Empires of Ashes Reboot

Yenn: "It would be easier if you could maintain a semblance of professionalism."

Theresa: told ye lass, I aint Dracian. Where I'm from, this is professional.

Trajan slowly walks towards the legionary camp. Save for his slightly fancier sword, he looks near identical to the common soldiers now.

"Tsk. Thengulli." She stares off at the horsemen for a long moment. Then speaks again. Her accent has shifted, less the flowing speech of the kelthrovi nobility, and more one of the plains dialects, harsher, and more guttural. "Then we find wine. Or whatever passes for it in the high places. And we talk frankly of how we shall fight."

Theresa smiles a little.
"That I can do" *she gestures for Yenn to follow her

"Not a word of it to anyone. I have a reputation to uphold."

she chuckles
"Aye, I can afford ye that much courtesy"

She nods just a little, and follows.

she leads her to a tent, back in the Excursor part of the camp, larger and a little fancier than the others. The dire wolf from before is lying down outside it, although it perks up upon seeing their approach

Yenn ducks through the flap, and immediately fixes the dog with a hard stare.

the wolf gives her a surprisingly happy look. Theresa ruffles the fur atop its head, grinning.

Yenn scowls at it, her smudged makeup not forgotten

"He likes ye lass. 's pretty rare fer someone he's just met."

"If he liked me a little less, i would not complain."

Mord on the other hand stood out like a sore thumb, atop his aketon was first a layer of thick chainmail. Each ring was connected to a further 8 rings, and atop these were overlapping steel plates which had been fixed to the rings in much the same way. He would look like most of his men in battle, were it not for the dragon crest that stood atop his helmet, or the green cloak that hung from his shoulders.

Theresa chuckles. She sits at a simple stool, gesturing for Yenn to do likewise at another

At Trajan's lead the group begins to walk through the legionary camp. After a little glancing around, the consul approaches one of the tests, its occupants sat around outside. One of them is playing on a Lyre and singing to the others. he has a surprisingly soft singing voice.
"Et in illis agris et campi medio
Ferro et igne in cordibus vestris, et ossa eorum.

Ad draco in faciem, atque terribili ferox
sciebant quod essent quamquam certo mori"

Yenn sits. Sweeping the silk backed mail from underneath her as she does so. “So. What is our plan?”

Theresa: dya mean the overall battleplan or just what I'm doin? *she hands an amphora of wine. its clearly kelthrovi, likely loot*

"I known the generalities, but not the specifics."

Theresa: well, usual call's pretty simple. Ya got Light infantry, Heavy Infantry, Light cav, Heavy cav, Archers. Add all o them t' the Heavyier infantry, crossbowmen n artillery o' the legions. Normal doctrine's they make up the center, we make up th' flanks. the Lancearios on the wings o the legionaries, Excursors either skirmishing or bein flank n rearguard to ward off cavalry n that. Gravis Equites Smash enemy infantry n cavalry then get out before they get bogged down, Levis Equites scout, harass, chase off missile units n that. Sagitarii...well they're archers, ya know what they do. Lets the legionaries n Lancearios do the bulk o the frontline fightin.

“I see... and how shall I use my warriors?”

Theresa: you know em better than me lass. How would ye fit em into that kinda battleplan?

“Arrows to wear down the enemy, and lances to break them.”

Theresa: aye, those are facts

"I would have you keep my force together, allow me to act independently. To exploit any weakness upon a given flank."

Theresa: long as ye don't string us out t' dry I don't see why not

Mird stands quietly and watches the group.

Trajan does likewise. Once the song has finally quietened down, he pipes up.
"Good to see you've been practising Fabius"
The soldiers immediately stand up upon noticing Trajan. The singer, presumably Fabius, is grinning from ear to ear.
Fabius: Aye sir! Reckon I'm getting decent at it now sir.
Trajan: *smiles back* You've certainly improved. Keep it up and you could become a professional performer at this rate.
Fabius: Wouldn't dream of it sir. Not while you and the lads are still out here riskin yourselves out here sir!

Once again, Mord watches quietly.

one of the other soldiers, a slightly more gruff looking one, glances at Mord with a stern look. He's clearly a hard man, larger than Mordred in both height and bulk, with years of service written on his face in wrinkles and scars. When he speaks however, it soon becomes clear one of these scars takes the form of his front teeth being missing.
"Who'th thith you've got with you thir?"

Mord looks him up and down and waits for Trajan to answer, choosing to simply remain quiet as he studies the Dracian camp.

Trajan looks over at his nephew as if to say 'well, answer the man'

Mord: “I’m his nephew, the crown prince of Cymrai”

there is a pause. Then a grin makes its way across the big man's face.
"You're goin up in the world thir. You've got royal blood in the family now"
Trajan grins back
"So it seems"

Mord chuckles quietly and smiles a little, surprised by their reaction.

One of the men, a little older than the others judging by his neatly trimmed grey beard, speaks to Mordred directly
"What's your name, oh royal nephew?"

“Mordred” The prince replies

Yenn: "So long as the silver keeps flowing."

Theresa: how much they payin you anyway?

The greybeard lifts his cup to Mordred. "A pleasure Mordred. Any family of the consul is more than welcome here."

"How much do they pay you?"

Theresa: well, I'm an officer, so I get bout 400 denarii a year.

Yenn: "One of my Keseti makes twelve seniti a week. The same again for a day of fighting."

Theresa: I get citizenship, 6000 Denarii and a plot o land once I finish me term.

Yenn: "The mamluks are paid twenty, and fourty when they ride. You can only afford me by paying in drakescales."

she chuckles
"Well, we got a lot of em. Th' dragon were fookin big"

"I am charging more for it. Dragonscales are difficult to sell."

Theresa: not where I'm from they aint. Y' met the big lass, the one th' consul hangs around wi?

"Indeed. We dueled."

she chuckles
"Guessin ye lost? She's th- one that killed the dragon. The lads that train them, provide em fer the legions, they're fookin obsessed with anythin dragon related, ye'll get a good price from em."

"I took first blood... And i shall have to find a dracia bound trader."

Theresa: She's a damn good fighter. Good friend too. I was there when th' legion... found her. *she takes a larger swig of wine than normal*

"She is indeed formidable."