Mount & Blade: Rise of War, Chapter I
Chapter I
Humble Beginnings
June 2, 1266 CE, Praven, Night.
I had a long journey to Calradia and I finally arrived. Three months in this bloody ship. Now, at last, I am standing on solid ground. I was breathing fresh air. The city of Praven was the wealthiest city on this land. Well, that was until the Nords started their attacks. But its beauty... It was the first time in Calradia and everything was new for me, so I was excited about everything. New experiences, a new life of opportunities. Sure, I have yet much to see, but Praven was good enough for the time being. I was walking down the street, looking for a tavern, where I could find the man called the Merchant of Praven. I forgot to mention, that, because of the contineous wars in Calradia, criminality, especially in the small villages in the countryside, was raising, and fast. The lords, letting aside their castles, they did not give a devil's curse about the luck of their lands in the fields, as long as they were talking their taxes. King Harlaus, the king of Praven and all of Swadia, was now old. Not that he did not participate in the military campaigns, but, you know, the older a man becomes, the less energetic he is. The captain of the ship that brought me here, told me how Harlaus became king. Outside of Sargoth, the capital of the Nords, during a great war, all the so called "civilised" tribes of Swadia, Rhodoks and the Sarranids, met the army of the "barbaric" tribes of the Nords, the Vaegirs and the Κhanates. The Swadians and their allies, had an army of about 30.000 men, with Harlaus (just a knight back then) in command. The "barbaric" forces came up about 70.000 men.
In the bloody battle that followed, the barbaric tribes were crushed, with the dead reaching the number of 20.000 men, while Harlaus lost only about 350 men. Such was his strategic mind and bravery as a general, that the men of Swadia, proclaimed him king after the battle, with the full support, of the leaders of the Rhodoks and the Sarranids. Due to the lack of leadership in Swadia, during that time, the people welcomed its new king, with great enthusiasm. And he was good. He managed to rebuild the kingdom, make a great army, build a stable economy. But he did not managed to stop the corruption. Maybe due to the lack of time. Not many years passed and the Nords, once again, threatend the prosperous kingdom. Harlaus had to be away for far too long, leaving behind the weak and the corrupt to take care of his kingdom. They are to blame for the situation of the state.
Returning to real time, as I was saying, I was walking down the almost emptied streets, because it was night, and all the honest folks, had left the streets. I had my equipment on. Kite shield on my back with my crossbow, sword in its case, hanging on the side of my belt and in my hands, my belongings. Suddenly, I stopped at my feet, feeling the cold steel of a sword on my back.
"I'd like to have a look on your purse and your belongings" said the scam behind me, with irony in his voice. Multiple scenarios came to my mind, as all the training of my father came to my mind. I came up with the most usual solution, hoping that he would as dumb as he sounds. raised my hands and let go of my belongigs. The sack with my things, dropped at the street. The thief, bent over my things, with a smile on his face. The thing that he didn't know, was that I had the advantage now.
"Smart man..." he said, without looking at me, being distracted looking at my purses.
"I hear that a lot" I said. With a rapid move, I leaned forward, drew out my sword and turned to him. Before the thief even realising what had happened, I had chopped both his hands. He fell on the ground with his back, shocked, looking at me and his chopped hands at the same time.
"Next time, choose carefully who you choose to rob" I said and I sank my sword into his chest. Blood came out of his chest and he died immediatly. Some people heared the trouble and came to see what was happening. Some of them looked at me with admiration, others with terror. I didn't really care about them at this moment. I just cleaned my blade and sheathed my sword. I turned to continue my way but I saw an elderly man standing in my way, with his eyes widened from the butchered body on the street.
"Are you alright, son?" he asked me, with concern.
"Yes, thank you sir" I replied. He was still loking at the dead body. So I changed the subject to distract him.
"Sir, I am searching for the Merchant of Praven. Could you point out his whereabout?" I asked. The man shaked his head, returning to the real world.
"I am the man you are looking for. Come, come young man. Before the incident draw unwanted looks. You have been in enough trouble already".
The Merchant took me into his house. He stayed a little while longer, looking from the eye of his door, in case we've been followed. After ensuring that we were fine he came to me.
"Please, come, sit. Make yourself confortable. Do you need anything to eat?". I nodded affirmatively. The food at the boat was... well, you know, kind of garbage. He was very kind and very helpful.
"What is your name young man?" he asked me when he was done taking care of my needs and finally sitting down with me.
"I am Tharon, sir".
"Please, call me Talius. I am not that old... Not yet at least". He laughed. "Were are you from, Tharon? Why did you come to this shit-hole, we call home?".
