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<DIV><FONT size=2>Well said, My Friend. As far as field heralding goes, I should
be able to help with the Gothic Tourney, as I have not yet decided if I will
fight in that one or not, but will help even if I fight. I do
intend however to fight in the Cad Memorial Tourney, and to fit the
occasion and all this talk of old professions, I will be wearing one of my
original Crane tabards. I am not entirely sure that field heralds will be need
for the Centurions "Meet and Beat". But as ever your services have been at my
beck and call, so you shall have what little I can offer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Chiang, noted opponent of the vile Ruspoli</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>PS and as a side note, on my spell check "Ruspoli" comes up as
resole. Even spell check does not like him.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=drachenhohle@cox.net href="mailto:drachenhohle@cox.net">Chris
England</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=western@ansteorra.org
href="mailto:western@ansteorra.org">western@ansteorra.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 30, 2005 12:05
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Western] on mercenaries,
barons, and raiders...</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<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>
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