Prologue
The soft wind of summer blew against the sails of a small wooden boat, as it calmly treaded the sun soaked waters of the sea. Aboard the boat was only one man, Eldric Valeborne stood upon the bow of the small vessel with ambition in his eyes. Once mercilessly conscripted for his nation’s military, Eldric defected due to the lack of conflict. Just the thought of battle excited Eldric, as he greatly enjoyed honing his swordsmanship. Eldric had sailed for months, seeking his fortunes upon the vast ocean, and luck had ceased to exist for him. Eldric had only lived for himself, as he desired gold to make himself a mighty figure of wealth and power.
Eldric looked ahead into the distance towards the north to see a small island, it’d been four days since he had seen any form of land.
“Land! alas my luck has returned.” Eldric exclaimed to himself as he descended from the deck of his boat. With a light splash, the anchor dropped to the floor of the shallow port water. Many boats and ships were ever present in the harbor, some large, and some small that were teeming with rugged sailors. Eldric equipped his trusted blade and shield and made way towards the nearby town as the bright sun of early August shone upon his wavy hair.
“Which way is the Tavern?” were the first words Eldric uttered when he arrived, not directing it at anyone specifically. Eldric’s presence went almost unnoticed, as the town was filled with an abundance of folk scattered about.
“It’s this way sir, just up the hill.” a frail voice replied close by, Eldric noticed the young man speaking to him. “I am Evan Cecil, dockhand of Commerce.”
Eldric did not reply as he just followed the direction, Evan followed behind with a worried face.
“You must proceed with caution sir!”, This is a dangerous town.”
“Just a mere trades town, nothing of danger.” Eldric replied as he walked with Evan in his tracks.
“No Sir! This island has been shadowed by wicked deeds, bandits have driven this town into a hole of thievery and murder!”. Evan’s words did not dissuade Eldric, as he did not fear anything. Eldric had fought many men during his travels, and defeat was something he knew little of.
“Send them to me then, and their throats shall meet my blade” quipped Eldric, who chuckled as he trudged through the crowd of men surrounding the outside of the tavern. With a faint sigh, Evan stopped and grudgingly marched back to the port.
The wide Tavern was filled with noises of drunken laughter and spirited music. Eldric found himself a lone stool at the far end of the wooden counter, allowing himself to survey his surroundings.
“What can I get ye?” asked a fat man with a gaunt, flushed face.
“One tankard of Ale is all”. Eldric slapped his coins upon the counter, trading them for his drink. He drank the ale slowly, wanting to enjoy the concoction that had become rare to him during his recent travels.
“What brings ye to Commerce?, not often new folk pass through here” asked the Fat man who was wiping down a plate.
“I am looking for work, my blade is always for hire”, are there any bounties available?”
“There is, but they are done in secret. Commerce has been sacked by bandits, and every lad and lady in town wants these bandits dead, but no one has the balls to do anythin’ drastic....”. The bartender spoke quietly, hoping no associate or spy of the bandits would overhear him. Eldric would not refuse such a revered opportunity, but he desired the right gold if he was to do it. “I can have all of them killed! As long as you have the coin to repay that is!”.
“You think you can take em on yourself fella? They ain’t such pushovers and they always come by the hundreds to ransack what they can! One time I saw em hang a man’s wife and raid his house just for walking on the wrong side of the road. They’re some brutal folk, with their only desires to do harm...they ain’t no petty outlaws,” said the bartender with some fear.
“Nothing is too tall of a task for me, but only for the right reward of course. A group of scattered and untrained brigands aren’t even close to my skill when it comes to combat” said Eldric confidently.
“Aye…. if you think you could have this done somehow…. then every man across the seas will be in your debt, you won’t have to worry about any reward after that”.
He passed a bounty contract beneath the table, and Eldric signed the multitude of papers with a nearby quill. “I’ll vow to eliminate these bandits for you and this town, i swear it shall be done” he promised.
