"They are men of the cross and the hammer!"
"For give us our daily bread!"
"Hew. chop, sunder!"
Formation of men are on the march, golden red banners, yellow and white, coats of arms and housemen's banners fly on the open winds of full blown civil war.
The winds of war echo throughout the steep forests.
Vlandian sergeants lead the helm, their mail chausses imprinting into the ground, flanked by mercenary horsemen from the northern realms of Sturgia.
A baron rides in the middle, his scaled helmet swaying as he looks around him, his finely tailored mail shirt tugs into his skin as he stretches his legs against his horse, he yawns and wipes his face with a handkerchief, instinctively grasping his sword ever so often as something moves in the forest.
"Bandits be about in these woods, our party is large, don't stray from the main lines."
Mercenary crossbowmen laugh among each other, the though of a bandit- being so beneath them.
The baron rustles, scanning the tree line. Something moves. It just a common calradic wolf. The baron almost sighs in relief, the faint ear of the wolf being barely visible.
Fuck fuck don't see me please don't see me!
Jacos hunkers down behind a tree, holding any movement. The clank of his mail will alert the horde. His breath slows and his heartbeat becomes slow, beating into his chest like a war drum as the Vlandian host march on, singing tunes of old wars.
Holy crap there's like 400 of them. They haven't seen me yet. Just breathe.
The tail end of the army pass, fabulously colored tabards and shields of the elite horsemen of Vlandia, their mail shined to mirror finish, great helms and nasal helms painted brilliant colors, some raw with shining metal reflecting the sun's bright rays.
A horseman stops, a mercenary, evident by his plain buckled mail armor and no banner or coat of arms, he peers into the forest. He catches the angle of the forest and sees Jacos sitting behind a tree looking bloodied and crazed, he rears his horseback in shock for a moment.
I'm dead.
The mercenary gulps, the sight of a crazy berserker sitting in the forest must be some manic delusion from lack of food consumption, he shakes his head and trots of, scratching his beard beneath his helmet.
Phew-
The army mostly leaves Jacos' sight and he begins to move, still crouched low, avoiding sunlight.
Its days and days to the shore, and even then I don't have any way to pay for a ferry to Nordland. I need a better plan.
Jacos exits the forest and remains on the muddy path tread by the army, walking it down it while pondering his options.
After a few hours of aimless walking he is interrupted.
"All your things now. We will sell our lives dearly brother."
Jacos stands and watches as 4 looters emerge from the woods, holding hatchets, knives and one even has a rickety bow.
Jacos holds out his axe and grimaces.
"Then sell yourselves. Come on."
They are just looters. This should be easy with over 50 Two Handed.
The looters stop their approach, the bowmen slides a ragged looking arrow onto the string.
"Don't fight just toss some food or something out, we can all have this end in peace."
"Or I can kill you all"
The looters gulp, they underestimated their opponent, they did not see the full extent of his armor from the dark shadow of the forest, mistaking the sleeves of his tunic as the only protection he has.
"W-well don't think you can beat us!" The looters approach wearily, one holding his hatchet with shaking hands.
"Don't even try it." Jacos peers at the bowman going to draw his bow, its futile, the low draw weight of the hunting bow would make the arrow bounce off the mail, and the bandit knows this.
"We cant beat you. Just let us walk away from this!"
[Looters Tier 1 X 4 Have: Surrendered]
The small menu hovers Infront of Jacos.
[Recruit]
[Imprison]
Recruit..? I could use some troops..
[Recruited 4 Looters]
[Party 5/22]
The all familiar party screen pops up, displaying the looters with iconic ragged tunic in their icon. But their upgrade tree, its not what Jacos remembers.
[Watchman]
[Mercenary Guard] [Mercenary Scout]
[Mercenary Swordsman] [Mercenary Crossbowman] [Mercenary Horseman}
[Hired Blade] [Hired Crossbow] [Mercenary Cavalry]
This is the old-school mercenary troop tree for bannerlord, and for some reason the looters can upgrade into it? Typically it should be the imperial infantry line.
