Our Benefactor - Rivan Nikea [Crucible: Dark Age of Imeria]
- Thread starter Grey
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Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
The man shakes his head, still smiling.
"No need to bow to me... Rivan? I'm Bran."
Bran glances around, briefely-
"Would-be Captain of the Guard if his 'lordship' trusted me." He sneers.
"No need to bow to me... Rivan? I'm Bran."
Bran glances around, briefely-
"Would-be Captain of the Guard if his 'lordship' trusted me." He sneers.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
Bran shrugs expansively, pacing a little restlessly back and forth.
"I don't see why not, really. I was once a Captain in the city watch, over in Ymon. And now? I'd be even better at the job! Not that it'd take much work, out here. There's never any action, kept locked up in this bloody gilded cage..."
He pauses - very still, in fact - and then regards you intently.
"Hm. Almost time to eat, I should think-"
"Rivan, Master Bran," says a voice from behind Bran - the refined drawl of Fipps, the butler. Bran practically leaps out of his skin and whirls on the old man.
"By Degra Veen, how do you do that?"
Fipps appears unmoved by Bran's discomfort.
"I am a classically trained butler, sir." He says, and turns to you. "Dinner will be served shortly, Rivan."
"I don't see why not, really. I was once a Captain in the city watch, over in Ymon. And now? I'd be even better at the job! Not that it'd take much work, out here. There's never any action, kept locked up in this bloody gilded cage..."
He pauses - very still, in fact - and then regards you intently.
"Hm. Almost time to eat, I should think-"
"Rivan, Master Bran," says a voice from behind Bran - the refined drawl of Fipps, the butler. Bran practically leaps out of his skin and whirls on the old man.
"By Degra Veen, how do you do that?"
Fipps appears unmoved by Bran's discomfort.
"I am a classically trained butler, sir." He says, and turns to you. "Dinner will be served shortly, Rivan."
Gilded cage? I wonder what he meant...
"Thank you sir. I'll head down to the messes."
"Will you join us?" Rivan asks Bran. He isn't sure what Captain of the Ymon City Watch entails, but presumably it means that Bran is good with weapons of a sort - and friends who are good at fighting are always good to have.
"Thank you sir. I'll head down to the messes."
"Will you join us?" Rivan asks Bran. He isn't sure what Captain of the Ymon City Watch entails, but presumably it means that Bran is good with weapons of a sort - and friends who are good at fighting are always good to have.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
Bran stares for a moment, and then bursts into hearty peals of laughter as he walks away into the gloom.
"The boy has no idea! Haha!"
Fipps has also left, but you recall where the dining room is. Somebody mentioned that the staff were graciously allowed the use thereof for their dinner, or so you recall.
"The boy has no idea! Haha!"
Fipps has also left, but you recall where the dining room is. Somebody mentioned that the staff were graciously allowed the use thereof for their dinner, or so you recall.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
The dining room is spacious, laid out with two long tables, brightly lit, and warmed by a roaring fire.
The smell of food is delicious, the tables laden down with a sumptuous banquet - pork, mutton, even some beef. All manner of soups, fish, vegetables, fresh bread, and fruits from the Southlands.
Lord Kain's staff are very well taken care of.
The room rumbles low and amiably with conversation. You can see the cook from earlier, some of the guards... perhaps thirty people in all, including the maids.
The smell of food is delicious, the tables laden down with a sumptuous banquet - pork, mutton, even some beef. All manner of soups, fish, vegetables, fresh bread, and fruits from the Southlands.
Lord Kain's staff are very well taken care of.
The room rumbles low and amiably with conversation. You can see the cook from earlier, some of the guards... perhaps thirty people in all, including the maids.
Sitting down, Rivan begins to eat. Silently, he ponders stealing some of the dried food and bread away to save for later. After all, it pays to be safe - if Lord Kain's household was really a "gilded cage", he might have to make a break for it sometime and a store of food would be useful.
He will not talk to anyone out of his own volition, but will willingly engage in conversation if anyone approaches him
He will not talk to anyone out of his own volition, but will willingly engage in conversation if anyone approaches him
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
One or two people speak to you over dinner, though nothing more than idle pleasantries.
The food is excellent, and it dawns on you what good care Lord Kain takes of his staff. They all seem so much healthier and more youthful than those outside the estate.
After dinner, the staff go their ways - some stay behind to clean, some of the senior staff, including a few of the women, stay by the fire with ales. The rest leave in knots of twos and threes, talking and laughing.
It occurs to you that it must be quite late by now.
The food is excellent, and it dawns on you what good care Lord Kain takes of his staff. They all seem so much healthier and more youthful than those outside the estate.
After dinner, the staff go their ways - some stay behind to clean, some of the senior staff, including a few of the women, stay by the fire with ales. The rest leave in knots of twos and threes, talking and laughing.
It occurs to you that it must be quite late by now.