"I am not from Calradia. I came from a land far away. The famine... well, it destroyed us... It took away my family... My only way, was to come here. I had heard many great things about this land, about the people of Swadia, and I thought, why not? I have nothing to lose".
"So you chose to come here... Bad choice if you ask me. But with your skills..." he said and stopped.
"What about them?" I asked him.
"You are a promising fighter. A remarkable I could say. I saw your moves down the street. In Calradia, you could be useful in many ways... And maybe, I have a proposition for you".
I arrived in Calradia in order to do something with my life. Maybe this was the chance I was looking for.
"I have nothing to lose, I guess" I said and looked with interest at him.
"The scum that attacked you on the street... he is not the first nor the last. There are many gangs of thieves and bandits hiding in the hills. I do not blame them entirily, they surely have their reasons. Some of them are deserters, having enough of all the bloody wars that are taking place in our kingdom".
"But how do they manage to come into the city walls?" I asked.
"The continuous wars has strech thin our army. More and more men are neede to the frontline. There are not enough men to watch our streets. But... I have another theory. We have a leak. A corrupted commander. Someone who hlps them...".
"Aaand... you want me to find if that's true?".
"No, no, not yet at least. The thing is... they have my brother... He is a stupid kid... He would have known the consequences of his actions. Well, you are a stranger you have an excuse. But he has not. And you at least you are trained you know how to swing a sword. Let alone the bloody reputation of our house". At that point, I raised my eyebrow to dissaprove. "I know what you are thinking" Talius continued. "But when you gain prestige, it is difficult to sustain it. People talk you know... Maybe, if you ever become like me or reach higher than me, you will understand". I ended my meal and I looked at him.
"I'll do it" I said.
"Thank you! I really do! You will have my eternal gratitude. Let alone..." he said and took a purse from a chest. "I will pay you". I liked the idea, but I decided to play the honorable card.
"No, this is not why I do this" I said, but he inturrupted me.
"You are going to need them. You cannot hit them on your own. You will need some men to do the job. There is a village, a three hour ride from here, called Azgad. It is a village owned by Count Clais. Use his name, if you they do not listen to you. After you find the men, you are gonna need to find there base of operations".
"You mean their lair".
"Call it whatever you like. A piece of stratigic advice. First the woods. There are plenty of bandits in there. Secondly, ambush them. Do not attack a group of twenty, you will not have enough men. Attack them when they are vulnerable. Play their game". He stopped. He looked into the purse and took out some coins. "Here are 100 denars. Use them to recruit the men. After you are done, bring my brother back. Then we will talk again".
"It's settled then" I said and I reached for his hand. He squezed it and shaked it. "I will leave before dawn. It could be a day's work I think"
"Do not get your hopes so high" Talius said to me. "I have patience. Just... bring him home alive. In the meantime, you can stay here for the night".
"Thank you" I replied to the kind old man. And I went to sleep. I had enough already. And the next day is going to be thrilling, too.
Author: Geralt Of Rivia
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 |
| In the bloody battle that followed, the barbaric tribes were crushed by Harlaus |
In the bloody battle that followed, the barbaric tribes were crushed, with the dead reaching the number of 20.000 men, while Harlaus lost only about 350 men. Such was his strategic mind and bravery as a general, that the men of Swadia, proclaimed him king after the battle, with the full support, of the leaders of the Rhodoks and the Sarranids. Due to the lack of leadership in Swadia, during that time, the people welcomed its new king, with great enthusiasm. And he was good. He managed to rebuild the kingdom, make a great army, build a stable economy. But he did not managed to stop the corruption. Maybe due to the lack of time. Not many years passed and the Nords, once again, threatend the prosperous kingdom. Harlaus had to be away for far too long, leaving behind the weak and the corrupt to take care of his kingdom. They are to blame for the situation of the state.
Returning to real time, as I was saying, I was walking down the almost emptied streets, because it was night, and all the honest folks, had left the streets. I had my equipment on. Kite shield on my back with my crossbow, sword in its case, hanging on the side of my belt and in my hands, my belongings. Suddenly, I stopped at my feet, feeling the cold steel of a sword on my back.
"I'd like to have a look on your purse and your belongings" said the scam behind me, with irony in his voice. Multiple scenarios came to my mind, as all the training of my father came to my mind. I came up with the most usual solution, hoping that he would as dumb as he sounds. raised my hands and let go of my belongigs. The sack with my things, dropped at the street. The thief, bent over my things, with a smile on his face. The thing that he didn't know, was that I had the advantage now.
"Smart man..." he said, without looking at me, being distracted looking at my purses.
