"Hey Boss...shouldn't we...try to ease relations with Lord Craysin? If he gets too angry then he may send adventurers to take us out.."Spoke a young man about the age of 17 in leather armor and a shortsword at his side. He had black spiky hair and a common-looking face and features. White, rough skin , with farmer like arms and a slighty obese body. The boss was a much larger man with orange hair and a long scraggly beard that reached his chest...Both seemed a bit unkempt as bandit life was hard and around the age of 38 who whore rusty and poor condition plate mail with a large greatsword on his back. The boss looked over to his underling and said, "The adventurer guild is not associated with any nobility and is recognized by the crown as a big asset. The guild will not accept any request he has since we do not commit any crimes. Our only bad rep is that the Lord does not favor our presence."
The young man sighed and went to turn to leave but his boss stopped him.
"Tai....listen, kid, don't worry about it! I and the rest of the Razor Bandits will protect each other...we are a family after all."The boss spoke before the two clasped their arms together with a brotherly sort of manner.
The Razor bandit base was pretty good despite living away on their own...a large wooden wall with logs with spikes on their end around the entire base and many wooden structures inside for sleeping, eating, and bathing. There was also a small yard for training and leisure which included dice, drinking games, or just tomfoolery. There were four towers at each of the corners of the base with archers appointed to keep watch. A large gate for entering and exiting...
The Razor base is an oddity since they have been able to keep themselves from being taken out by the adventurer guild from now due to the way they make their money. They offer protection for the many villages that don't get any help from their lord....because of this they have gained quite a good reputation from the villages...and are often celebrated as heroes when they take out any monsters that attack their homes.
The land they operate in is called Fallstone due to the many trees that retain their fall colors year-round. The lord of the land is called, Lord Craysin. Lord Craysin cares not for the small villages in his area of influence and discards any request of help from them. These villages include Redstone, Yellowstone, and Greenstone. They reside on the outer edge of his domain and require passing merchants for any complex goods they wouldn't get otherwise since the main city of Redfall is about a week of travel away.
The Razor bandits only protect the people of the outer rim but called Bandits because of Lord Craysin...only because it irritates him that the people praise such commoners...of whom have created their own small encampment. It gives hope to those that are working as farmers of a different life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tai is in the yard of the Razor Bandits fort and is training his swordsmanship against a training dummy and is doing his best. Yet he has had not much training in the past....and only had recently joined the Razor Bandits in hopes of starting out a life on his own...and not become a farmer. At the edge of the yard by the wall sits an experienced man with a chain mail shit and a tabard which was black and had the crest of Razor bandits made on it. It was that of a lion with its mouth open roaring and a small broken crown on its head. This was to symbolize the flaws of the nobles and the royals....of whom are born spoon feed everything. The man has brown hair that was short and split in the middle letting it hang on the side of his head. He has green eyes and a small beard which made him out to be quite handsome..
The man walks over to Tai and says, "Hey look you need to straighten your a little more and widen your stance when you swing otherwise you'll have no power behind it....here let me show you."
The man held his blade in hand and turned toward the dummy and sliced splitting the dummy in two.
Tai's eyes lit up with amazement as he spoke, "That was amazing mister! Truly amazing!"
"The name's Grain...I used to be a soldier before joining up with the Razors...got sick of all the drills and sucking up to the noble class. If you want I could keep teaching you how to swing this thing properly if you want."Grain spoke before sheathing his blade.
Tai couldn't believe Grain was so good at the blade...so he readily accepted his offer.
The day went on like normally and eventually, it was nightfall, Tai was stationed to be a guard that patrolled the inside of the fort in the yard. He was a little tired from training all day with Grain, but he still had his job to do. He enjoyed his life in the Razor bandits. He helped people by taking out the monsters that threatened the villages and was seen as a hero. Tai was even getting sweet on a girl he would see whenever he was stationed at Redstone. Maria was her name....a pretty and kind girl...
The night continued on without much to note before Tai could hear someone walking in the shadows....curious and because he was a guard he walked over to find out who it was. Getting into the small alleyway from the side of the building and walls of the fort he could see nothing but a few crates and a bird sleeping on the top of the building...
