RP:And Let Slip The Crabs Of War

Part of the Rise of Larket Arc

Synopsis: Hureig, Ambassador and Merchant of Frostmaw, went on a quest to find supplies for Frostmaw's army while on the march. His newly developed friendship with fellow merchant Kreekitaka seemed the perfect opportunity to gain fresh supplies close to the inevitable front. But when Hureig let slip Larket's declaration of war against Frostmaw, he inadvertently let slip the crabs of war as well.

Cenril Beach

Hureig :: There were levels of tired that everyone knew that ranged from sleeping so lightly that you wake up to the faintest sound and the kind that puts you into a near coma where not even drowning would wake you up. And so it was with Hureig where he slept on the beach, though he was not so tired he would drowned. When high tide came in and soaked him from head to toe, when it started filling his mouth when it was wide open in a snore, the Frost Giant stirred awake. He could remember very little when he woke from his Hulking state; the brain within the smaller head could only hold so much information, and that space was taken up completely with whatever he was doing and his three F-prime directives. He was groggy when he got to his feet, and it took one hand scratching his stomach and the other to wipe at his eyes before he ascertain his whereabouts. He had sand in places sand should not be, and it was not the gravely kind he was used to in the mountains. It was too hot to be Frostmaw, and he was not strung up, so it couldn't be Larket. In his assessing turn he finally found Kree, and it was then he remember what had drove him him. "Well, I can only assume I lost since you..." His finger bobbed in the air, "...have all your legs attached."

Kreekitaka had, after dragging Hureig back to the beach, gone straight back to sewing, and waited for the giant to come back around. Various seabirds which had started circling like vultures were shooed away by the crustacean, and by the time Hureig had woken up the dress he'd been putting together was almost finished. One could see the embroidery and craftsmanship in the layers of fabric, the glow and sparkle on the trim. As he got back to his feet, Kree shifted a bit of his attention away from the final details of the garment and clenched his facial crushers with a light bow. "Yes. ITAH! was a brief buTAH! harDAH!-foughTAH! match an' you shoulDAH! be prouDAH! of how strongyee you performeDAH!." Kree rolled his strained arm and twitched in a way that could easily be a wince. "I myseff mus' confess TAH!oo some syighTAH! DAH!eception on my parTAH!. I wisheDAH! TAH!oo see your prowess an' gave you onyee a half-truHHHTH." He paused for a moment for effect. "I, an' no oHHHTHer, am HHHTHe KreekiTAH!ka for whom you seek."

Hureig could only dip his head in a silent befuddlement when the crustacean spoke. His accent was odd even to a giant who spent his time with other giants and mammoths, but he could discern enough from the common to get the gist. "Thank you, thank you. I do apologize for wanting to eat you when we first met. I must say that I had consumed a small human child's weight in seafood, butter, and salt before coming to the beach, and I was a little...well...seafood mad." It was embarrassing and completely uncouth the way they had first met, and he wore that shame with a worried look on his pale face. "No, no! I believe it is I who you are seeking! I was told by some of the long distance merchants within the Market that you wished to speak to me!" He tried to keep his eyes up at Kree, but the dress he was making was such an exquisite piece! He came close to the creature just to have a better look at such a fine example of a dress.

Kreekitaka nodded at the explanation. He knew the feeling, being a predator who fed on lesser shellfish, and had launched into a binge on multiple occasions. But, that could be tabled for later. Now, it was time to talk business. Kree held the dress out towards the man as he approached, to let him feel how soft it was in addition to its beauty. "Ah, yes. I have spoken wiHHHTH HHHTHe queen on HHHTHis aoso--I am going TAH!oo pyace a business in Fros'maw's markeTAH! area, an' she has given me permission TAH!oo invesTAH! in oHHHTHer businesses for HHHTHe purpose of reconstrucTAH!ing HHHTHeir homes. ITAH! seems you are HHHTHe one TAH!oo speak of abouTAH! such HHHTHings, yes?" Kree wanted to assist in the reconstruction efforts, that much was true. An economy not focused on basic needs like shelter could deal more heavily in luxury items like fancy clothing. Of course, investing in a business often means taking partial ownership of said business...

Hureig was all about markets and merchantry, and once he understood what Kree was saying, his face brightened and beamed. "Well! I won't turn down someone who wants to invest in the market, but there is something you can do now that would help Frostmaw more." From happy to somber, his mood changed on a dime as his voice lowered to nearly a whisper. He was up as close to the crustacean as he could get, as close as was comfortable to the good ole Kree. "Larket has declared war on Frostmaw. It is a sad state of affairs, and one that will have the full force of Frostmaw marching to war once again." There was more than he was telling Kree if the heavy look of guilt on his features was any indication. "Wars are won and lost on the stomach. If you would supply Queen Hildegarde's forces with fresh fish foodstuffs at a fair market value, then the opportunities within the Frostmaw Market would be endless!"

