Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Аренам_Омак_канон

Omak_Brinar_Arenam_canon

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 17:00

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Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:23

In the intervening months, Arenam has changed. Not so much externally (though there were external changes as well), but rather internally. It has become, as clichéd as it sounds, better. And this was true of all aspects of life in the town. The changes did not happen in one day or even one month. They were accumulating gradually and were not too noticeable to the average person. But newcomers, especially if they had been to this provincial city and even relatively recently, would have noticed the changes immediately.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:27

The first and most important thing that struck the eye was the amazing cleanliness that was not common in most human towns. The Town Council, headed by the Mayor, unexpectedly organized a separate service that would take the garbage and waste out of the town and keep the streets clean. The idea of its creation was not new, but there was no money to implement it. But then, lo and behold, they found it. And, even more surprisingly, not only did they find it, but it went to the very thing for which it was collected and allocated.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:29

The system of sewer tunnels under the town had been thoroughly cleaned of the trash that lived there ( nothing serious, but there was a lot of low-level crap) and repaired and was now working properly. A special septic tank had been set up at the place where the sewage came out. Here the waste underwent an accelerated decomposition and purification process, which was handled by representatives of the Druid Circle hired specifically for this purpose. What could not be flushed down the drain was no longer thrown out of windows or doors into the street but was taken out of town in carts, two dozen of which drove around every other morning, and there it was either burned or also turned into rot and mulch, which were then taken to the surrounding fields and farms. The old-fashioned way of throwing garbage directly into the street was subject to fines and not a small fine. Or a whipping, whichever one is preferred.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:31

Many people were unhappy about this at first, but they quickly came to appreciate the benefits of such cleanliness. The rest of them had it beaten through their asses by the town guards with birches. Or through their wallets. Which way was more painful was hard to say.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:35

Another thing that immediately caught the eye of visitors was the disappearance from the streets of beggars, the homeless, the hapless, and the vagrants who have always been plentiful in human towns. In any other case, such a total disappearance of the urban underclass is cause for immediate alarm, and the town Guards, Adventurers, and private armies of Merchants and Aristocrats are to be called to arms. But in this case, the reason for the disappearance was not another deadly beast or an insolent sect/cult. It was the fact that the town had opened three dormitories/shelters at the town's three largest temples. It was also an idea for a long time, but somehow there was never enough money even for one. And then, lo and behold, there was money in the town treasury for three shelters at once. And, again, surprisingly, almost all of the money allocated went to the construction/repair of the buildings and the purchase/production of the most basic but necessary furniture and clothing.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:38

It was to these shelters all the above representatives of the town's bottom were assigned, by decision of the city council, on a voluntary-forced basis. Those who did not want to give up their life on the street because of their class (there were four of them in the city, three vagrants and one beggar) or for other reasons were politely but insistently asked to move to neighboring cities. They did not give them money to move, but they provided them with new clothes and food for the trip.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:40

The others, again by force, were washed, given new, simple but good-quality clothes, fed, treated, and actively recruited for socially useful work. As a matter of fact, a large part of the newcomers were now engaged in keeping the town clean and orderly. Some helped with household chores in the church to which his dormitory was attached. The homeless children were divided between the two temple schools by a decision of the Town Council, for which, again, money was found. There they were taught not only literacy but also the basics of various crafts.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:42

The strongest, healthiest, and fittest boys were assigned to a company of young recruits, as the Burgomaster had nicknamed it, created under the city guard. From there, when the children reached the age of sixteen, they were assigned to the town`s craft guilds as apprentices if they had shown proper zeal in learning the trades. Or town temples if the latter wished to dedicate their future lives to the service of one of the celestials. The young recruits of the company were either waiting for the imperial army or further service in the ranks of the city guard.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:45

It is clear that life in the army, in a craft guild, or as a temple servant is not the most pleasant for a newcomer without connections or patrons. But it was certainly much better than what awaited these children on the streets of the town. Most of them understood that. Those who didn't want to leave the streets ran away at the first opportunity, but there weren't many of them. In any case, they did not return to their former occupations, for it had recently been unanimously decided by the Arenam Town Council begging and vagrancy were banned within the town. Anyone found doing so was either sent to a shelter or expelled from the town.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:47

The appearance of the town itself has also been transformed. Most of the streets were repaved, removing numerous gaps and potholes. Well, at least all the main streets were repaired. For years the Town Council had fought with the Stonemasons Guild, and they still couldn't agree on a price. And lo and behold, they did. And the Town Council had splurged on lighting not just for the center of the city but for all the broadest streets, including some of the less affluent ones.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:49

