Brothers!
Chapter 3: The Merchant of Sargoth
"So there I was in an unknown land, in the house of a man whose intentions I had not the slightest idea. I could not have guessed all that would come from this meeting..."
[After a walk that seemed to last forever, Aerenthal and the mysterious merchant finally arrived a the merchant's home. The Merchant lit a fire and was the first to break the silence]
Merchant of Sargoth: You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you? I can see it. In all my years of traveling around Calradia I can sense when a man has suffered and you, my friend, have suffered.
Aerenthal: [Aggressively] Who are you? Why have you saved me?
Merchant of Sargoth: I am the Merchant of Sargoth. I sa--
Aerenthal: [Annoyed] You don't have a name?
Merchant of Sargoth: If I did, what would it mean to you, someone who is clearly an outsider and knows no one here anyway? A name only means something when it is connected to something else and you, for the time being, have nothing else in Calradia to connect to.
Aerenthal: ...Fine. Just tell me why you saved me. I assume that you want something in return? Do I even have a choice?
Merchant of Sargoth: Well, I won't force you to help me. I'll just say that if you decide to aid me I'll help you sneak out of the city unnoticed. If not, you can handle the guards on your own.
[Aerenthal considers his options and realizes that since he has no other options he has to help the Merchant. If nothing else, he could use the Merchant's help to get out of the city and then never come back.]
Aerenthal: What do you ask of me?
Merchant of Sargoth: Excellent! A brother of mine has been kidnapped by a group of filthy, greedy looters. All I ask is that you find my brother and return him to me safely.
Aerenthal: Do you know where they are?
Merchant of Sargoth: Ahh you have a warriors heart, asking where and never how many! They are scurrying somewhere around the outskirts of the city. You will not be able to take them alone, I suggest going to a nearby village and offering to recruit any young men there who seek to take up arms. There is a village nearby, Fenada, that you may want to try going to first.
[The Merchant hands Aerenthal a note stamped with a distinct seal.]
Merchant of Sargoth: Present this note to the village elder at Fenada. It will signify that you are working under my supervision. The peasants in this world will not work for just anyone. I just so happen to be more...well connected than other merchants and can get some recruits.
Aerenthal: And then what?
Merchant of Sargoth: Come back once you have enough men. You must come back at night. There is a place where I can sneak you back into the city and you can avoid the guards.
[The Merchant goes into detail about how to sneak back in.]
Merchant of Sargoth: Well, it will be morning soon and I really can't keep you here during the day. Ready or not, I have to escort you out of the city.
Aerenthal: Then let us go.
"The Merchant lead me out of the city. I began to look his crudely drawn map towards the backwater village of Fenada. I rode my horse along the road to the village but was unsure if I would stop there. Along the way I began to wonder: Had I met with a terrible fate like the Merchant said? Did it matter? Before long I stopped wondering about it. I wanted to know the Merchant's name...I wanted something in "Calradia" to connect to. Thus, I decided I would recruit men and help the Merchant. I had to root myself in this world.