Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

[Tassadar]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

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HP = 67, PP = 66, EP = 49, Status = Fine

"Of course. My thanks for the invitation, my name is Grash Ennalad. If I might stable my horse first in your barn, I don't think I'll be long but I would rather he not be left to wander" the armored figure replied to Eleanor's suggestion that they go inside, revealing an odd name that had both orcish and elvish sounds to it. Her hellhounds would disperse following her signal, but not without giving the armored man one last long warning glare, and they didn't go far.

He would, if permitted, lead his horse to her stable and leave it in one of the normally empty cells, setting up his feeding muzzle with some dried vegetables whether left there or simply tied to something nearby. "I represent someone interested in procuring some of your beasts," he replied simply to her question, "your reputation as a businesswoman and a breeder of dangerous creatures reached my lord, and I was tasked to go and see if there was any truth to the rumors, and acquire a pack of your hellhounds if such was possible."

He would follow her lead into the house, and continue to do so in a more metaphorical way once inside, taking off his boots if she did so and following her to wherever she wished to have their discussion. Once at a place of her choosing and signaled as such, the man would reach up and unstrap his helm, removing it to reveal a face of rough features and dark green skin, with a scar running across his right cheek. "Shall we do business?"

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

Eleanor looked at Grash curiously for a brief moment as he gave his name, though made no mention of the curiosity she had for such an odd name. "Of course, the stables are this way," Eleanor would direct Grash to the nearby stables, offering him his pick of cell as the farm's horses were currently enjoying their time in the enclosed field. Though to make sure none of the females got near the stranger's horse Eleanor shut the gate separating the stable and field before leading the man to the house. At his mention of his lord's hearing about her reputation as a breeder Eleanor's face lit up for a moment. Her current clients weren't really anyone of real note, though some of them were minor nobles looking for a bit more in their guard dogs and so their satisfaction may have reached Grash Ennalad's lord.

With a fire roaring in the fireplace the house was a nice contrast to the cold autumn winds blowing outside, and as the two of them entered the house Eleanor would direct Grash to the large dining table towards the end of the building. "Unfortunately I lack a study as all of the extra rooms were converted into guest rooms, so I'm afraid we'll have to do business here. Before we start, would you care for something to drink? A bit of wine, or something with a bit more bite to warm yourself?" Eleanor asked, leaving the armoured man to his own devices at the table as she wandered to the kitchen and took down a bottle of wine and whatever Grash would request to drink. Placing their drinks and glasses on a tray Eleanor would then take out and place a selection of sliced cooked meat, cheese, and some bread on the tray and joined Grash at the table. She glanced up at the man as she placed the tray down, and with his helmet removed she couldn't but notice his rugged appearance, and quite obvious orc heritage. The man clearly looked the part of a soldier or warrior, perhaps he was the commander of his lord's men?

"Please, help yourself to the food. I apologise for the simplicity of it, though if you are still around for it dinner will be served later on in the evening. Anyway, onto business," Setting the tray on the table Eleanor went to a cabinet nearby, and after rifling through it for a few moments she came back to the table carrying several books, one of them being a particularly hefty tome and took the seat opposite Grash. "Before we start I want you to know that my hellhounds are not domesticated dogs. These are highly intelligent beasts, and if handled incorrectly very dangerous beasts as well. And unlike pet dogs or war dogs they aren't cowed by violent punishments. Indeed, they'll have no need to act in an aggressive manner so long as they are treated with respect. So I need to know now. If your lord has a history of violent outbursts towards his animals I'm afraid our business here is concluded."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

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"Just water for me, thank you. I have made a long journey, and will make a longer journey yet," Grash replied when offered something to drink, and would sit down. He would wait until Eleanor had sat down as well before removing his gauntlets and taking a bit of the offered food. "I prefer simple, and do not wish to stretch your hospitality too far" he replied politely to her apology, offering a reassuring smile that seemed too kindly to appear on his scarred and weathered features.

"I am aware of the intelligence of such beasts, at least in theory. Truth be told, I did not believe it when I had heard that some had been domesticated, though what I saw earlier left it clear enough that the stories about you are true. You have my word that my lord is not one to abuse any of his subjects, be they beast or man, and that they will be treated with the utmost respect. Does this satisfy you?"

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

Eleanor smiled at Grash's reply and briefly nodded. "Yes, that's good enough for me," The woman then opened up the largest of the books first, flicking through it until she came to a blank page. Eleanor then picked up one of the thinner books and turned to a half scrawled on page and placed that next to the large tome.