"I hear that a lot" I said. With a rapid move, I leaned forward, drew out my sword and turned to him. Before the thief even realising what had happened, I had chopped both his hands. He fell on the ground with his back, shocked, looking at me and his chopped hands at the same time.
"Next time, choose carefully who you choose to rob" I said and I sank my sword into his chest. Blood came out of his chest and he died immediatly. Some people heared the trouble and came to see what was happening. Some of them looked at me with admiration, others with terror. I didn't really care about them at this moment. I just cleaned my blade and sheathed my sword. I turned to continue my way but I saw an elderly man standing in my way, with his eyes widened from the butchered body on the street.
"Are you alright, son?" he asked me, with concern.
"Yes, thank you sir" I replied. He was still loking at the dead body. So I changed the subject to distract him.
"Sir, I am searching for the Merchant of Praven. Could you point out his whereabout?" I asked. The man shaked his head, returning to the real world.
"I am the man you are looking for. Come, come young man. Before the incident draw unwanted looks. You have been in enough trouble already".
The Merchant took me into his house. He stayed a little while longer, looking from the eye of his door, in case we've been followed. After ensuring that we were fine he came to me.
"Please, come, sit. Make yourself confortable. Do you need anything to eat?". I nodded affirmatively. The food at the boat was... well, you know, kind of garbage. He was very kind and very helpful.
"What is your name young man?" he asked me when he was done taking care of my needs and finally sitting down with me.
"I am Tharon, sir".
"Please, call me Talius. I am not that old... Not yet at least". He laughed. "Were are you from, Tharon? Why did you come to this shit-hole, we call home?".
"I am not from Calradia. I came from a land far away. The famine... well, it destroyed us... It took away my family... My only way, was to come here. I had heard many great things about this land, about the people of Swadia, and I thought, why not? I have nothing to lose".
"So you chose to come here... Bad choice if you ask me. But with your skills..." he said and stopped.
"What about them?" I asked him.
"You are a promising fighter. A remarkable I could say. I saw your moves down the street. In Calradia, you could be useful in many ways... And maybe, I have a proposition for you".
I arrived in Calradia in order to do something with my life. Maybe this was the chance I was looking for.
"I have nothing to lose, I guess" I said and looked with interest at him.
"The scum that attacked you on the street... he is not the first nor the last. There are many gangs of thieves and bandits hiding in the hills. I do not blame them entirily, they surely have their reasons. Some of them are deserters, having enough of all the bloody wars that are taking place in our kingdom".
"But how do they manage to come into the city walls?" I asked.
"The continuous wars has strech thin our army. More and more men are neede to the frontline. There are not enough men to watch our streets. But... I have another theory. We have a leak. A corrupted commander. Someone who hlps them...".
"Aaand... you want me to find if that's true?".
"No, no, not yet at least. The thing is... they have my brother... He is a stupid kid... He would have known the consequences of his actions. Well, you are a stranger you have an excuse. But he has not. And you at least you are trained you know how to swing a sword. Let alone the bloody reputation of our house". At that point, I raised my eyebrow to dissaprove. "I know what you are thinking" Talius continued. "But when you gain prestige, it is difficult to sustain it. People talk you know... Maybe, if you ever become like me or reach higher than me, you will understand". I ended my meal and I looked at him.
"I'll do it" I said.
"Thank you! I really do! You will have my eternal gratitude. Let alone..." he said and took a purse from a chest. "I will pay you". I liked the idea, but I decided to play the honorable card.
"No, this is not why I do this" I said, but he inturrupted me.
"You are going to need them. You cannot hit them on your own. You will need some men to do the job. There is a village, a three hour ride from here, called Azgad. It is a village owned by Count Clais. Use his name, if you they do not listen to you. After you find the men, you are gonna need to find there base of operations".
"You mean their lair".
"Call it whatever you like. A piece of stratigic advice. First the woods. There are plenty of bandits in there. Secondly, ambush them. Do not attack a group of twenty, you will not have enough men. Attack them when they are vulnerable. Play their game". He stopped. He looked into the purse and took out some coins. "Here are 100 denars. Use them to recruit the men. After you are done, bring my brother back. Then we will talk again".
"It's settled then" I said and I reached for his hand. He squezed it and shaked it. "I will leave before dawn. It could be a day's work I think"
"Do not get your hopes so high" Talius said to me. "I have patience. Just... bring him home alive. In the meantime, you can stay here for the night".
"Thank you" I replied to the kind old man. And I went to sleep. I had enough already. And the next day is going to be thrilling, too.
Author: Geralt Of Rivia
Please support us by clicking here
Just at a scan, it needs a good edit.
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