Nihlus Rycalawre's Ledger

[Jorel]

Inn soundtrack, where Nihlus does most if not all of his writing

Nihlus enters the Friendly Arm inn after a day full of work. He's tired and spent. Sitting in a table by the wall he occasionaly takes a sip from his mug as he ponders about his life, feeling a certain debt to his company. They ask him to give the company a share of the gold from the clients only when the contract is above a bag, but all of his contracts as of yet were below that, which means he gave the Silver Shield's nothing at best.

He takes another sip and curiously goes through his bag, glancing at the spoils earned from the many fields he battled and dungeons he cleared in the week. A bunch of scrolls, a mace, extra gold and an empty book.... His hands stop at the last one, opening it and going through the pages to make sure there is nothing writen. He finishes his ale and sets the mug down at the table, scratching his beard afterwards. He knows how to read and write, though aint very fond of doing so and will always try to steer from such tasks, nevertheless he understands that he must set up his work straight alongside the Silver Shields, and that means remembering every mundane job he did and every earning he'd get, and what better way than having a ledger.

Nihlus starts writing slowly, with lots of pauses for drinking as well as just glancing around the Inn. At the first page he writes as he ponders on the purpose of it, as well as giving a warning for himself not go over the edge, warning he thought was required since he knew the state he gets when under the effect of alcohol, something that happened quite often. So he made up his mind on writing just after getting back, and not after a couple of hours, when by then he would have drunk quite a dozen ale mugs.

He turns the page and goes on writing about the two jobs he did earlier, each at a specific location but very similar contracts, and both turned out successfuly.





Nihlus slowly gets up and closes the book, putting it back at his bag. As he takes a glance outside the building he notices the night has come and decides to go upstairs to the room he is currently renting for some rest. Though it was a busy day, he's more content than he was 24 hours ago, which is a most welcome start.

[Jorel]

Camping under the night sky

The sun has fallen and the sky is as darkest as it could be, if not for a few stars who penetrate through the many clouds above the Lions Way. Nihlus decided to set up camp a little far from the road, preferring not to bother the trouble of travelling by night in goblin territory just south of his position. He sits outside his tent, enjoying the heat of a small fire and eating some meat, though not ignoring his surroundings as he is aware of the beetles, giant insects, that occasionaly appear to change the fate of any unlucky, or most likely, untrained and unskilled, adventurer or commoner, both of which Nihlus is not. The mercenary's sword is at the ready and ,though he doesnt has the most sharp eyes and ears, the moment he sights one beetle it is a swing away from its death.

It slowly starts to fall a few drops here and there, which in a few minutes turn to a full rain, clearing his fire and forcing him to gather all of his things and to seek shelter in his tent. The repetitive noise of the raindrops at his tent and the surroundings comfort him, ironically just as comforting as silence. Nihlus is not yet feeling asleep and remembers that he did not had the time until now to fill his ledger with his latest contract. One that took him, Marigold Winters, a fellow Shieldsman, and Cecilia Lafayette who later joined as she recognized Nihlus in the farmlands, up to Baldur's Gate and Ulgoth's Beard to investigate two missing shipments to the gnome Bentley at the Friendly Arm.

The contract was good, as in it payed well, though it required days of travelling on foot back north to the City-state. Nevertheless, generally speaking, he approved Marigold's good, if not great, work and he always appreciated Cecilia's company.



His letters are big and perhaps even ugly for some eyes, but they are easy to understand and to read. He writes quickly, just to get the general picture of the contract down, and even that he thought was unecessary but he wrote it down anyway. As he senses he had enough he closes the book, dropping it back at his bag, and lies down in his bedroll. The rain continues on strongly and nothing else is heard. Slowly his eyes close and he falls asleep, waking up some hours later in the morning. He thanks himself to see the encampment just the same way it was. After putting his equipment back on he takes down his tent and heads south, towards Beregost, to see the wares of the Thunderhammer's smithy, he was told to hold on any improved Bastard Sword, but it has been months since Nihlus had last checked.

[Jorel]

The mercenary returns to the room he is renting inside the Friendly Arm Inn after a full day in search of work. He is tired and spent and did not hesitate to get on top of the comfortable bed. Though what caused that wasnt any adventure, nor any clearing of dungeons and of protecting clients, but of standing next to his "Mercenary for Hire" sign by the campfire outside. He was up before the sun, and went inside hours after it was gone, but no new contracts he found. It has been a couple tendays like that, and it has taken a toll in his savings. Almost no gold is getting in, and his routine keeps wasting alot in a constant basis.

As a result, his ledger is left unopened for that time, as there is no such point.

- But even if i do find work, would be a point in writing by then? -

He ponders just before shutting his eye. His reasoning is easy to understand. The Silver Shields are scattered, a long time has passed since he met his leaders and other members of the mercenary company. " The only one still around" he mutters to himself and sighs " has unofficially left. " And his ledger was firstly to keep up track on his savings for his company. The black cloak with a silver cross has not been sighted in the back of another person in the Sword Coast for quite a while, and he doubts it will remain on his after this day.

Add with that, competition has increased. Once the Silver Shields had almost all contracts south of the river Chiontar, but now it seems every day a new mercenary company rises and makes it life a little harder for the rest.

Nevertheless he will continue trying, but if business continues in such a way for close to a month he will have no gold to rent his room nor to feed himself. Luckily Nihlus had hold unto a part of the gold he got by selling this rare amulet months back which has kept him on balance, it has proven to be a wise decision, though at the time it was mostly because he did not find much interesting things to spent all the gold on.

Nihlus Rycalawre slowly returns to his state before his entrance to the Silver Shields. He still keeps hold of their cloak, but for the time being he wears his own, a dark green tone that looks a bit worn out from his travels before he arrived at the Sword Coast. A mercenary life is a hard one, and specially that of a freelancer. But he will endure, like he always has since leaving Mirabar. Rumours of a new bounty spreads and eventually gets his attention: fifty bags of more than welcome gold pieces. A very persuasive reward, even more in the eyes of someone in his condition. - Time to be optimistic. - He proclaims as he leaves the Friendly Arm, with a sunlit grassland in the horizon.