one of the buildings, still standing near the burnt out ones.
The short, statured monk nods to himself, then heads to the building, a house by the looks of it, that lord Farque is standing on top of.
"What the hell does he fucking want?" lord Farque mutters to himself as he looks away to the west and south, down here in the City of Ruins.
All afternoon the undead warlord has sensed Mira Reinholt the mage casting in this direction.
The large, heavily armoured deathlord has been ignoring it.
Until now, as the once powerful mage is being more repetitive as he casts in this direction.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque looks to one of the towns near the base of one of the large, stone ramps that come down into the City of Ruins.
It's over a mile and a half away from the large, sprawling village up against the eastern side wall of the giant hole in the ground.
The lord of the death realm spots the exiled Vexilian mage upon the roof of a two storey building in that town.
The undead being, who also goes by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands.
Allows himself to be effected by the mage Reinholt's spell, that barely gets to the large sprawling village, the undead warlord is in.
"What?" demands lord Farque through the mindspeech spell that Mira Reinholt the mage has cast to him.
The large, heavily armoured deathlord listens to what the once powerful mage has to say.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque who has the elven name of Des'tier, which translates to, The Destroyer.
Sourly smiles behind the faceplate of his full helm, as the mage Reinholt tells him what he and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit found out earlier in the day.
"Of course they joined a fucking mercenary company" mutters the deathlord of Farque.
Who then via the mindspeech spell cast by the practitioner of magic, who is a member of his personal council.
Gives the Vexilian mage in exile a couple of orders to pass on to the rest of the group.
The large, heavily armoured deathlord then cuts himself off from the spell cast by Mira Reinholt, ending their conversation.
Draugadrottin, who is on the rooftop of an abandoned house at the western edge of the large, sprawling village.
Looks down to where Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic are standing near the side of the house.
And though there's a decent sized gap between the bitter rivals, the two of them are standing there glaring at one another.
The undead warlord who senses the other member of the group he brought along with him today, approaching from within the large village.
Watches as both the large ork, and the large, heavily armoured knight, occasionally take hold of a hilt of one of their many weapons as they continue to scowl at one another.
The lord of the death realm brought the two of them along with him today for obvious reasons.
So that he could keep an eye on them, and hopefully keep them out of any trouble they're bound to get into.
So far, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque has been lucky. As the bitter rivals have spent most of the day too busy glaring at one another, and insulting one another, to get into any trouble.
It helps that the third person from the group that Draugadrottin brought along with him today.
Can also keep the ork warleader and the former paladin in line, and out of creating too much trouble.
He walks around from the back of the abandoned house. And the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, and the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic.
Finally take their eyes off one another, and instead look at the short, statured monk who just come around from the back of the empty house.
And though both Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic don't fear the physical adept, like they do lord Farque most of the time.
Not that either one of them would ever admit to that, to themselves or anyone else for that matter.
They are both cautions around the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li.
As they've both been on the receiving end of the fighting monk's unique powers in the past. Which both of them barely survived.
Something they both have in common, which again they would never admit to themselves, or to anyone else.
Lord Farque steps forward, and steps off the rooftop, and lands right between the ork who is a general in the armies of Farque, and the Druvician nobleman who is a member of the order of The Knights of Saint Mar-che.
"I found nothing at that stables" says Shur Kee the monk.
"Horsey?" loudly murmurs Dorc da Orc who all of a sudden isn't worried what his bitter rival might get up to.
But he is definitely interested in what the physical adept just said.
Hearing what the large ork just murmured, the short, statured monk from the far east coast of the continent tells him "I am afraid there are no horses there friend Dorc".
The acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li continues with "Though they had a few donkeys there".
"Oooh Dorc likes me some ass" says the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world.
"Don't give him ideas" sourly says lord Farque to the monk who is the honorary member of his personal council.
While sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Percy as he's more commonly called by the others in the group. Looks at his bitter rival the ork weaponsmith in disgust.
Before another argument can break out between the ork warleader and the former paladin, lord Farque says "Come on".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord continues with "Change of plans".
He follows that with "Start talking to any mercenary we see".
Des'tier is speaking to Shur Kee, as he's the only one of the three to do the right thing.
"The person we're after has more than likely joined a mercenary company" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who continues with "They not here, and more than likely already gone north".
He follows that with "But mercs swap and change companies all the time" Draugadrottin then adds "There's a good a chance one here might of seen them".
The monk, who is the living incarnation of the Jade Warrior, Bru Li. More precisely, the living conduit of the founder of the philosophical order he belongs to.
