The Golden Scales

1: A dirty job

When starting their story, the more common trope is that the bard asks for the audience's attention begging for their ears and proposing an epic story, a tale that will be remembered because it deserves being heard.

Anyone would start their tale talking about the great war that was devastating the continent of Eviris, a war between the Empire of Volgrad in the north and the Kingdom of Estaine in the south, two great powers with the only wish of expanding their influence from one side to the other in the continent. And then they would focus on the story of the generals or heroes of which they'd want to talk about. And there's many stories that could be told about that era, such as the epic of Hedios, the general who besieged and conquered the city of Viere with just over a hundred warriors. Or the tale of the beasttamer Kragfaren, the dwarven warrior who captured and trained a chimera to use it as a beast and avenge his massacred clan.

But probably the most difficult tale to believe is the one that starts in the far north, in the city of Hope. It is a recently built city, funded just a few tenths of years ago, but that, thanks to the enormous amount of refugees from both sides of the war, grew and grew faster than any other city in the world. A city where civilizations clash and where, for better or worse, some use it to amass power. A city ruled by a council of high lords that have inherited or bought their chair, in one side, and crime lords and their invisible empires, on the other.

It is in this context that a group of fighters gather, looking for job.

This specific job is a simple one. Lord Vendramiec, one of the rulers of the city, always introducing himself with the title of "The General" has posted job offers all around the city to help him secure the sewers running underneath. According to the rumours, there's tribes of goblins, thieves and other undesirables that must be purged to secure the city and take some weight off the overloaded city guard, which is having more than enough with the troubles of the surface. One specific monster has already eliminated several warriors and must be killed as fast as possible.

The first one to arrive to the sewers access after taking the job is Nichneven. A nord-looking warrior woman with tattoos in her face, slightly pointy ears and a decorated armor that mixes leather materials with a chain mail and metallic vambraces. Carrying a sword, axes, shield and a bow, few would look at her and think she'd be an easy prey. She was busy taking notes in a small book she carried when the second member of the expedition arrived.

"Hey, the name's Nihilus" the pale, white-haired half-elf introduced himself, almost looking as if dark shadows followed him, emerging from the dark leather armor. He had a longsword hanging from his belt, with no sheath, allowing Neven to see the amount of runes inscribed in the weapon.

"Neven" she answered, nodding at him "Are you going to the sewers as well?"

"Yes." He replied, his words brief. "There'll be five of us, right?"

"That's what they told me in the tabern." She shrugged as she answered him again. He didn't seem to be about to give her much of a conversation, and there was also little reason to continue filling the air with unnecessary words. Surthur didn't like unnecessary things.

They've waited for a while until the third member of the group appeared. Another well equipped fighter, just like her, but considerably better dressed. The man's clothes had small decorations and silver engravements that were half hidden and hard to see, but easily perceptible for someone with her trained eyes. He looked like he was hiding a noble origin, and made so by adding layers and layers of armor.

"Neven" she introduced herself, bowing her head slightly to see how the newcomer reacted.

"Ulfhärt" he responded "Monster hunter."