Sunday 20 May 2012

A New Life Beckons: Johann embraces his new career

As the group had sat in one of the anterooms of the grand residence of Herr Oldenhaller, nervously waiting to be seen, Johann continued to mull over the situation he had gotten himself into.

Up to this day he had been treading water, continually beating against the current of the minor tributary his life had been forced into. The sweat off his back had paid for similar palaces to the one in which he now sat, whilst he had struggled to keep his head above water.

Now he felt as though he were rushing headlong towards a great confluence, which threatened to swallow him and his backwater existance entirely. That is, only if he approached it with a loose hand on the tiller. Johann made up his mind to embrace his new life fully, and it was with a determined air that he was led out with the rest of his companions to see Albrect Oldenhaller himself.

The great man seemed ridiculously small as it turned out, dwarfed as he was by the enormous desk he sat behind. Johann shelved the old resentments that threatened to boil up and set his face into a mask of neutral humility. He would still be furthering the wealth of this nobleman but hopefully a few more crumbs would be thrown his way than might have previously.

Talking of rewards, Johann was most surprised to hear Malmir of all people question Oldenhaller on the amount they might expect - weren't his kind supposed to be concerned with things of a loftier nature? This Elf was surely full of surprises and had once again taken the lead whilst their other companions had stood by somewhat dumbfounded.

Take Harbull for instance - His stomach was making more noise than his mouth for once. A shame really as he had certainly proven that he had the gift of the gab back in the town square! Kirsten too seemed a little intimidated by her surroundings - betrayed only by angle at which her head hung and the slight red tint that had flushed the tips of her ears...

Johann knew that to blurt out more questions before the first had been answered would be deemed insolent. Besides it would be better if Wanda took the lead, seeing as she had some connection with Oldenhaller already. Still, just in case the bookish young lady had failed to consider some of the practicalities of the job that lay ahead, Johann had a list of enquiries of his own. If he was to become an adventurer, he had better start thinking like one...

If, after Oldenhaller has answered Malmir's questions and Wanda has not yet piped up, Johann enquires as to the nature of the Schatzenheimer gang,

"Sir, if it isn't too impertinent to assume you have firsthand knowledge of these ruffians, can you advise us on how we might  recognise the culprits? Also, how numerous are the Schatzenheimers and are we to assume them to be heavily armed - is there any background information on the gang that might aid us? Lastly sir, if I may be permitted one more question, what exactly does the stone look like?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.