This. I don't remember this. Is this world that much different than the game? My knowledge is useless.
The looters look at Jacos carefully.
"You have spared us our lives. So they now belong to you."
Their emotions seem to have completely flipped, most likely a result of their recruitment.
I still don't trust the bastards. Their wages are nonexistent though 1 denar a troop every week. That's way less than it was in the game. I can pay them for months.
"Just follow me, and don't stab me in the back."
The looters fall in line immediately, sheathing their weapons.
"Aye sir."
Now the dysfunctional sea raider chief has a gaggle of looters, a true Calradic warlord. Reminiscent of many bannerlord playthroughs, the curious first time player recruiting looters to see if they are effective only to lose them to even more looters rocks..
If I can level them quickly into mercenary swordsman I will be able to take on larger parties like forest or mountain bandits. I can sell their gear to afford a ferry to Nordland
"Fall in, walk on."
Jacos walks down the muddy path with his looters in tow.
"Where are we going?"
"I don't know."
Jacos brushes his axe against his shoulders
"Bandits are swarming these parts just keep your head on a swivel. We will head to the closest village and try to get some work."
A looter retorts
"Work? Brother we are outlaws."
"True, but a desperate headman would hire any mercenary who comes his way."
The looters questions seem answered for now.
We should be close to a village, the forest of Vlandia is surrounded by them.
A slow march ensues, not exciting but still brutal in its own right, the looters worn down shoes do little to protect their heels and toes from the elements. Some stopping to complain about their feet freezing only to be met with a stern gaze.
[Leadership: 3]
That seems to level quick..
A lone horseman rides down the road, Jacos clutches his axe.
"Behind me, keep your hands on your handles."
The looters fall behind in a triangle.
The horseman slows to a trot, an older man with a simple padded tunic and mail coif adorning his head.
"Who be ye?"
His hand settles on the spiked mace at his side.
"Mercenaries."
The man narrows his eyes suspiciously.
"Aye ye be looking like outlaws to me."
"And who are you then."
Jacos returns, just as snide.
"Headman Eoric. My peoples live beyond this hill, I am to deliver a message to the army of Baron Ingalther."
"Well headman, they are a days ride ahead of us, make haste if you are to reach them."
The headman tilts his head lazily.
"Aye. Say mercenary-men ye looking for work?"
Jacos perks up.
A headman's quest huh? This should pay 200 coins at least.
"Always looking."
Eorics horse huffs, breathing heavily from its already long trot.
"Kill 2 groups of bandits and bring their heads to me or one of my village elders. There be a reward for such knifework." He jingles a bag of coins at his side.
"We can do it, headman."
"Best start with haste then."
He rides off, peering back, still suspicious of Jacos' group.
[Quest: Eliminate 2 Parties of Bandits]
A real quest, finally.
"You heard the man, lets hunt some bandits down."
The looters shuffle nervously, they are ill equipped to even fight peasants and now they are to hunt down looters, mountain bandits? Forest bandits?
Jacos turns and peers into the forest.
"They will be hiding out in the forest."
"Follow me."
Jacos crosses over a bush, thorns catching and snapping on his mail as pushes into the forest.
Any bandit would setup near water, find a creek and find the bandits.
The group moves as quietly as possible through the forest, the only sound being the shuffle of clothes against limbs and downed branches.
"Shh. I hear a fire crackling."
Jacos holds a finger up, a small smoke stack pushes through the woods, a campfire crackles in the distance. If one listens very closely you can hear men whispering among themselves
"Looters. You lot go around the left, take the long way past that old birch tree. Ill go straight in."
The allied looters nod and draw their crude weapons, hesitant to fight but something seems to push them into battle.
Jacos yells like a manic psycho and charges into the camp.
5 looters jump up in unison, one pissing himself orange.
"Berserker!"
A looter draws a beat hatchet, his arms shaking.
Jacos' axe reaves a looter, finding its head, well- in his head.
"Bastard!"