Speaking of which. One of the streets that had been part of the city's slums, and had a well-deserved bad reputation, was demolished and replaced by several new, rather tall and large, revenue houses that would become the property of the Town Council and another source of income. The inhabitants of the demolished hovels were temporarily assigned to the town's new shelters, with the promise of a room in each of the new houses. And for some reason, ordinary people believed that the Mayor would keep his word. And rumor has it around town that he plans to rebuild all the slums little by little.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:52

The town's guards also changed for the better. Some of the guards, for a variety of reasons, decided to retire or change their line of work. And some just suddenly left this world for the most natural reasons, completely random and not suspicious. Some got drunk and fell asleep in a snowdrift. Others slipped on the icy sidewalk and bumped their heads badly. Anything can happen in winter on the dark streets of the town. But somehow, strangely enough, the most unflattering representatives of the town guards left the ranks. And those, frankly speaking, its leading representatives, who still had some decency and desire to protect the law and order, suddenly got opportunities for career advancement. And somehow, it suddenly turned out that Arenam's town guards, though reduced in number, were increasing in quality.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:56

Guards started doing exactly what it was supposed to do. To keep order and law in the streets of the town. Patrolling not only the wealthy sections of the town but also the poor neighborhoods where she'd never even gone before. The guards had been helped in no small measure by the fact that, by some divine miracle, they'd had their equipment, armor, and weapons updated to the latest standards. They are also noticeably better fed. Or rather, the quartermasters just began to give them in the barracks mess tents everything they were entitled to according to the approved standards. A similar thing happened to their salaries, which were now paid in full and without delay (well, exactly, Miracle!). The townspeople were surprised to find that the streets of their town were noticeably safer. And a man drunk in an inn now had a much better chance of getting home, not just alive, but not even robbed.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 18:58

Also, with the help of the Guild of Healers and Alchemists, four small and one large hospital was opened. They had also been planning this for a long time. It seemed to benefit everyone. For the Healers' Guild, it was a permanent practice for the newcomers, allowing them to get their hands dirty, hone their skills, and even earn a level or two. For the Alchemists' Guild, it means stable orders for medicinal goods. For the town, it was a noticeable improvement in the epidemiological situation. But it all came down to money. Or rather, that no one, as always, wanted to pay for the common cause.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:01

But not so long ago, the money was found, and again, well, by some miracle of some celestials, it was not stolen. Several buildings in not very good condition were bought. Good repairs were made. The necessary furniture, stocks of medicines, and tools were bought. At the appointed time, the clinics were ceremonially opened by the representatives of the Town Council, and they began their work. And the citizens of the town quickly appreciated their usefulness. Petty medical care in them was provided free of charge to all the townspeople. More serious care was provided at quite reasonable prices. If the petitioner still did not have enough money, he was allowed to work on the treatment, either for the benefit of one of the guilds or the Town Magistrate, after he had received medical care.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:03

There were positive changes in the Guild of Rose's establishments as well. Actually, the Guild of Representatives of the oldest profession in the town had only two establishments, the most presentable and expensive. The others were private shops with "goods" of dubious quality, which mostly belonged to the representatives of the Night Guild. But not so long ago, again, quite unexpectedly, most of the brothels in the city had closed, barely a third of their former number remaining. But all those that remained were officially part of the Guild of the Rose, and, moreover, the Town Council had decreed that only the aforementioned guild was now authorized to provide known services.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:12

This, strangely enough, had the most favorable effect on the quality of services provided. It is not clear where the money had come from, and all the buildings where the well-known services were provided were renovated, new furniture was purchased, and... everything else necessary for work. In addition, representatives of the Healers' Guild were now regularly examining all the workers, providing necessary treatment. Also, all visitors were now checked by the Guild member on duty. In addition, there were regular supplies of cosmetic alchemy from the Guild. And no less important was the noticeable improvement in the situation of the workers, who were now officially part of the Guild, with all the resulting benefits, rights, and guarantees. Up to the fact that the Guild of Rose bought one of the apartment buildings, renovated it, and converted it into a dormitory for its workers, who did not have their housing.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:19

The price of living there was almost symbolic. The price to pay for all this, however, was the increased price tag for the services of the Guild of Rose, but in the opinion of most of the town's inhabitants, it was more than worth it.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:20

It is clear that such changes to the town were not to the liking of all its inhabitants. First and foremost, the criminals and all those associated with them were unhappy. Deprived of its main recruiting base of youngsters in the form of street children, as well as of income from brothels, it could not but say its weighty dissenting word. And everyone was waiting for the underworld to start putting all sorts of sticks in the wheels of the mayor's undertakings and knives under the ribs of their executors. Only, to the surprise of those who had expected it, the underworld of Arenam did nothing of the sort. For it, too, has changed, and very much so.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:26

