The Maiden Saga: Role Playing Game (18 page)

The merchant at the nearest stall has the face of a toad and barely comes up to her chin, but she ignores his disadvantages and makes a polite gesture before introducing herself.

‘I am Cirien of Aegerion, Reeveling and Twelveleader in the personal guard of Imperial Queen Palades Sulden. I wish to buy a length of silk, the black.'

He bows, so low that his forehead strikes the counter of his stall, apparently on purpose, then responds.

‘I am Kudes, a mere merchant honoured by the attention of so great a lady, nay, humbled that you should deign to favour my meagre stall, although naturally, as a person of quality, you recognise the quality of the silk. It is Aprinian, woven and dyed according to jealousy guarded arts beyond the understanding of all other peoples. I had it in Vendjome itself, at a price which left me with barely the resources for a crust of bread, and brought it make to Oretes at risk to my very life, and yet for the honour of serving a twelveleader to the House Palades I offer it at mere one hundred weights of gold the arm's length.'

Cirien is more than a little taken aback at the price and also notices that if Kudes' stumpy little arms are taken as the measure she will only get enough silk for an abbreviated kirtle. Yet this is the fashion in Oretea, where not only are the women shameless but the nights are hotter than a summer's day in Aegmund. Besides, she is sure that the folk of Oretes will be prepared to haggle no less than those of Aegerion. She decides to make an offer, typically honest.

‘I carry no such sum, while your small stature makes for a poor measure. I can offer twenty weights of gold, no more.'

Kudes gives a solemn shake of his head and the bargaining has begun.

 

As the trader, Kudes makes the first throw despite being an NPC while Cirien is a PC. As an Oretean with Guile as his Primary Drive, he is able to build sixes.

The gap between demand and off is 80 Gold, so the increment in price at 5% is 4 Gold per six. The bargaining goes as follows -

Cirien in now out of Game Points in Guile and so must give in to his demand or walk away and try again when she has refreshed her points in Guile.

 

Kudes – ‘Here you are mistaken! Yonder is Julac the money-lender, who will gladly advance twice the sum you need to one of your prestige. I myself will speak with him, and so ensure that he charges no more than a nominal sum of interest.'

Cirien – ‘So be it.'

 

The deal is struck, Cirien agreeing to pay 92 Gold for the silk, plus whatever interest Julac charges on the 72 Gold she has had to borrow. A typical Oretean citizen, able to build sixes and with at very least 8 Game Points in Guile, would expect to have paid around 60 Gold.

 

 

The city of Reites burns against the great sepia coloured plain. High on a ridge in the Glissade mountains, Pepuinilla, a Vendjomois slave girl, watches the distant flames. Her late master had been a Captain, and the vision of him cut down by Oretean swordsmen burns hot in her mind, bringing mixed feelings. She ran in panic, escaping through a breach in the city walls while the invaders were still too busy fighting to think about loot. Only when her legs would no longer obey her did she stop, collapsing at the head of a gully were a stream had cut its way into the cliffs.

Refreshed despite an uncomfortable night spent among the bushes, she considers her options. She is now the property of her late master's wife in Gora-Jome, hundreds of miles to the north, but if she even manages to get there without being taken as a runaway it will mean a whipping on one pretext or another, maybe worse. There are villages in the Glissades, but the mountain men have a harsh reputation and will no doubt either keep her as a drudge or attempt to sell her back to her own people. Her brand will be discovered and again she will be taken for a runaway.

The Oreteans might be kinder, at least once whatever group of soldiers she surrenders to have finished with her, but yet again she is sure to be considered a runaway and at the very least she is sure to be rebranded. The tiny, flower-shaped scar on her thigh twitches at the thought, bringing back memories of the pain and the scent of burning flesh, like a pan of bacon left too long on the stove. She will not go to the Oreteans.

At length she decides that as she is in effect a runaway it is best to keep running, and who knows, perhaps some kinder people live beyond the mountains?Three hours later she has followed the stream high into the mountains and, skirting a projection of rock, comes across a large, grey-skinned man. He is urinating into a bush.

For one awful moment Pepuinilla imagines that she met a troll, only to realise that the situation is worse. He is a Makean, the cruel, piratical race whose exploits are recounted in order to frighten children and ensure obedience from slaves. A hundred times her master and others have threatened to sell her to the Makeans for poor work or a lack of enthusiasm on the couch, and every time it has driven her to new diligence. She tries to run but her legs won't answer.

The Makean is grinning. He shakes his penis, pauses as he tries to decide if it is worth the trouble of putting it away when it will clearly be needed again before too long, then returns it to his stained leather breeches. The girl is obviously a slave and so no doubt pliable enough, while experience has taught him that for the full satisfaction of his tastes it is better to have a willing partner. Otherwise it tends to be difficult to explain his admittedly somewhat elaborate requirements. He bows and makes what is, by Makean standards, a polite introduction.

‘If we are to fuck it is best to know each others names. I am Raulus.'

 

The attempt at seduction has now begun. Both are PCs, with the following statistics -

 

Raulus' Greed exceeds his Allure by 13 Points, compared with -8 for Pepuinilla so he is clearly the seducer. He chooses to play the conflict in Greed, in which he not only has an impressive advantage but can build sixes. We now calculate their Seduction and Resistance Points –

The mere sight of Raulus has brought Pepuinilla to the edge of surrender, but she has some fight. Raulus throws, as the seducer, throws first, opening with his “polite introduction” -

 

Raulus has not only won with a single throw, but has lost his cool. To Pepuinilla this makes little difference.

 

Knowing that it is pointless to resist, Pepuinilla surrenders, disporting herself against a convenient tree with her feet set apart and her bottom pushed out in such a way that the tuck of her cheeks shows beneath the hem of the abbreviated kirtle that is her only garment. Raulus responds with an inarticulate growl, his complicated and sadistic intentions forgotten at the sight of her pert and sweetly presented rump. Snatching his cock free, he makes short work of her, bringing himself to erection between her cheeks and coming within a few thrusts of entry. Pepuinilla is left with a depressingly familiar sense of disappointment that turns to shock and embarrassment as another five Makeans make their appearence.