Bad Coin

Life as a mercenary had nearly become predictable, but not quite. You had worked odd jobs as a wood carver here or there, finding a place for skills among the wealthier people in Phesunlay, or among those who could not afford what metal could bring. But wood carving jobs were not as frequent as mercenary ones, though they were much safer.   This seemed like any other mercenary job, despite the look of surprise on Jhalhat’s (a Sellsword Guildsman in Lower Preschwall) face when you agreed to guard a convoy headed from Lower Peschwall, the seat of the Kentasorte, to the The Bandit Lands. The money was good, and it was a job paid for by the crown, which virtually guaranteed that you would be paid in full and on time. You couldn’t help but also think that gaining favour with the crown might give you some small leverage to begin to ask some questions, to see if anyone knew of Anwer or what happened in the south. You packed what you had, from years of work on the road, and reported for duty as a convoy guard at the southern edge of the city.   You were surprised to be told that you had to leave most of your equipment, specifically anything with portions of metal, but you had also long ago learned how valuable bone could be as a blade and so you were in the unique position of getting to keep your weapons. While this did not seem to sit well with a Rutarank, Serdge, he could make no argument against your weapons as he and the rest of his men were armed with Ironwood weapons. It seemed odd that mercenaries were required to protect a convoy that was already protected by the King’s soldiers, but they coin was too good to question.   The journey had been uneventful, and you had managed to learn very little of the prisoners that were housed in the four carriages that travelled with you. While you heard the Rutar’s speaking of their anxiety to rid themselves of such criminals, you did not hear anyone fighting against the carriage walls or yelling, which you would have expected from dangerous men. The two week journey by foot and horseback wore on, and despite your best efforts, you could not get any information from the other guards, and the three other mercenaries with you seemed to know just as little. You kept to yourself then, and kept an eye on the passing landscape.   On the evening of the 14th day, you reached the Gnarled Wall and the Oak Gate, denoting the entrance to the Bandit Lands. You were amazed to see how high the wall reached, having never been to this part of Phesunlay before. In fact, you had quite avoided it – who wanted to see the edge of such a prison? As your convoy approached the Oak Gate, you noticed a small party waiting. As the convoy drew close, and two people moved toward the Oak Gate, Serdge called for a halt and inspected each carriage and the people inside.   Suddenly, two of the carriages burst open and Serdge pulled off his Rutarank uniform and revealed yellow leather armour with a small black crescent emblazoned on it. He and the people who burst from the carriages, dressed the same, surrounded the other guards and threw them in the carriages after stealing their uniforms. You too were caught unawares and were placed in manacles and thrown into the carriage, knocked unconscious when your head collided with the carriage wall…   When you awake, you are propped against a tree in relative darkness, with the sharp smell of blood in the air and harsh whispers around you. It takes you a moment to focus and see the wreckage of the carriages and to realize that you are on the wrong side of the closed Oak Gate.