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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gerrold Von Drachenhohle</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>P.S.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>On a more serious note, I am still needing
volunteers for field heralds for the tournaments to be held at G</FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>othic. Please contact me if you are interested in
volunteering. Every point counts!</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>