"Now then, before we begin I will tell you that I prefer to deal with the customer directly when it comes to dealing with the specifics of what they are looking for. And I do recommend my customers stay at my farm, or at least nearby so they can come and visit during the time the hellhound has been birthed and its training period to facilitate a bond between master and owner. I've found that while they are intelligent the hellhounds take longer to trust and respect the person that they are supposed to take as their master. Also, if we can manage it during the breeding process I'd recommend your lord taking an alpha hellhound. With the alpha's respect it'll be easier for your lord to get the lesser hellhounds to follow the orders given to them. Unfortunately my alpha is currently away on business and I have no idea when he'll be back otherwise I'd be able to guarantee an alpha for your lord's pack, but my other hellhounds have been known to father alpha's of their own, so hopefully we'll be able to get a few from which your lord will be able to pick from should he so want one."

During her speech Eleanor had uncapped a bottle of ink and dabbed a quill into it, ready for when she needs to fill in the pages of her books. And after her speech Eleanor paused to pour Grash a glass of water from a jug and herself a glass of red wine. She took a sip before helping herself to some meat and cheese, draining her glass once her selection of food had been consumed. Anyway, with that said let's begin. Firstly, the name of your lord? Where does he live? Amount of hellhounds required? Reason for wanting the hellhounds?" With each question Eleanor paused to offer Grash the opportunity to answer, and her to write down his answers in the large book.

 

[Tassadar]

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Listening, Grash would nod cordially as Eleanor went over how she did things in regards to hellhound breeding, and would reply; "I am my lord's beastmaster in charge of this operation, and though I have business elsewhere this night I will be able to return in a week's time. If it is convenient, I would return to fulfill this portion of the requirements then, though I believe that my lord could arrange a brief visit. He would survey the situation at Gods-Reach after the recent assault, and your farm is not so far from there as to be out of the way."

When Eleanor began to ask questions, he would answer one by one; "We call him King, but his name is Olabuk. He is from a nomadic tribe, and has held with that policy of late, so he doesn't really live anywhere. We would like a pack of seven to start, with an alpha if such can be managed, and would like your permission to allow that pack to expand and replenish itself if such is required. Guard duty and the hunting of escaped property."

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

"Oh, a beastmaster? That would make sense on why your lord sent you in his stead then." Eleanor commented, a hint of surprise in her voice as she switched over to a smaller book and began to quickly scribble some notes down. "And sure, you'd be dealing with the hellhounds for the most part I assume, so it would make sense for you to be the one to be here when they're being trained. It would certainly be an honour if your lord did call in at some point during their training, but as you'll be the person instructing them it isn't absolutely necessary." Eleanor wasn't too familiar with the orcs and their culture and events detailing to them aside from what she had heard from the few mages that she had turned to to help Eleanor further understand her magical capabilities and so didn't really know anything about any recent attack on Gods-Reach. Though she made a note along with everything else Grash had spoken in the book, and fully intended on catching up with current events later on.

As Grash started answering her questions Eleanor turned back to the larger tome and began to fill in the page, only pausing briefly to glance up at Grash as he spoke about escaped property. What you do with the hellhounds after you've bought them from me is your business, so long as they aren't poorly treated. Breed them as often as you want, though they will most likely be needed to be trained to fall in line with the rest of them. Also, keep in mind that these are demons and that, while they're perfectly capable of going for a while without sex they will need it eventually. I've found once a month is fine for mine, and so long as we can produce you an alpha yours should be able stick with that routine as well." Eleanor left her concerns about using the hellhounds to hunt down escaped property unspoken, though again she turned to the smaller book and jotted down a quick note to look into it later on.

 

[Tassadar]

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"That is acceptable," Grash said after Eleanor confirmed that he could breed the hellhounds but that they would still need training, "I have heard that they are difficult to control and dangerous to handle, but I am confidant that we will be able to work something out. Is that everything then?"

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

"Well, if you follow my advice and training then you shouldn't have much, if any trouble handling then. And..." Eleanor briefly flicked through everything she had written in both books, before turning back to Grash, seemingly satisfied by what she has for now. "Yep, that seems to be everything I need right now."

 

[Tassadar]

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"Very good!" Grash said brightly, smiling. "I can pay you half now, and return in three days with the rest of the payment. How much will your services cost?"

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

"Well, normally I charge between fifty and seventy five denarii for a hellhound, depending on the ability of the chosen beast, and that's before any alphas are factored in. Though, I've not had an order this big before, and despite needing the hellhounds to be as good as they can be and a preference for an alpha for the pack I'm willing to cut the price to three hundred twenty five." Whilst talking Eleanor turned to another of the small books, and even with a quick glance it would be clear it's a ledger for keeping track of the hellhound transactions. Turning to a blank page Eleanor quickly whipped up the deeds of the contract, duplicating it on a second page and offered the book to Grash.