"Hmm...guess it was nothing.."Tai said before turning around but a blunt object smacked the back of his head making him fall to the ground passed out.
A few hours later he was awakened by the sounds of screams and yells of terror....and the heat of flames. Opening his eyes he was presented by a scene of absolute madness... Dead bandits all around the base...fire has spread through all of the buildings that ran up the main pathway. Even the boss's house was aflame but not as much as the others. His eyes widen as he yells, "Boss!!!!"
Tai's voice screeched through the air as he began running through the fort with tears in his eyes for his fellow members.....good people. He burst through the door of his boss's home and was met with the clanging of blades and axes. Grain and the boss were fighting against three people. A halfling wearing a cloak and leather armor with twin daggers, a tall slender mage in blue robes and staff, and a large man with an axe. They wore the sigil of the adventurer guild around their necks in the form of a necklace with a silver rectangle at the end.
Tai's core was shaken...these three monsters had no form of remorse or sense of care for the life of others...they fought because of the rewards for jobs. They had grins on their faces and to Tai, it seemed like red eyes of demons. Monsters to monsters.
"Boss! Grain!"Tai called out before rushing forward to aid them by taking on the halfling...to him it seemed like his best shot at winning. Tai charged forward toward the halfling with his blade as he remembered Grain's lessons on a proper swing and executed it perfectly making the blade come on quickly and with good form. Despite this, the halfling was able to dodge nimbly and dash forward kicking Tai in the gut making him fly back and roll on his back and pass out once more.
"Kid!!!"Grain called out nearly turning to check on him but was a soldier....he knew doing so would result in his death....however the boss was no soldier...just a kind man who protected people. The boss turned and was smashed by the large man with his axe cutting him down making it sink into his stomach and he falls back hitting the wall of the building.
Grain was the pelted by a barrage of four blue spikes of mana from the robed elven woman of their group. He wasn't out just yet and parried the large man's axe giving him a slice across his side letting blood splurt out....however the halfling was able to get in his blindspot and stab both his blades right through Grain's body making him yell out in pain as he bled on the ground standing and wobbling...this was his end.
"Why...why did the guild....accept Craysin's request..?"Grain spoke as he knocked on the door of death. The adventurer's kept quiet and the large man brought down his axe splitting Grain in half with his might.
15 minutes pass and Tai wakes up to his right arm searing with pain as it was being burned by the encroaching fire.. He yells out in horror before getting up and patting himself out. The fire was close to collapsing the house and he needed to get out. With tears in his eyes he looks toward the door to leave but turns to see his friend Grain on the ground dead and his boss in the same boat.. wincing and feeling a large amount of dread and hatred before turning and leaving the burning building.
In the main city Redfall, the adventuring guild has gotten a lot more recruits joining with a lust for wonder and adventurer or some with the taste for money. The head of the guild is named Morock Fellburrow, a man many would call strong and others quite disgusting. Morock's perverted nature and indulgence into the sins of the world give him a greedy and lustful nature. In his downtime Morock finds himself chasing wenches at the local brothel with him being loaded the women have no choice but to serve him. His greed fills him with delight when he oftentimes gambles a large portion of his earnings in table games. However, he seems to always do his job as a guild master with excellent results, and many take note of his deeds. A split of two sides has erupted within the guild. Those that praise Morock for his great work or those that think his sins and greedy nature will be the downfall of the guild and have elected vice guild master Ray to take his seat as the headmaster.
Morock is a large man of width instead of length making him out be 260 pounds at a height of 5'9. He wears large robs and loose trousers mostly to feel more comfortable. He has long black hair and large bushy eyebrows. His eyes are dark brown and his face is quite chubby yet slightly appealing. His skin is clear without any blemishes yet he has a greedy nature that most find disgusting and repulsive except those that praise him for the work he does at the guild.
Inside Morock's quarters as the guild, he is speaking with Lord Craysin at his lounging couch by a lit fire. The small office was decorated with many expensive paintings and weapons on display which gave the air of higher living. Lord Craysin is a thinly built man of about 140 pounds at 6' feet tall with decent looks. He has short spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a long purple coat with dark black pants and purple shoes. At his side was a flintlock pistol with gold engravings.
