[Western] on mercenaries, barons, and raiders...

[HE Kainin Tepesa]

Herr Gerrold,

My thanks to he who has paid your price, your
assistance is most welcome. For the future, know that
I will be happy to ensure your services and so you can
begin your treaties with me and know that you will be
dealt with fairly.

As to the passions of youth, aye I do remember those
days and I would not trade my past for anything.
However, as you said, people change and for me the
security of a place to call my home became the biggest
prize. You start down that road and you make sure to
never strive against your home, making pledges and
swearing oaths to that effect, and then before you
know it you are a loyalist; but again I would not
trade those choices for anything. Yes I was once a
mercenary, but now I serve my King and my home with
the same fervor that I once sought the coin.

As to murky moral issues, I will leave that to the
philosophers. For me it comes to this, a man has come
and threatened my home, the people that I love and
those that I call brethren, for that he must be
defeated. I am glad to know that you will be with us
and look forward to seeing you in the field

In service to the Crown and the home I love,
Kainin
Baron of Bonwicke

>     My oh my.  All this talk of late about 'evil
> mercenaries' and raiders is enough to make a man
> feel unloved.  To be honest I find the choice
> between the two of you so slight that I am only the
> least concerned about the outcome at this point. 
> Ruspoli has indeed made a nuisance of himself in so
> many ways of late.  Killing, burning, siezing gold
> and property, sparing only those who bibe him to
> leave them alone.  Then there is the matter of the
> taxes to be paid... hmm taxes...a payment which if
> not paid will cause soldiers to come and sieze
> property, burn peoples homes, maybe even to kill
> them... The temerity of the man to do all that
> without a shiny hat on!  And he's got it all
> backwards at that.  Bribe first then the siezing,
> burning, and killing!
>     You will, of course, pardon me of my cynicism. 
> The product of too many years of too much blood
> spilled.  Then there is also my childhood.  Raised
> by peasants you see, under the yoke of a more cruel
> lord back in Germany.  We largely viewed the
> difference between our lord and the odd bandit
> raiders as being that the raiders were polite enough
> to move on and rob someone else while the lords
> soldiers and tax men just kept coming.
>     Rest assured though Your Excellency, my sword is
> yours for the upcoming battles, bought and paid for
> by a loyal supporter that has his own reasons to
> desire Ruspoli's demise.  I wish I could comfort you
> with more reasons then that, but I am a mercenary
> and in the end it's about the gold.  I remember a
> campaign some years ago that other missives were
> sent that disparaged my current and your former
> profession.  I answered those with a call for other
> mercenaries to come and prove our worth upon the
> bodies of those that doubted it.  A call you
> answered with hearty agreement and blackened shield.
>  Ah for the passions of youth eh?
>     Still times change and so do people, even
> myself.  Once I would have been content with my
> sword price and whatever spoils may be to hand. 
> Now... perhaps it would be best for me to somehow
> insure that the spoils at hand are to my liking...  
>   perhaps...
>     As for Rospuli, well he is not one that I can
> really have sympathy for either.  That he seems to
> have a personal grudge against His Excellency is
> apparent.  All his posterings of outrage and feeble
> justifications for his actions are all a mere
> contrivance to get the baron on the field in the
> hopes that the fortunes of war deliver unto him that
> which he is unwilling, or unable, to get for
> himself... Kainin's head.  That he drags armies into
> battle to do this is as base an act of cowardice as
> can be imagined.  Still, other wars have been fought
> over more trivial matters than this.  If his motives
> are not personal then I have even less respect for
> him.  If it was a thirst for blood, gold, and
> destruction he wished to slake then he would have
> been smarter to do so beyond our eastern borders in
> the lands of our enemies.  Then he would have been
> hailed as a hero and protected from the destruction
> he has earned by the very people who now seek to
> visit it upon him.  To die for the poor choice of
> victims, it is a pity.
>     Blood and gold do apear to make the world go, so
> I will spill Ruspoli's blood for the gold it will
> get me and leave such murky moral dilema's by the
> wayside.  Prepare yourself Rospuli the Fool, me and
> mine are coming for you.  Do be sure to have some
> pleasing spoils on you corpse.  I would hate to have
> to take steps...
> 
> Gerrold Von Drachenhohle
> 
> P.S.
> On a more serious note, I am still needing
> volunteers for field heralds for the tournaments to
> be held at Gothic.  Please contact me if you are
> interested in volunteering.  Every point counts!> 

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