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Post by aspenivan on Oct 1, 2014 22:41:46 GMT
If the commanders in the fort just South of the Jotun capital was surprised by the number of ships leaving the docks, they didn't make any show of it. But further South, it was a different matter. In the green coastal waters between the two southeastern peninsulas of the continent, the procession of barques and longships was approached from the West by a squadron of Imperial War Galleys, with more incoming from the South.
Once close enough to shout, the captain of one of the galleys announced, "HALT! Halt now, or prepare to be fired upon!" The captain, a Byrnian woman in leather lamellar armor, appeared to be quite serious. The cannons of her ship were angled slightly downwards, aiming towards the waterline of the Jotun hulls, and the musketeers aboard appeared to be readying their weapons.
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 2, 2014 2:10:16 GMT
Thane Gudrik moved to the prow of the longship he'd chosen as his flagship. Yelling for his ships to halt in a voice that carried, he waited for affirmatives from the captains of his fleet. Once he was assured they were complying with the Imperials' request he turned his attention to the Captain.
"Hail warrior of the Empire. A good day to be underway is it not?" His gap toothed grin was wide and the massive longsword across his back had been peace bonded with white ribbon as soon as the imperial ships had come into sight.
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Post by aspenivan on Oct 3, 2014 13:45:20 GMT
The captain raised an eyebrow at the dubiously friendly greeting. Despite the obvious peace bond over the giant commander's sword, her instincts were telling her to reach for her pistol. Nevertheless, she would reply politely.
"Hail, warrior of Jotun! A good day indeed." She had to admit, the clear day and mild breeze were nothing to complain over. "You voyage with an impressive train of retainers and companions. Where might such a great procession be heading, and for what purpose?" This was the heart of the matter: It had been decades since such a large party of giants had been detected in these waters, and back then they had been enemies of the Empire.
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 3, 2014 13:54:41 GMT
"We're heading up the great rivers for a cultural exchange." His grin hadn't drooped a bit and behind him his warriors had broken into grins and laughter and much nodding of heads. They were certainly going to share their culture, but those who were to receive it might not see it in quite that light. "Of course the Emperor will surely share in whatever gains our exchange should drag out."
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Post by aspenivan on Oct 3, 2014 14:07:24 GMT
The captain's other eyebrow rose to join its counterpart. A "cultural exchange"? She didn't need to be a Scribe to get the hint.
"I see..." she mused, turning the situation over in her head. Her face gradually settled into a more comfortable expression. "It is true that the Sultanate is surely in need of revitalizing, after so many seasons without word or tribute. Perhaps you could check in on the Empire's loyal dwarven subjects, and maybe convince the Sultan to pay up on his arrears? And with a reasonable interest rate to boot, of course." She would leave it up to the Jotun to calculate the exact sum, and to see if it was enough for her to allow them a second trip. "All deliverable to the fortress on the peninsula a few leagues West of here." After all, they wouldn't want to scandalize any soft-hearted missionaries who might be frequenting the Jotun islands.
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 3, 2014 14:12:45 GMT
"Indeed Captain!' A fine idea. We will get underway at once." He signaled his men to once agian get under sail. They now had Imperial approval.
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 8, 2014 3:19:56 GMT
A month later the Jotun fleet would arrive at the peninsula fort. His troops battered and worn, with holds filled with less loot than had been expected but still made good on their promises. Thane Gudrik waited for the ships of the empire to guide them into harbor.
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Post by aspenivan on Oct 10, 2014 5:11:15 GMT
The giants were duly met by a galley and guided into the fortress port. However, they were stopped before they could dock by a wall of five more galleys.
"HALT!"
The Jotun were once again "greeted" by the Byrnian captain from before, standing atop the frontal battery of the center galley. She was looking less surprised than last time, but more irritated.
"I think you misunderstand the basic principles of tax collection, Thane!" she began coldly. "The idea is to leave the village there to tax next season, not to topple our vassals and massacre our subjects like a bunch of rabid cannibals! Now tell me, sir Gudrik of the Jotun Clans, why I shouldn't order my crews to fill you and your band of incompetents full of musket balls and grapeshot?" If the Thane was observing, he would notice that the cannons were pointed at him and his soldiers this time, not at the hulls of his ships. "I could pull the back taxes into port like fish in a basket and turn in your dead bodies as criminals for a hefty reward to boot!"
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 10, 2014 10:55:48 GMT
Gudrik's smile was strained this time. "They took up arms when reminded of their duty. One of my under captains decided to make an example of one of the villages. I had intended to reprimand him once the voyage was over. However the dwarves at Keles got to him and his men first." He could probably jump the distance between the ships and have the annoying little woman's head off, but that wouldn't improve the situation.
"But if you insist on a body to parade about have your pick" His hand swept over to one of the rear Barques unlike the others it was towed. Those who had died of their wounds had be placed aboard it. He'd intended for a great mass burial once they'd made it to the open ocean, but needs must.
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Post by aspenivan on Oct 10, 2014 16:39:20 GMT
The Byrnian woman considered her options very carefully. She really ought to make an example of the whole lot of these giants and let the Jotun affair be done with. But, just maybe, the Thane and his soldiers could still be useful. And as long as she could hang some corpses on gallows and heads on pikes as "High Criminals," the captain needn't shed any more blood.
"Two-thousand jiien in back taxes, plus two-thousand jiien in reparations for the mess you've made. And you hand us all of the dead. And from now on, if ever I hear of a raid by giants in any corner of the North, I better hear that the peasants had the opportunity to surrender, that prisoners weren't executed, and that the village is still standing. And then I better see your grateful face at my fort delivering 'harbor fees,' no less than 1,000 jiien per village and a good deal more if you sack anything bigger.
Do we have a deal, Thane?"
_____
Peninsular Fort demands that
1) Jotun deliver 4 Gold immediately to the peninsular fort.
2) All future raiding parties give their targets the opportunity to surrender, do not massacre prisoners, and do not raze settlements.
3) That for every village raided, the Jotun deliver 1 Gold to the peninsular fort.
4) That for any larger settlement raided, the Jotun pay a significantly greater sum.
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 10, 2014 23:09:23 GMT
"I have no issue with this. I have three-thousand here. I'll have to get the last bit from my brother."
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