Kreekitaka paused. His mind raced. Larket, at war with Frostmaw? A proper, real war could set back his plans another few months, and possibly wreck his shop in the process with the way land-dwellers did war. No. No, that wasn't an option. And he wasn't quite in position to do much about Frostmaw's position, but Larket... Kree stood up straighter and looked up to Hureig, paddles flaring. "I can DAH!oo more. ForgeTAH! fooDAH!. I bareyee work in fooDAH! anyhow. No. You are noTAH! going TAH!oo have TAH!oo go TAH!oo war. I am going TAH!oo break YarkeTAH!. Rip iTAH! aparTAH! by HHHTHe -seams-. An' I can DAH!oo HHHTHis overnighTAH!, wiHHHTH onyee my worDAH!s an' a pen an' parchmenTAH!." His paddles clattered loudly against each other and he beat his chest. "HHHTHen," his voice began to rise in pitch, his tone changing swiftly from that of an angry businessman to that of a conquering king, his claws lifting, "I march my forces up HHHTHe Vibrance an' TAH!ake HHHTHe ciTAH!ee for my own!" His claw crushed something imaginary in the air. "I know noTAH! how HHHTHis war began, buTAH! you neeDAH! noTAH! boHHHTHer. I'm finishing iTAH!. YarkeTAH! becomes a new worDAH! for my peepo, an' iTAH! means 'Now My Cyaws Grasp HHHTHe Sky'!" ...Well that escalated quickly.

Hureig :: Deep down in his bones, Hureig was just like Kree. He was a businessman, a knight, a warrior, quick to action to level the fields for fairness and equality...He just wasn't a crustacean. He admired the creature more than he should, and that quick escalation had earned him a spot as one of his friends. "Kree, Kree! We cannot ask you to do that. This war is between Queens and False Leaders! Between kingdoms! If you were to do that, you would take all the responsibility from Larket and the surrounding kingdoms. No, no. We cannot have that." Should he eat his gold coin to become a hulking brute? It seemed to be the wisest thing, but he did not. He stood before the thrashing Kree with his hands held up in pleading. "My friend, my friend. There is something more you can to do help bring justice to Larket. Help me find out where Her supplies are coming from. Help me find out how her market and commerce work. I cannot go back to Larket, or I will become prisoner again. This will help Queen Hildegarde more than you fighting her war for her." He tried to soothe the raging beast and keep all his extremities and his head from being clipped off. "I would also like to commission something from you..."

Kreekitaka tilted his head to Hureig in confusion. Well of -course- he would take the responsibility. That's what being king is all about--expanding your empire, ruling your people. And this was the perfect opportunity to do so--a leader had just done the incredibly cowardly thing of declaring war on a city still rebuilding from civil unrest. Clearly, he was unfit and needed to be removed--replaced with someone stronger. Someone more suited to the task of proper leadership. Someone in charge of the largest business on the planet, maybe. "Hureig," said Kree, a little more quietly, crossing his arms and rippling his paddles, "I -am- YarkeTAH!'s commerce. I own so much sTAH!ock in so many businesses HHHTHaTAH! wiHHHTH a worDAH! from me, HHHTHe ciTAH!ee goes bankrupTAH! overnighTAH!. DAH!oo you comprehenDAH!.? How powerfoh I am aoreaDAH!ee? I -own- YarkeTAH!. HHHTHis action onyee pyaces me in my proper position." Once again, he made the imaginary crushing gesture. "If HHHTHis is abouTAH! Fake YeaDAH!ers, HHHTHen I have as much in HHHTHis as you. More, even. Beg. SooHHHTHe. Your efforTAH!s are in vain, my frienDAH!. Your mission for me makes iTAH! even cyearer HHHTHaTAH! mine is HHHTHe correcTAH! course."

Hureig :: When Kree moved, the Frost Giant moved, and when Kree made his crushing gestures, Hureig's hand motioned for calm all the more frantically. "Friend Kree! I do not doubt your ability to cripple the city, nor your prowess in ruling such folk! But in this mission, I believe it would be too much to ask of Queen Hildegarde to take her place in this war! You know we Frostmawians pride ourselves on battle! Before you take away her glory, let us talk to her first. That is fair for all of us." he was an ambassador, and a poor one at that if in the process of trying to secure goods for his Queen he brought in another factor that must be accounted for in this struggle. "Give Queen Hildegarde the courtesy of speaking your plan to her before you go off to war. And while we wait, we can discuss ways to use your vast empire of commerce to help bring Larket to its knees. There is also the commission that will help me win the heart of the Queen!" Did he just expose his deepest secret to the beach? Did he just let the sabertooth cat out of the bag! By the way his pale face turned red, he had. "Peace, Friend Kreekitaka! Peace!"