“Not just the town lad! You’re making a vow to every soul across the seas!” Eldric felt hesitant for a moment, but his cocksure mindset quickly rid any thoughts of doubt.
“So be it!” he slipped the papers into his pocket and departed the tavern.
As Eldric headed towards the harbor, he was approached by the fleeted Evan yet again, who was a frail and raggedly dressed young man whose dark hair was shorn.
“Sir?, can i sail with you?” asked the man with both sadness and hope in his voice.
“Why...of course not, I don’t need some little shit to slow me down!”. Evan could feel the might in Eldric’s strong voice, he had a distinct accent as his words would often be accompanied with the roll of his tongue. “I beg of you!, please take me away from the miserable hive! I have nothing...”. Evan’s plea would not help him, as Eldric responded by knocking him down. Evan’s knees met the dirt, and his mind rushed with brief anguish.
“Piss off now would you?! You have a choice, you stay on this scum stained rock of a town, or be killed by me”. Evan was seized in silence, and he followed Eldric no further.
Eldric set off, and sailed towards the north once again. He was a short man, with dark blonde hair that matched his small patch of a beard. He wore a long green leather coat which he kept open as it wafted in the soft summer breeze. Eldric looked at the thick bounty, which had a long list detailing every known wanted man or woman in the bandit group. The bounty came with a few old letters hinting at the locations of the wanted Men and Women. The Bandits were known to bear a symbol of a fiery corpse, and a dagger; which Eldric deemed a vital hint during his hunt. In his old Nation, he was trained in the art of tracking and survival, which became useful to him after his defection. The letter’s directions took him to a new shore, where he disembarked at the strike of dawn. The small wooden boat was pushed against the coarse sand, as the sail was quickly dirtied. He wandered upon the islet, and began to think of his future victory. He scoured the beach, searching for any footsteps or other indications of a bandit’s presence. After an hour of careful hunting, Eldric stopped to rest. He sat himself upon a log that stretched from the woods onto the dark sand. He pulled off his long brown boots, which were filled with sand. The warm breeze relieved his calloused feet, and he savoured the feeling. Something in the distance caught Eldric’s eye, he looked into the thick woods to see an unpleasant sight. Two arms were dangling from a tree, held together by a rope adorned with wet blood. The blood formed a trail that lead deeper into the collection of pine trees, and Eldric followed it quietly, with his hand gripping the handle of his broadsword. Two grizzled men sat by a fire, both clothed in scraggly coats with symbols of a burning man and a dagger stitched onto them. There was a dead woman lying on the ground beside them, who had no arms to show for. Her clothes were torn by the breasts and bottom, with blood stained upon her skin. Eldric leaped out of the woods, drawing his blade against the unsuspecting men. They staggered backwards, rushing to arm themselves with their daggers.
“Yer a smart feller, finding us out here”. One of the men uttered in an ill tone, snickering at Eldric.
“Smart? Any oaf could have found you with the trail of blood you left!” Eldric kicked the both of them onto the mossy grass before they could reach their weapons, and he bound their hands with the rope. “Tell me where Nathan Kane is!” he demanded, stepping on the back of one of their necks. “We aren’t obliged to tell ya….our leader has no business with a shithead like you! CUNT! ”, one of the men responded, spitting on the ground.
“Just slit our throats and collect yer bounty money, if that’s what ye wants.” said the other. Eldric raised his sword hastily, and grasped it towards the backs of both men. One continued to salivate angrily, and the other growled. “Go and fuck yourself! We’re not telling ya shit!” one said angrily. Eldric knew he’d be able to outsmart the two foolish men, and he hacked one’s arm off, and cut off the other’s foot. “Tell me now! Or i’ll feed you your own toes, scum!” he shouted.
