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Post by Nemt on Dec 17, 2007 12:21:14 GMT -5
Nemt tells Arno it's his decision, but suggests he explain to Dramuk the realities of battle based on what he saw at Arinixervolt to ensure he is committed to an army career. Nemt also tells Arno if he accepts Dramuk, he can keep the money. Finally Nemt asks him to handle the translator hiring.
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 29, 2007 3:40:00 GMT -5
Gurikan Arno points out that the men have not been paid in a while and are owed back pay. He says he will request the funds, but he wants you to clarify what should be done with the pay of the men who died at sea.
It is common for a kantora commander to corruptly pocket such money. Many kantoro have hundreds of soldiers on their rosters who are not really in the unit while the kantora commander pockets their pay. The 3rd Kantora Zekresh, being an elite unit had an up-to-date roster with no extra money sloshing around, but now there is the issue of back pay and casualties that have not yet been deleted from the roster.
The way Arno talks about the issue is carefully worded so that Arno does not indicate that he has any eagerness to engage in such corrupt practices. He also is careful not to imply that he condemns such practices. Since the issue has not come up before, he does not know Nemt's opinion on it and seems to be trying to avoid offending Nemt if Nemt plans to keep the money or if Nemt does not plan to do so.
Nemt is also owed back pay, but he is already wealthy from an inheritance so it doesn't matter much.
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Post by Nemt on Dec 29, 2007 14:37:33 GMT -5
Not having any need for misappropriated money, Nemt tells Arno to update whatever records are present to indicate the small unit size due to the deaths at sea.
EDIT: (OOC: Not gold..whatever the monetary units in the empire are.)
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 30, 2007 2:16:27 GMT -5
(OOC: The explanation of the monetary units of the empire is here: nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2007/02/zekresh-money.htmlIt does include a gold coin called the "Vylor Soluren" ("Gold Emperor"). It's called that because it is made of gold and has a picture of the emperor on it. Soldiers are usually paid with a type of coin called a "Bayla" (plural: "Baylo") or a copper coin called a "Dovek" (plural: "Doveko").)
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 30, 2007 2:26:58 GMT -5
(OOC: The standard Imperial Army pay for regular soldiers is one bayla per month. Officers are paid more, depending on their rank. Since soldiers are usually provided with housing, food and equipment at the expense of the Army, this is considered good pay. The cost to support a soldier is usually about three times this salary.)
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Post by Nemt on Dec 30, 2007 2:41:15 GMT -5
(OOC: Thanks, I'm not sure why I hadn't read that before).
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 30, 2007 10:30:21 GMT -5
Gurikan Arno comes back later the same day to report that upon requesting payment of back pay for the 3rd Kantora from the quartermaster's office, he was told that there is a temporary hold on all army pay. He would not say why.
Arno asks Nemt, "What should I do? The men are owed pay for many months and have been asking about it."
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Post by Nemt on Dec 31, 2007 15:09:08 GMT -5
"We'll be leaving for the North River region soon" Nemt tells Arno, "perhaps the men will have to wait until we return...it's not as though they'd have a pressing need for money during the campaign." Nemt goes on to explain he doesn't feel getting into a dispute with army bureaucracy would be worthwhile.
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 1, 2008 16:07:32 GMT -5
City of Zekran Zekresh Empire
33rd day, 1st month, 41 Cledman VI
Two days later, Arno reports that he has been unable to find anyone to hire as translators. He's had difficulty even finding out what the languages there are called. He's been told that the language of the people in Helmarie is called Trondan and the language of the people in Aatan is called Aat or Aatan. He says he will keep trying. He also reports that there are rumors that someone stole all the money in the Imperial treasury during the conflict between the regents and the men are worried about how long it will take for them to get paid.
Arno also reports that he has allowed Dramuk to join the 3rd Kantora as an Ekanor.
Later in the day, Gurikan Falan Talimuk seeks out Nemt and says, "Nemt, the troops at Yishil need orders. I'm going there tomorrow. I'd like you to come with me to see what units are there. Then we can decide which ones will go with you and which ones I'll send to Krulmuk."
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Post by Nemt on Jan 1, 2008 16:42:51 GMT -5
Nemt agrees to go to Yishil with Talimuk and also asks if he knows what's happening with the treasury. He also informs Arno of his plans to visit Yishil.
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 1, 2008 17:59:39 GMT -5
Gurikan Falan Talimuk says "Asnalyva, the Lord of the Exchequer and men loyal to him emptied the treasury and fled the capital with all the money during the crisis. Also, many provinces stopped sending money to Zekran. I'm sure it will be resolved soon somehow. There's no way the Empire will run out of money."
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Post by Nemt on Jan 2, 2008 14:53:58 GMT -5
Nemt nods and says he hopes Talimuk is right.
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 2, 2008 15:39:29 GMT -5
City of Zekran Zekresh Empire
34th day, 1st month, 41 Cledman VI
Gurikan Falan Talimuk, Ekanor Falan Sarman, Ekanor Falan Nemt and a bodyguard of eight men of the elite Kantora Ramoro set off on horseback the next day.
They ride out of Zekran and along the main road to Nass Umrug. They pass through farmlands. All of them have been on this road before, but Nemt notices that even though this area has been the homeland of the Zekresh and the Frayethay since the fall of the Frayeth Empire over a thousand years ago, most of the farmers live in small, primitive houses different than those of the starving people of Kopixer. Stone walls separate many of the fields. This is something not found in most parts of the empire that Nemt has seen, but the fields enclosed with such great effort are quite small in most cases.
As they ride across Frayethay, Nemt sees much larger expanses of farmland, not broken up by walls. These are the former holdings of the nobles. Some have been split up into small pieces with the lines marked by a stone or two, not a wall. Others have become the property of a new class of large landowners. Some of them are even from the families of the former noblemen.
By the end of the day, they have not reached Nass Umrug and make camp by the road.
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Post by Nemt on Jan 3, 2008 0:53:46 GMT -5
(OOC: How well do Nemt and Talimuk know each other?)
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 3, 2008 18:08:46 GMT -5
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