Kreekitaka made a dismissive gesture and snorted when he mentioned talking to her first. "Of -course- she mus' know. If she wishes TAH!oo gain more gyory in my fighTAH!, so be iTAH!, she an' whoever is wiHHHTH her may join me." He paused, then turned a hard stare up to Hureig with a very pointed gesture. "However. YarkeTAH! is -mine-," he declared, as firmly as bedrock. Closing the subject abruptly by turning to walk away and immediately lightening the mood, he started speaking of the commission with a gesture for Hureig to follow the oceanic king, to converse as they walked. "Now speak TAH!oo me of HHHTHis commission! I woulDAH! be pyeaseDAH! TAH!oo make someHHHTHing for you. Io even give you a DAH!iscounTAH! since you foughTAH! so strongyee earyier."

Hureig was at greater ease when Kree had come down from his war scorpion. It was a complex situation, both politically and personal. It seemed Larket would become the place of a greater struggle when the false leader Macon had been brought to justice. "Well, Queen Hildegarde is not too fond of dresses, so what I ask for would be something different..." He was at Kree's side, his arms behind his back, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "And she is practical above all else. What say you to crafting a gambeson? Something light yet strong that could also be worn as a pleasant outfit when not in her armor?"

Kreekitaka considered the prospect. A padded, stiffened top, meant for wearing beneath armor yet now also apparently stylish enough to wear around? "How yong mus' iTAH! be? Have you her measuremenTAH!s? DAH!oo you wanTAH! armor TAH!oo accompany iTAH!.?" He pulled out his notepad and a pen and began scribbling down notes and various ideas. "Have you any HHHTHoughTAH!s on DAH!esign? Coyor?"

Hureig was a bit puzzled when Kree asked his questions. Measurements? Well, he could ask her, but that may give away the game. But there was one she was close to who would know such things about her completely platonic friend. "I do not know her measurements, but I know someone who will. Thane Josleen is a good friend of mine and very close to the Queen." But then, the friendly crustacean laid down an even greater challenge: an entire suit of armor? Was that too much? Too much for Hildegarde to accept, too much for Kree to do, or too much of a hurting on Hureig's coin purse? He had seen Hildegarde in her armor, resplendent as it was with all of the dents and dings that could not---that should not---be fixed. "If it would not be too much trouble, a new suit of armor would be wonderful. Perhaps an ornate suit? One that has etched into it the history of the Frostmaw Civil War and her hopefully long lived reign..."

Kreekitaka changed direction slightly, headed back towards town and, by extension, his shop, where his materials were. He rippled his paddles and nodded. "Io neeDAH! from you HHHTHe foyowing before I can begin: a hisTAH!ory of Fros'maw, HHHTHe measuremenTAH!s from Josyeen, an' a preference as TAH!oo armor sTAH!yoh." He started counting off on his tentacles. "I have sharkskin, pufferfish, carapace, hagfish, an' eeoh." He glanced over his shoulder. "Each wiHHHTH a unique abiyiTAH!ee an' traiTAH!." None of those sounded like metal armors--rather more like different kinds of hide or leather armor.

Hureig rubbed his chin while Kreekitaka spoke, and though he spoke of all things that were not metal, the Frost Giant was not flustered. "I imagine armor that can be worn at social gatherings. Ornate armor that wouldn't be her primary set, so hide and leather would be fine. It will take me some time to get the measurements from Thane Josleen, but I will write down the history of the Frostmaw War for you to work with." He had no idea which fish fin or carapace would be better, and his eyes nearly crossed trying to think about them. "I think something sleek and not too flashy would work. Something without too many frills. Something flat. Perhaps sharkskin?"

Kreekitaka shook his head. "If iTAH! is meanTAH! for non-combaTAH! use, sharkskin is HHHTHe worsTAH! iDAH!ea. Sharkskin syashes an' scrapes whaTAH! TAH!ouches iTAH!. Carapace is besTAH! for whaTAH! you wish. No powers--jus' hard, unbreakabo, an' even if iTAH! were, iTAH! cannoTAH! harm HHHTHe user." Unlike metal armor, which could bend and impale its user, carapace armor simply fragmented. However, with varying levels of hardness, with softer armor on the inside to help it flex and hard armor on the outside to prevent damage, it was nearly impossible to break conventionally.

Hureig trusted the smith in this affair and gave him a nod. "Carapace it is." Something else decided to join the conversation: the frost giant's gut. It rumbled and roiled and made all manner of inappropriate and uncouth sounds. "Well, it seems I am hungry." It seems? More like it sounds! The joke was spoken in his mind, and it had him breaking into a wide grin. "I will go get something to eat and fetch up a scroll and ink, and I will get down to writing the history."

Kreekitaka nodded. "Io begin preparations for shaping carapace armor." He turned around and offered the giant a clench of his facial crushers and a light bow. "HHHTHank you for bringing HHHTHe YarkeTAH! war TAH!oo my eyes. I expecTAH! gyory enough for us boHHHTH by HHHTHe enDAH!."