"If I could just get your signature here and here," Eleanor slid the inkwell and quill to the beastmaster, her signature already on both pages.

 

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Grash would nod, "that is quite acceptable. Would you be willing to agree to one hundred and fifty now, with the final one hundred and seventy five paid when I am able to return? I would pay half, but the split coin annoys me and this way simply sounds easier, especially considering one hundred and fifty should cover your costs." When offered the contract, he would take it, read it over, and then sign it in orcish runes rather than the traditional script, a language that Eleanor might easily have never been exposed to given how rarely it was used outside of the lands traditionally settled by the greenskins.

"Is everything in order then? I do not mean to insult your hospitality, but I do need to return to my lord as soon as I can."

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

"That's fine with me. It'll should be plenty for now to hire the women I'll need as well as the relevant potions." Eleanor would look curiously at the symbols scribed by Grash as he signed each copy of the contract, intrigued by the alien writing though left it unspoken. Once both had been signed Eleanor took the book back from the orc, and very carefully, she tore the second copy out. As the ink dried Eleanor went back to the shelves, and sliding open a drawer at the bottom she took out an envelope, sliding the contract into it once the ink had fully dried.

"Yep, that's everything finished with now," Eleanor replied, passing over the envelope to Grash. "And don't worry about it, there's no offence taken. We've all got our work to do now, and the sooner I can alert my usual breeders that there's work on offer the better. It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Grash." Eleanor held her hand out to the orc, and once the two of them had shaken she would walk with him to the stables to collect his horse and bid him goodbye.

 

[Tassadar]

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Grash would take and shake the offered hand after he got back to his feet, but before going anywhere else he would sit back down and count out stacks of coins, putting them into neat piles of ten each, until she had the money she'd been promised sitting on a table in front of her. He paid in dactyles, the common currency minted by Therion which was of an equal value to a Badarian denarius, and the smaller coins fit more easily into the pouch that he put them into and handed to her for payment. "It has indeed been a pleasure, milady Whitehurst. For now, however, I must part from your company. Good day to you," the orc said, and then donned his helmet and departed, taking his horse and leaving her farm as peacefully as he had come. Once he was gone, Kara came up to Eleanor looking agitated and asked; "What was that all about? He's not coming back, is he?"

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

"I certainly hope he is," Eleanor replied, a smile forming on her face and missing Kara's apparent irritation. "Otherwise we'll have enough hellhounds on hand to form a small army and nowhere to keep them. He should be back in about a week, ready for his lord's hellhounds to be bred and with the remainder of the payment. We're getting three hundred and twenty five denarii out of this, a little bit less than I would've charged, but I'm hoping to spark a relationship between the farm and his lord or king or whatever."

"Though... something concerns me about what he said." The smile faded from Eleanor's face and a slight frown replaced it as she looked towards the entrance of her farm where the beast master had left from. "You know I make a point of not looking into our clients, but he did mention about using the hellhounds to chase down escaped property. I don't really know much, if anything, on orc culture, but to me it sounds like slavery. And you know how I feel about that." Eleanor then turned to face Kara. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could look into it for me? I'll still supply them the hellhounds, but if they turn out to be a group of slavers I may have to eventually take them out. Though I'm hoping this is just misplaced paranoia, it'd be a shame to lose what could end up being a really good investment for us. And have you seen Colt around as well? I need to ask her to do something for me as well."

 

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Kara looked, rather than happy about the influx of coin, horrified at what Eleanor said about the departing orc warrior. The former slaver wouldn't speak, not initially, but after Eleanor had finished she would look at the rancher incredulously. "Eleanor... That was an orc honored! He was probably a leader of a warband! They're ALL slavers, and he was probably part of the tribes that are at war with Therion!"

Her speech slightly frantic, Kara heaved a deep sigh in an effort to calm herself before much more calmly saying; "Coltia's was in the house a couple minutes ago, but she was just picking up a few things to go take care of the cows. One of them is sick, apparently, and she needed to get medicine for it out of the cellar."

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

Eleanor's face dropped as Kara revealed that orcs were slavers and that the man that had just left their premises was most likely someone far more important than he had led her to believe.

"Shit, are you sure?" Eleanor looked at Kara, clearly shocked. "I, I don't really know anything about orcs, so I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, but he did say something about wanting the hellhounds for retrieving their escaped property. Fuck, I should've pressed him on that." Eleanor cursed herself loudly as she turned to face the house. "He said something about the situation at Gods-Reach as well... No, I can't let this stand like this, I'm riding out. If you want to come with get the horses ready and let Colt and Pris know what's happening and see if they want to join." Eleanor half marched to the house, and after a few moments she'd return with the bag of gold Grash had left as payment, as well as her leather corset armour on and pistols around her waist.