The remaining looters charge only to be flanked by Jacos' party, one of his own throws their seax, it tumbles through the air and finds its place in a bandits shoulder causing him to collapse to the ground in agonizing pain.
Looters brawl with reckless abandon, hatchets and knives meet flesh, they would much rather fight the other looters than the beast of a man charging them head on.
Jacos kills a few more, his axe splitting them like wood.
"Victory!"
"We got the bastards!"
No casualties incurred on Jacos' party. The enemy bandits lie butchered in their own camp.
[2 Looters Tier 1 Ready for upgrade]
The party ui pops up once more, without thought he upgrades them.
In almost a reality shifting instant the 2 looters equipment changes, they do not seem to question or understand it, acting as if nothing happens.
Their ragged tunics turn to padded coats and a simple round shield and spear appear in their hands.
[Watchman Tier 2 X 2]
"Yaha! Victory"
They raise their spears and continue celebrating their victory.
It really is just like the game. They just changed in an instant.
"Quickly loot their bodies, we have more work to do, cut off their ears and store them, we'll need them as proof."
The party loots all the weapons, stuffing them into their knapsacks and belts. One looter has 4 knives stuck in his belt like some kind of medieval ninja.
Their ears are gathered and the part stands ready to continue once more.
"Alright, deeper into the forest now."
They trudge further, the weight of the new equipment weighing most of them down.
"The bastards hide in the forest like rats!"
The watchmen seem to forget they were looters approximately 12 minutes ago.. They lead the party Infront of Jacos, their chins held high.
"Lets flush out these bastards!"
A long march ensues once more, Jacos underestimated just how much walking there is in a medieval world.
I need a horse.. My feet are killing me.
"Sir. more looters, they are marching through the forest. 6 of em'"
A watchmen halts, brushing his grey padded shirt of blood.
"We can take them easily, lets fight!"
The watchmen stamp their feet excitedly, the other looters grip their weapons.
"Throw all your daggers at them."
Jacos turns to a looter, who nods, holding a common hunters dagger upside down, he rears back and throws with all his might, the dagger flies and glances off a looters chest, cutting deep and causing him to cry out in pain.
"Skogarmaors!"
The head looter screams as he turns to asses the attacker, seeing Jacos in full mail armor he shits himself immediately, the 2 mercenary men behind him charge forward, crushing him further.
"We will sell our lives dearly!"
The looters charge the watchmen who form a pseudo shield wall and hold their spears out, stopping the looters in their tracks.
"Keep throwing!" Jacos elbows the looter who nods, all his daggers are exhausted quickly, the enemy looters try to maneuver around the watchmen to no avail, their spears keep them at bay while prodding them with sharp thrusts.
I don't think I will have to fight this time.
Jacos watches as a watchman drives a man to the ground with his spear, killing him instantly, only a few enemies remain, Jacos' looters charge in, one managing to land the finishing blow with his hatchet.
"HAHA! Victory."
A small jingle plays in Jacos' head
[Quest Complete: Report to village elder or headman for reward!]
[Watchman Tier 2 X 1 Ready for Upgrade]
[Looter Tier 1 X 1 Ready for Upgrade]
Jacos upgrades the watchman into a mercenary guard and upgrades the looter into a watchman, their equipment warp around them.
[Watchman Tier 2 X 2]
[Mercenary Guard Tier 3 X 1]
[Looter Tier 1 X 1]
The mercenary guard has a padded short coat and a nasal helmet, his spear grows longer in his hands, his round shield turns to a simple kite shield and a buckled hand axe appears at his side. A formidable middle tier warrior.
"We whipped the bastards!"
They continue cheering.
"You know the deal, loot them up. We will head to the village now."
My party is decently strong now..
One step closer to getting the hell out of here. I think this is called the looter farming stage... If I can have 4 hired blades under my belt I should be able to get most of anything I want...
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Author: Any ideas you want implemented or would like to share? I write for fun and don't claim to be good at all so criticism is open always regarding prose, story direction etc. just leave it on this segment, thanks.