The Southern Dukes

Beams of light penetrated the dark room when the heavy curtains were pulled back and tied by the servants. Dust swirled in the rays of sunshine and the neatly dressed staff were like bees; wiping, dusting, and cleaning the room.

One opened the window and looked out. He quickly pulled his head back, there were high up in the main tower of the Loctris keep.

The head servant shooed the others away and checked the table setting. The large oval table was set with four high-back chairs. They were ornate as they were comfortable. His white glove inspected the crystal and found it wanting. He sighed and cleaned them with the efficiency born of years of practise.

A guard entered with his head on a swivel. He inspected each nook and cranny before waiting in a corner.

Half an hour later four well dressed men entered. Two were old with grey in their hair and two were young.

With a wave of his hand one of the younger men said, "Dukes. Sit please."

They drank and discussed topics of politics before they came upon the matter of The Adventurers. There were three Dukes and a chancellor. The Duke of Loctris was young but it was by far the largest city, and oldest at the centre of the new world.

His uncle was the chancellor who remained quiet unless asked a direct question. The Duke of Loctris was given deference by the other two although technically they were equal rank.

The Duke of Loctris relaxed back in his chair and ask. "How goes the trade with the gate keepers? These adventurers?"

"We're outfitted them according to our contract, but the profits were low," the young duke from Dawnharbour said.

"Dokkalfar exact too high a price for ores, we need our own mines," the grey-haired duke from Salastria said. "If we were to purchase the weapons from the Dokkalfar we'd be broke."

The young Duke of Loctris nodded. "What is the problem? Build your own mine."

"Sir we've been trying," the Salastrian Duke said. "The Reach is not equipped to deal with the savages. There are too few and the last report was disturbing."

"What does your report say that's so disturbing?" The Duke of Loctris asked and they all leaned forward.

The Salastrian Duke sighed; his greyed hair stark compared to his contemporaries. "Slaughter of six soldiers and the savages scared the workers to death. They will not return no matter what the inducement or threats that are made."

"The Dokkalfar are expensive, we barely make a profit and the northern mines are inaccessible due to a sizeable local threat. Hmm," the duke pondered. "What say you uncle?"

The Chancellor cleared his throat. "If we negotiate with the savages it will probably take too long with an unknown outcome. If we commit more resources north, then it may prove more expensive than dealing with the Dokkalfar. But there could be a third option."

The silence hung heavily.

"Tell us, what third option?" the Dawnharbour duke said with mild frustration.

The Chancellor looked at him and smiled. "A quest for your adventurers. Make it a competition for the strongest guild and going north is their reward. North where they will be given accommodations in The Reach and where riches await them."

"Do these adventurers have guilds?" The Duke of Loctris asked.

The Chancellor nodded. "They do indeed. There are 250 of them organised into 10 guilds. I think twenty-five of their strongest will prove useful and cheap."

The Salastrian Duke leaned back and smiled. "I admire your cunning Chancellor, but I wonder how you know these strange new people so well."

The Chancellor returned his stare. "It is my role to know so I may serve my Duke. Like now."

The Duke of Loctris looked at his young cousin from Dawnharbour. "Can you do this?"

He nodded. "We can select one as a reward for the best results in the tower of testing. But they will seek rewards from this quest, they are greedy and not newborn babes to be swindled."

The Duke of Loctris looked at the Salastrian Duke, "It is your holding and your profit what can you offer them?"

The old Duke smiled showing his discoloured teeth. "We can offer them the mountains as their own domain, but we retain the rights to the mine."

The dukes laughed.

"Indeed, you are as cunning as my uncle," the Duke of Loctris praised.

The Dawnharbour Duke hit the table hard with his fist. "I just realised; these adventurers are a fighting force we can use for our own gain."

The Duke of Loctris shook his head slowly. "Oh, cousin how can you be so dim, that is what we were laughing about moments ago."

"Uncle can you assist him with the tower of testing competition?"

The Chancellor bowed his head, "Sire. Consider it done."

The Duke of Salastria sighed. "We need to discuss these accursed portal storms. What powers them and why now?"

"Have you suffered?"

The old duke nodded. "Caravans lost and entire farmsteads slaughtered."

"It is your proximity to the middle mountains perhaps. We've suffered no such thing down here in the south."

"It is worse past the range; the north is overrun. This band of adventurers will have a task cut out for them just travelling to The Reach."

The young duke said, "I can send adventurer patrols east. The are hungry to kill monsters and gain their qi cores. It is what has protected us from the portal storms."

The Duke of Loctris clapped. "What if you sent him four guilds. The ones who did well in the test but did not win."

The Salastrian Duke nodded. "I can give them halls to use as their guild headquarters. It is a small price to pay to have our farms protected."

The Dawnharbour Duke stared at them both and then his glass. "Yes. If it must be done, but our investment in accommodations and outfitting. What happens to that?"

The Chancellor cleared his throat. "More will be coming from the gatekeepers."

"Yes, it was always the plan to move them on. Dawnharbour is for the newcomers. There will be more according to the gatekeepers."

The Dawnharbour Duke frowned. "They're still newcomers. They're cunning when it comes to negotiation, but they know nothing of our world. It's very frustrating most of the time."

"Are you complaining about this massive boon granted to you?" The Duke of Loctris said.

"No, no. I'm merely pointing out that its not as easy as you all think."

The old duke rubbed his bearded chin. "We will find out soon enough."