At first, it wasn't noticeable. It was just that the various town gangs had become a little less greedy, a little less violent. They were actually doing something to help ordinary people. And then there were some dramatic changes. The key event, the trigger for all that followed, was that in nearby Tavimark, where most of the criminals who tacitly controlled the Arenam criminals lived. One day they were almost all slaughtered. Not by humans but by beasts and monsters that had fallen from the catacombs. From the very same catacombs where the criminals hid, fearing that the city guards had decided to give them a sudden night of long knives. Thus, a sudden vacuum of known dimensions was created in the underworld. All who wished to do so immediately rushed to fill.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:29

And they all forgot about Arenam for a while. They had no time for the provincial town. When the redistribution of spheres of influence in the criminal world ended, and the new leaders managed to either kill or agree with most of their rivals-partners in the dangerous criminal business, it suddenly became clear that there had been no news from Arenam for a long time and the contact amulets of their leaders had been suspiciously silent for a long time. But the hell with the news. The most important thing is that the money from those who were appointed Watchmen for Arenam from the underworld had stopped coming in.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:32

Intelligent men were sent to find out why, and they soon conveyed the following message to the new authorities in Tavimark through the amulets of communication. If you translate its meaning from the criminal lexicon into human language, its essence was as follows. There is now a new Master of the Underworld in Arenam. A certain Red, formerly in the brigadier, at one of the former leaders of one of the gangs. He would not meddle in the territory of his competitors, but for those who strayed to him, he shows no mercy. He's not going to pay anyone anything, either.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:38

After that, the connection was cut off, and no one else responded to the amulets. When the new chiefs of Tavimark's underworld received such a message, they weren't too surprised. It happened from time to time. Someone decided they could bite more than they could chew. It happens. As a rule, it ended up with a bite stuck in the throat, with fatal consequences. New men were sent in, just as intelligent as the first, but in a slightly different area. They successfully made their way to Arenam and disappeared. Without a trace.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:39

The underworld of Tavimark concluded, only, as it turned out, not quite right. Those in charge of selecting and equipping the men sent to settle the matter were punished (a couple of them even got off) for underestimating the enemy and began to prepare a second team, in all seriousness. And they started by deciding to find out what was going on in the town. But attempts at reconnaissance only confirmed the extent of the threat. The spies sent to Arenam were, to all appearances, quickly identified and disappeared shortly after they arrived in the city. Attempts to "see through it" yielded nothing but vague images of battles between various gangs. But nothing that could lead me to this incomprehensible Red.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:42

After that, two well-coordinated fives from the Assassins' Guild were hired for very large sums of money, at least level twenty-eight. The leader was even thirty-five. Each of them was an acknowledged professional in his field, ranging from hacking into security systems, surveillance, information gathering, analysis, creating poisons, ritualism, and actually killing. They were very well equipped. They were given quite detailed information about possible adversaries. Generously paid and dispatched.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:43

And then things didn't go the way the underworld leaders had hoped. The teams successfully reached Arenam. They confirmed successful infiltration. They confirmed access to Red. They confirmed the start of his exploitation. And then, overnight, one of the leaders of the Assassins' Guild of Tavimark and three of the new criminal bosses who'd been most infuriated by the stoppage of money from Arenam were killed. All of them died, along with their closest subordinates. The unidentified men worked cleanly, without witnesses, and demonstratively brutally. Just like the assassination guild pros sent to Arenam liked to work.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:47

The underworld respects strength. After such a demonstration, the surviving ringleaders were visibly cold in their desire to put the incomprehensible insolent in his place. All the more so when more urgent matters arose. In particular, the need to re-divide spheres of influence. Find out how this incomprehensible Red managed to turn over the pros sent to his head will be possible later. Right now, it is urgent to take over the shares of the deceased competitors. Before other competitors do it. Especially since all the surviving ringleaders got indirect confirmation through their informants that it was someone of the still-alive partners involved in the death of their colleagues, and as if not in cahoots with this incomprehensible Red.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:51

In the confusion that followed and the wave of murders, frame-ups, and poisonings, no one thought such retaliation was too steep, even for two well-coordinated groups of professionals from the Assassins' Guild. They could have eliminated one or maybe two of the dead, especially if they'd started working on him right away instead of going to Arenam. But to kill four people at once, and with their people, and on their turf, without any help from anyone else? Too cool. They couldn't have done it without the help of someone powerful enough. Well, it would be more accurate to say that someone had thought about it but had chosen to keep their valuable thoughts to themselves. It's safer for the head.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:54