Nods his head in understanding as they set off. With the short statured monk walking alongside the undead warlord.
While the bitter rivals, the ork general in the armies of Farque. And the former earl of Lé Dic following behind them.
"Which fucken merc company?" asks Dorc da Orc who finally shows a little interest in what they've been doing today, ever since they got here just after dawn this morning.
The lord of the death realm knows the son of the previous matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks, can recognise a number of mercenary companies.
Especially the larger, more established ones found throughout the Southlands.
A number of which, are no doubt here in the City of Ruins at this point in time.
"Not sure which one yet" says Des'tier as he glances back at the large ork, and tells him "If you see any you recognise, tell me".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque follows that with "There's a good chance they might of joined up with one of the larger companies".
The large figure in the dark blue, black suit of full plate armour continues with "They're the ones more likely to hire anyone new".
The lord of the death realm then says "Most of the smaller ones can't afford to hire anyone new, especially down here in the pit".
Shur Kee the monk nods in understanding. While behind them Dorc da Orc mutters "Cheap cunts".
And sir Percavelle Lé Dic says in a disapproving tone "Spendthrifts" followed by "Wot".
Before they round a corner, the undead warlord briefly stops, and stomps his right steel boot on the ground a few times.
And though Percy frowns as he wonders what the death lord of Farque just did.
Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, sourly grunts as he realises what Draugadrottin just did.
Councilor Kee understands as well, and nods his head as they get underway again.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque does it a few more times as they make their way through the large village.
Stopping near the ruins of a couple of buildings from the ancient city of Dalphene.
Lord Farque says "Hey kid" followed by "Know the name of any of the mercenary companies here?".
A youngster, about eight years old, who is playing in the ancient ruined buildings.
Stares at the four of them, especially the large green figure of the warleader of the ork race.
"Well?" asks Des'tier as he gets the child's attention again.
"There's Maygam's company" says the youngster, followed by "And Golmot's".
The child briefly pauses before continuing with "Others come through all the time, but those two are based here".
"Heard of them cunt?" asks lord Farque in the ork language.
"Nah, don't fucken think so" is the reply from Dorc da Orc in the same language after he thinks about it for a few moments.
The undead being grunts as he hasn't heard of the mercenary company's either.
Then looking at the child again, the lord of the death realm asks him in the common language "They have banners at all?".
"Golmot doesn't" says the local youngster, followed by "But Maygam has the ripping fox".
The heavily armoured deathlord looks at the ork general in his armies.
"Hmmmm" murmurs Dorkindle with a thoughtful look upon his usually brutish and feral looking face.
"Fucken maybe" says the ork weaponsmith as he continues to think about it, trying to remember if he's seen that banner before.
The lord of the death realm nods his full helmed head, then he asks the child "Where are they at the moment?" followed by "Here in the village?".
"Maygam's company left a few weeks ago" says the youngster, he continues with "And Golmot's left a couple of days ago" followed by "Not all of them though, some are still here".
After getting directions to where Golmot's mercenary company are based.
Draugadrottin flips the child a gold coin, which he catches and stares at in wonder, before he stuffs it his pocket, as the four strangers walk away.
The undead warlord leads the other three of them around to the back of one of the taverns here in the large sprawling village.
Behind it is effectively a barracks, where Golmot's mercenary company are based whilst here in the last safe village in the pit, before it's the free for all which most of the City of Ruins is.
"Shur Kee go and talk to them" says the heavily armoured deathlord, who then switches to the ork language and adds "Go with him cunt, stand behind him and don't say fucken anything, just look mean".
Dorkindle grunts in understanding, and follows after the short, statured monk.
Whilst lord Farque and sir Percavelle Lé Dic lean up against the back of the tavern.
Watching the physical adept from the far east coast of the continent and the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world.
Walk over to the small group of mercs hanging around the front of the barracks building.
Des'tier who can hear the conversation Shur Kee is having with the mercenaries.
Stands up straight when hears what the third one the fighting monk speaks to, and shows the parchment paper with the illustration of a person on it, has to say.
The mercenary speaks freely, though a little nervously as he keeps glancing at the large ork scowling at him, while standing behind the short, statured monk.
After Shur Kee speaks to the eight mercenaries, he and Dorc da Orc make their way back to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, and the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic.
"They tried to hire them a few weeks ago, but instead they were hired by" says the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li.
"I heard" says lord Farque as he interrupts the short, statured monk.
"Maygam's then" murmurs the undead warlord, who then tells the other three "Come on, let's go and tell the others what we've found out" . . . . . .