Whistling loudly for the hellhounds to assemble she'd hold out the bag for the pack to, hopefully, pick up the orc's scent. "We're tracking the orc that was here earlier, if we find him I don't want any harm to come to him. I want to ask him some questions before I decide what we do." Eleanor commanded to whomever was in her group before saddling her horse, and if the hellhounds had managed to pick up Grash's scent she would follow their lead, and if not she'd head in the direction she saw him set off and hope that the hellhounds would pick up his scent along the trail.

 

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Kara gave Eleanor an entirely undeserved I-told-you-so sort of look as Eleanor exclaimed her regret about not questioning the orc more before she agreed to sign a contract with him. "He's probably going right back there," the former slaver said coldly, "probably to have his way with some captive elf or something." Receiving the rancher owner's orders, she nodded, "I'll come with you, to make sure things go smoothly. I'll let Coltia and Prsicilla know what's going on and then go and get the horses saddled."

They would part ways, Eleanor returning to the house to pick up her guns, leathers, and the gold that Grash had paid them ahead of time for the hellhounds. Kara had already prepared the horses, and after she organized the hellhound pack and delivered her instructions to them, the demonic beasts listening attentively, they would be able to proceed on the hurried tracking of the orc rider. Catching up with him wasn't particularly difficult, as he had been going at a fairly sedate pace, but when he spotted the hellhounds preceding Eleanor and her ranch hand he had stopped his horse, tethered it, and stepped away to stand waiting for them with his arms folded over his armored chest. His helmet was back on, concealing his expression as she approached.

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

Once everything was in order and they set out after Grash Eleanor rode in silence, her brow furrowed, deep in thought, as she chased along behind the hellhounds as they sought out the orc's scent. Though the woman had little time for thinking as they caught up to the orc faster than she would have expected.

"You're travelling at quite the leisurely pace for someone who's seemingly in a hurry to get back to his lord," Eleanor called out in a dry tone as the group slowed to a stop a little way from Grash, and instead of showing the same courtesy to the orc Eleanor stayed seated on her horse.

"It would seem I was a little hasty in finishing our dealings," Eleanor then began after a brief pause to give Grash time to speak. "My fault really, the thought of striking up such a deal with some high noble and potentially earning contracts through him clouded my judgement. But between then and now some new information has come into light, and coupled with something you said earlier has raised suspicions. I know little of orcs, so you'll have to forgive any ignorance I may have, but what exactly did you mean by 'escaped property'? And what of this situation at Gods-Reach?"

 

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"I need not stress my horse. I will be at my destination before the sun falls beyond the mountains," Grash replied confidently, betraying no hints towards any thoughts he might have on her sudden urge to chase him down. His expression would remain hidden behind his helm as Eleanor spoke, asking her questions, and his body language betrayed no reaction to her words. Kara's baleful glare never swerved away from the armored orc, however, and the hellhounds began to circle, not attacking but certainly threatening.

"Escaped property would refer to prisoners of war, rightfully taken as prizes in battle, making efforts to flee. My kin and I took Gods-Reach from the elves roughly three and a half months ago, sacked it, killed or captured the majority of its defenders, executed its former lords, and burned the forgotten secrets and vile sorceries left there by the fallen elves. I am surprised that you did not know this, living so close to it. You can see the fortress from your farm, and must surely have seen the smoke, and the aspect of Karthus flying over it some months ago?" There had been a fairly obvious disturbance about that long ago, bright flames in the night from far to the East, but it had mostly been nothing but smoke by the time morning rolled around.

 

[SirOni]

Re: Life on the Ranch (SirOni)

Eleanor's eyes narrowed as Grash explained what he had meant by 'escaped property', and how these so-called prisoners of war sounded like little more than glorified slaves, as Kara had said earlier. She stayed quiet as the orc went on to say how his people had raided Gods-Reach, taken all who hadn't fallen in battle and destroyed what sounded like vast libraries of knowledge. Eleanor's hands twitched as they held onto the reins of her horse, fighting back the urge to launch the man with a blast of lightning or to reach for her gun. Instead she breathed deeply and used her words first.

"'To be taken as prizes'?" Eleanor repeated, a hint of disgust in her voice. "That sounds dangerously close to slavery to me. And if there's one thing I despise more than anything it's slavers. And this business with Gods-Reach. I normally keep out of the affairs of the surrounding areas and work on the farm keeps me pretty busy, though I had heard of some kind of commotion but never really thought anything of it. But this? The slaughter an entire group of people and destruction their history and magical knowledge? That is beyond barbaric." Eleanor's voice had risen to almost shouting, her words full of hate as she stared down Grash. "What goddamned reason could your kind have had for such an abhorrent act?"