Meanwhile, the leaders of Tavimark would be very surprised to learn what happened to their colleagues in Arenam. It all began with the fact that soon after the famous events in Tavimark, there was a real gang war in the city, which broke out literally on the spot and unexpectedly for everyone. The gangs, their former partners and rivals, fought to the death, disregarding years of agreements and unspoken rules. Squads of different gangs ruthlessly slaughtered each other and smashed caches and stashes of competitors, not sparing trump cards and consumables from untouchable supplies. And as a result of the outbreak of war killed not only representatives of the underworld but also some quite respectable residents of the town, at first glance here in no way related to the criminals.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:55

And somehow, it happened in the course of a short but very bloody fight. Somehow amazingly, most of the criminal elements of all stripes and levels, from rank-and-file thugs to gang leaders and their patrons, were mowed down. And the latter, no doubt, would have realized that something was wrong and would have tried to stop the senseless and unnecessary massacre. They would sit down at the negotiating table and try to somehow resolve the conflict, which was disastrous for everyone. Even if not them, then their first deputies. Except that, again, none of them did. It is unclear why. Maybe they just didn't have time because the gang leaders and their patrons were killed in the first days of the fight. And no guards, no stationary protection of shelters, no artifacts saved them. And yet none of them was economizing on security. But somehow, it turned out that all the precautions were not enough to save the lives of the bosses of the underworld.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 19:59

In the end, it suddenly became clear to everyone involved that the only gang that was any good after the almost complete mutual self-destruction of criminals was the gang of a certain Streve Lance, better known as Red. After the former ringleader was strangled in his lair, he was the only one of his closest associates left alive. He quickly oriented himself and took his place, successfully disposing of all those who wished to challenge his position. After that, the new gang leader declared himself the new Night Master of the city and began to actively take over all areas of the criminal world, ruthlessly crushing dissenters and subjugating their business.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:05

And so it turned out that there was no one to oppose him since everyone who could have done so had already successfully killed each other. Although some dissenters were found, and even tried to resist somehow. But they very quickly also disappeared or abruptly changed their minds and joined him. In less than a month, the new Nightmaster was firmly entrenched in his position, becoming, in fact, the sole head of all crime in Arenam. And, even more surprisingly, he was a surprisingly agreeable man, something I'd never seen before. Red was surprisingly quick to find common ground with both the Mayor and the new Head of the Town Guard, who also tacitly acknowledged his right to command the heavily thinned Night Guild.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:08

There was, however, one side of the criminal underworld that didn't participate, in any way, in the internecine fight of criminals and which somehow no one even remembered. The only survivor of the five bloodsuckers somehow mysteriously managed to stay away. She was remembered only at the gathering, where the few surviving criminals who still had any influence gathered to officially "crown" Red. It was there the new Night Master stunned everyone by declaring that the vile creature was under his thumb. And in general, it is on a very short leash. Then, in front of the amazed criminals, he confirmed his words with deeds. At his command, a pair of Red's assistants led the aforementioned bloodsucker, dressed only in black knee-high boots, into the room where the meeting was taking place.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:12

Then the new Night Master of the Arenam sprawled out in his chair, took his cock out of his pants, and, without saying a word, pointed it to his guest. She knelt silently in front of him, fixing her long hair so that everyone could see better, and began to suck the fairly grinning man diligently, demonstrating skills worthy of the best representatives of the Guild of the Rose. Admittedly, there was a lot to be shocked about. And the criminals were, in fact, shocked. Starting with the appearance of the creature, which a dead man would have hard on to, and ending with its absolute obedience to not the most, let's face it, high-level man.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:15

To be fair, a few of the criminals at the meeting had the idea that letting such a creature suck anything, whether blood or semen, was a VERY shitty idea. But for some reason, no one voiced it, and then everyone forgot all about this nonsense. As well as the fact that after Red, his tame creature served several more of the highest-ranking criminals. But what remained firmly in the minds of the new subordinates of the crowned Red was that the bloodsucking creature was under his thumb and did not dare to squeak without his permission, and was generally not worth attention.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:31

After all these events, which passed unnoticed by most of the town's residents, including those who should notice such things, the criminal world of Arenam has also become noticeably better. Under Red's strict control, the criminals have abandoned the dirtiest ways of making money. Any few dissenters either changed their minds very quickly or disappeared. Robbery and theft practically ceased. The amount of "protection money" taken from merchants has decreased noticeably. Some of the least well-off, who had nothing much to take, were exempted from it. If anyone from the outside could assess the changes that had taken place in Arenam's criminal underworld, they would probably describe them in two words: "Crime is dead." Practically dead.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:32