"So about our deal... I require the amount you promised for dispatching those nuisances who resided in the forests."Morock snorted while rubbing his hands together and growing a shit-eating grin.
"Yes, of course, Morock. Your required amount of 2,000 gold is here.."Craysin spoke before handing over a large bag of gold which was extremely heavy.
Morock grinned evilly before two continued to talk about future deals...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After leaving the burnt remains of the Razor Hideout, Tai began making his way to Redstone while battling with horrible scenes he was subjected to...by those adventurers. Their faces burned into his memory....he'd not forgot them... At the moment more pressing matters arouse..he was starving and had been walking for a couple of days now toward Redstone. Usually, they would go by horse and get there before the end of the day. His burn wound on his arm was getting worse... He bandaged it as best he could but he was no healer. Currently, Tai is walking down a dirt path through a thick forest with no clearing insight... On his left and right were thick brush and trees obstructing his view.
It was turning midday, but the forest still quite dark and held a mysterious and unsettling air about it. Tai sighed before stopping to take a breather on a nearby rock. Sitting down he could feel his feet begin to relax and giving him a relaxed comfy sensation in his feet. Tai began massaging his feet after taking off his shoes.
"Damn....all this walking is hurting my feet....I hope I get to Redstone soon..."Tai spoke before a frown formed as he began to reflect on the events that had transpired a few days ago. Clenching his fists tightly Tai steeled his resolve and put his shoes back on to get back walking.
"RAAAAGGHHH!"Roared out some inhuman beast and shortly followed after was a scream, "KYAAAAAAA!!!" yelled a girl of which seemed to respond to the beast.
Tai took no moment to think before rushing after the source with the strength of will building in his soul giving protection from his fear of death so that his determination to save this girl from the monster filled his mind.
Tai entered a small clearing surrounded by thick trees to see the girl being chased by a large creature the size of half a rhino. It had a large robust body and stood on all fours. Mud and leaves covered it's back and it radiated a horrible dung-like smell that made one want to puke. It had the face of an elephant with large tusks and a long trunk. The girl was helpless against its size and aggression which terrorized the young girl.
"Hey, fat ass! Over here!!!"Tai yelled out to the beast which turned quickly toward him and began to charge while letting out a loud roar once more which stung Tai's ears making him want to cover them instinctively.
Tai gritted his teeth and began running into the woods to lead it away... As the beast approached closer and closer Tai began to get worried but remembered his duty to the people of villages he used to protect. To bring down the monsters that threatened the common people...to protect them form goblins and orcs that tried their hand at raiding them. It was all up to him now..and he would not fail!
Tai rounded a tree before turning quickly and jumping into the air flipping and landing on the beast's back, stabbing his sword down to pierce the neck. Blood gushed out of the beast but it did not fall and instead began a frenzy of bucking and snorting in pain to get Tai off. Tai held on with his legs and stabbed into the neck over and over again while more meat and blood were ripped from the monster's body making slow down and eventually fall over dead.
Covered in blood and viscera Tai got up from the corpse and began cleaning his shirt while heading back to calm himself. Shaking his head and breathing for a moment cleared his head. Once he made it back to the clearing he could see the girl shaking slightly but still alive. Sighing in relief he walked over and was stunned to notice it was Maria from Redstone.
"Maria?!"Tai said aloud to which she perked up in response with surprise.
"Tai? I'm glad you came...when you did or otherwise I'd be flattened by now...."Maria spoke while sighing in relief.
Maria was a pretty village girl who wore a common blue dress with leather boots on and long dirty blonde hair with blue eyes. She has a soft face with an oval head and beautiful features. Maria is 17 as well as Tai and seemed to be growing quite quickly in some areas which made her a target for many of the young men in the village.
"I didn't know you were coming here. We didn't receive any word."She spoke a little confused but still happy to see him.
"I....well I'll explain later...but would you mind taking me to the village? My arm is very burned and I'm gonna need some ointment to heal it or the aid of the healer..."He told her
She nodded and began helping him walk back to the village promising him that she'd help with his wounds and cook him something to eat for saving her life while they headed toward the Redstone village.
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