“Gwrahahaha…..that smell of blood sure is fine” one uttered as the place where his arm had been was leaking red. The other was speechless, writhing silently in pain as he clutched his dismembered foot. Eldric could tell that he was scared, contrasting from his comrade’s stubborn loyalty. “You’re wasting your time, hahahaha...give up now while you still can, cunt!” the maimed bandit snarled, sitting himself up and smiling confidently. Eldric thought for a moment, and drove his blade through the brigand’s chest, while sparing the other. “Please…... I begs of ye…...put me out of me misery……” croaked the footless survivor, meekly. Eldric kneeled over the man, to see his desperate expression.
“I will, only if you do what I ask. Tell me where Nathan Kane is, where is your leader?”
The footless man looked at Eldric sadly, and tears fell from his eyes as he spoke: “He..he..he hauled himself up to Normallen, that big Kingdom north of ere, all of em went with him, and we were followin’ behind...”.
“Thank you” Eldric replied, cutting the man’s throat. He was grateful to know that loyalties were diverse in the Bandit group, and he set off towards the beach with a jump in his step.
Eldric had heard legends and tales of Normallen when he was a young child, and was greatly mesmerized by them. Hailed as a great Kingdom of beauty, power and riches, Normallen was a home to Men, Elves and many creatures and beasts alike. Sprawling with high mountains, clear rivers and vast plains as far as the eye could see, Normallen was a place that Eldric always dreamed of venturing to.
He sailed for a few days more until arriving at the south-eastern edge of the Kingdom, as he anxiously observed the high mountains in the distance. He stepped off of his boat into a town known as Port Vvama, which greatly contrasted with Commerce. The town was sprawling with rich folk, spirited music and the smell of fine food was ever present. Eldric embraced the atmosphere of Port Vvama, as he let out a breath of satisfaction. A lone brothel stood in the west end of the port, and Eldric made his way there without any hesitation. After a long night filled with drinking and sex with the fine women of Normallen, Eldric had felt more like himself then he did before. It had been months since he had last been inside of a woman, and he had almost forgotten the feeling of it. Despite the warm welcome, Eldric knew he had work to fulfil. He trotted through the beautiful town, searching for the gate that would lead him into the Kingdom.
A large group of orange-clad minstrels and dancers surrounded the Town’s square, as a formidable crowd observed. The entertainers began to frolic through the square, and sung:
Ho! time has come, the time has come. All will fight, all will fight!
A race for the ages, men will sin, villages will burn! Only one can win!
Ho! The war is long done, the race has now come. All will die! all will die!
Brigands! Bandits! Knights! Left home they did!
Brigands! Bandits! Knights! Only one can live!
Ho! time has come, the time has come. All will fight, all will fight!
Ho! songs will be sung, for the Race of Riches has finally come!
Only One can Win!
The wealthy crowd cheered and tossed coins towards them as they took a bow. Eldric looked on with some confusion. “What’s going on?” he asked of a Woman beside him.
“You haven’t heard? The King has issued a challenge to anyone in Normallen who is willing to retrieve his lost scepter and return it to him.” she replied.
“For what reward?” he asked.
“He deems to knight whoever brings it to him, and reward the victor with all the gold one could desire. It’s only been two days since he-”. Eldric scurried out of sight before the Woman could finish, as he became aroused upon discovering his new opportunity to acquire wealth and fame.
“Perfect”, Eldric whispered to himself as he smiled. He rushed out of Port Vvama’s northern gate, and into the great wilds of the Kingdom.
Eldric put his new goal in focus, eager to fulfil both his mission of eliminating the bandits, and finding the scepter. He couldn’t fathom the amount of gold and rewards he would receive if he were to accomplish both, and he never felt so anxious. Eldric crumpled the bounty letters into the deep pockets of his trousers, running towards the massive mountain in the far distance. Eldric’s new quest to find the King’s lost sceptre would have him joining hundreds of other warriors, mercenaries, and thieves alike, as many desired to become the victor of the Race of Riches, a challenge that would welcome the mightiest adventure the Kingdom may ever know.