Some of its manifestations still existed, such as smuggling and the black market, which was also pretty much dead, but against the background of other cities, it was not even funny. And any attempts of activity by "visiting tourists" were harshly and quickly suppressed. Moreover, in some amazing way, none of the locals tried to move Red and regain their lost sources of income.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:36

Or rather, a few not very clever and not very high-level criminals tried. More precisely, they simply hinted at the possibility to their colleagues. After that, they simply disappeared. Everyone who needed it understood and was no longer outraged. All the more so that, again, in some mystical way, yesterday's foreman was able to get his hands on a large part of the money of the deceased Night Fathers. How he managed to get to their stashes and caches was a mystery. But the fact remained that Red had enough money so far, and he paid his subordinates enough so that no one would ever think of going against him. Though the loyalty of his inner circle was not due to money, but neither Red nor his cronies knew that.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:38

A no less surprising thing happened in Arenam in the spring when one of the legal slavecatcher teams had been coming to the city to buy goods. They were astonished to find there was almost nothing to catch in the usual "grounds." However, it didn't take them long to be surprised.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:39

So literally the next day, an elite platoon of city guards, along with some of the best fighters from the Grimmentrei Temple and its Abbot, as well as three of the highest-level adventurers from the local Guild branch, stormed into the large private house where they were staying whenever they came to town. The Slavecatcher, who had never expected such a thing, had no time to make a serious resistance.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:41

While they were being tied up and shackled, they screamed that they were honest traffickers of "live goods," that everything was legal and paid for, they had all the paperwork. At about that moment, one of them, the former First Deputy Commander, had managed to snatch an enchanted stiletto from its shield container, which reeked of Darkness and Madness a mile off. Before anyone could react, he jabbed it into his heart, turning himself almost instantly into a creature of the Darkness. It was a creature of darkness, but fortunately, the Temple's fists, led by the Abbot, managed to put it to rest very quickly, crushing it with the power of Heaven. It only had time to kill a couple of Slavecatchers and hit their brains with a wave of madness which was successfully leveled by the servants of God.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:43

After that, no one listened to the cries of the even more fucked-up Slavecatchers. The house they occupied was thoroughly searched, and they found a considerable amount of paraphernalia and artifacts for dark rituals. In the basement, they found a secret room with a ritual circle and the remains of several people who had apparently been sacrificed to the darkness.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:44

After that, all the surviving members of the crew found themselves in the stocks themselves. After a very quick and revealing trial for illegally practicing witchcraft with sacrifice, most of them went either to the town jail or the slave market. Only the highest-ranking and most important of the Slavecatchers were sentenced to execution. Except that it was carried out very quietly, almost without any witnesses. It looked more like they were simply "disappeared."

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:46

A similar fate befell the illegal Slavecatchers gang that came to town disguised as merchants. In the sense that they, too, simply "disappeared" one night with almost no witnesses. Characteristically, they, too, were pretty surprised before they disappeared. Both the absence on the streets of most of the usual "goods" and the disappearance of the vast majority of their contacts and patrons. After that, there was, somehow, no one in Arenam who wished to obtain "live goods." Surprisingly, there were fewer of them in those places. They just disappeared somewhere during the winter. It's a mystery.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:49

Such amazing changes have occurred in the ordinary provincial town of Arenam. But what was the reason for these strange changes?
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Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:49

Janet was a pretty smart woman, good at counting in general and money in particular. The uncommon Accountant's class, taken at level ten, contributed greatly to her natural talents. She also had the business acumen she'd inherited from her halfling father. Now this short, plump, but in her own way pretty woman, dressed in a solid dark-blue closed dress, sat behind a huge desk in a deafened office in the heart of the town's magistrate's building.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:52

This particular room was one of the most protected and securely shielded in the whole building. Because this was where they worked directly with real money and securities. Dozens of documents, contracts, promissory notes, invoices, bills of exchange, and ledgers were laid out on a huge table in front of Janet. Hundreds of silver and even gold coins stood neatly stacked on the table, carefully sorted according to denomination, weight, and type of coinage, as well as those still waiting to be minted. One person could not cope with such a volume of work, even with a specialized class. So her only daughter sat next to Janet, just as short and plump but a bit prettier. In the light of the quality magical lights, she was examining, with the most serious expression on her face, another document that was the tax return of a branch of a trade guild, checking it against other records.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:54

A rare Financier class, taken relatively recently by a happy-go-lucky girl, made it much easier to navigate tax returns, treasury reports, and other documents related to money.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 20:55