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[Tiruin]

The injured all but outnumber the healthy as you march homewards. As you turn in your saddle to look back to the east, you are suddenly overcome by a feeling that you narrowly avoided a terrible fate.

Woo, intuition. I felt the same when I noticed them camping and THEN raiding us.

A, C.
Mystery man with Heavy Cavalry o_O Wonder what's their deal. Something exotic? The others can wait/be based on this one maybe.

And we are NOT forcing our refugee people into service or it'll hit morale. Unless, that's the thing that we'll make up for? Otherwise I envision this Queen to be practically benevolent.

Edited because Iiteum makes sense.

[Iituem]

A, C.  We can drop the draft later, right now volunteers aren't likely to be forthcoming.  Also, the armourer is our bestie, of course we'll see him first.

[chubby2man]

A,A

[heydude6]

A,A

+1

[NUKE9.13]

A tie, you say? For something that isn't super critical? Coin flip time... A it is!
You issue a draft. Predictably, the people are not super thrilled, though few people actually complain, and you get a decent number of fresh recruits.

The mystery man is let into the throne room. He is dressed in practical clothes, but your trained eye recognises the fabric as being an expensive and hard to find one. He wears a handful of rings made of varied metals, as well as a small pair of spectacles and a curious hat. He bows deeply before addressing you.

"Accept, if you would, my most humble salutations on this fine day. I am Quintus Quintus, and I am an alchemist."

You sit up as he mentions his profession. Alchemists are rare- at least, competent ones are.

"I have travelled far, over many months, chasing a whispered rumour I heard from a merchant far north of here. With the straightest of faces did he claim to have seen a beautiful maiden ride into town with the head of an actual dragon slung over her horse. I heard similar rumours as I travelled here, strengthening my resolve and filling my heart with hope that they might be true. If they are, a substantial sum I am prepared to pay for any parts you are willing to part with- especially the blood, if you have it."

A-Sold, to the man in the weird hat!
B-Alright, let's negotiate.
C-Dragon? What dragon? Sorry, no dragons here.

[Taricus]

B, lets see how much he wants to pay for the blood. And maybe learn what he could make with it.

[heydude6]

B, we're wise so this is usually the optimal choice

[Puppyguard]

B

[NUKE9.13]

"So it's true, you do possess dragon blood? That is fantastic news! Of course, I will pay handsomely."

He claps his hands, and two knights enter the throne room carrying a small chest. They present it to him, and he takes a key out of a hidden pocket and unlocks it. He then opens the chest and presents you with its contents.
The gold shimmers in the torchlight, pure and unblemished, in neat bars, stamped with the Imperial treasury's insignia.

"Two such chests I can offer you for the remains of the dragon, or one for just the blood. Any questions?"

A-Nope. Let's talk about what I'm willing to sell.
B-I think a dragon is worth a little more than that. What else can you offer?
C-What do you even want this stuff for?
D-Hang on, you're an alchemist, how do I know that gold is real?

[Taricus]

C

[Playergamer]

C

Somehow I haven't posted in this thread yet.

[10ebbor10]

C

[NUKE9.13]

"Oh, this and that"

You press him for a better answer.

"Truthfully? I don't really know. In ancient tomes I have read of dragonblood being a potent alchemical ingredient, though I had previously dismissed that as a fabrication. However, exactly what it was used for I do not know. That is why I require all the blood you have, so that I can perform many experiments on it to discover its properties."

You are willing to pay that much for something that might not even do anything?, you ask incredulously.

"Oh, but the research alone would be priceless. I could be the first in the modern era to write a treatise on dragonblood. Even if that treatise says little more than 'it does nothing', I would be lauded by my peers as a trailblazer. And I highly doubt that the blood of such an... exotic beast does absolutely nothing."

"Have you any more questions?"

A-Nope. Let's talk about what I'm willing to sell.
B-I think a dragon is worth a little more than that. What else can you offer?
C-Hang on, you're an alchemist, how do I know that gold is real?

[Taricus]

B

[Playergamer]

C

I'd rather piss him off a little than end up with disappearing gold.