Free Greyrawk (Book 2) by Jim Greenfield Page B

the mist had rolled up and he could see nothing.

Chapter 6
     
    For Men the allure of wealth has proved treacherous. The merchant class is strong and the nobles support the larger merchant houses and receive a share of the profits. No other race covets wealth or expects to receive more than they invested in a project, relationship or other kind of interaction. It is widely spoken that the main difference in Men from other races is their shorter lifespan, but that is not what creates the gulf between the races. The Altengud Javon may have created Men, but it is profit that is their true god.
    From Gerrand's Histories of Landermass.
     
     
    Andara, the jewel of Cresida, hugged the southernmost tip of Amloth across the Teramon Straits from Anavar. A rich trading port and the capital of King Alec Haldane's kingdom, it thrived for the 35 years of the king's reign. Andara was one of the largest cities on Landermass and its order was kept by the largest military force save the army of Calendia on southwestern Anavar. The city was clean and its slums and criminals kept to an area called the Daarke on the southeast side of Andara. The thieves of Daarke ventured out only at the behest of a patron of Andara proper, never looting for themselves, rather for a percentage or fee of the take. King Haldane's minister of law, Waric Faerir, kept a strict vigil on his king's behalf and the system worked for many years.
    Andara ran smoother than most cities it's size and the population were industrious and content; there were no rebellions simmering in the alleyways. King Haldane's worries were not for his city and its commerce. Southern Cresida was a paradise in relative terms of course. Northern Cresida was another matter altogether. Dacu Belderag was a powerful man with an overstated value of his self-worth. To King Haldane, he was no better skilled as a lord than any other noble of Cresida. But Belderag believed the north would have fallen into decay if not for his vigilance and Haldane did not agree. Belderag even started a war with the Greyrawk clan, a far older lineage than Belderag's family, and an old power in the north. Claiming the Greyrawk's were tainted by the influence of the Celaeri, a vanished race, Belderag defeated the Greyrawk's and tore down their castle. It was rumored that Belderag's elite fighting force, the Red Hawks, executed any Greyrawk that survived. It had been years since Belderag had troubled the king's repose, but times change.
    As usual, after his breakfast, King Alec Haldane stood on his balcony of his palace with a view of the city below. His gaze was often drawn by the bursts of activity in the marketplace. Oh, how he missed strolling through the market alone as he oft did when a boy-until his father found out and put a stop to solitary roaming. It was not proper that a prince walk among common folk. He listened to the cries of the merchants offering their wares and the smell of the various foods would waft upward to his perch and he smiled contently. The palace was a wide building with many windows and balconies open to the southern sea view. The other sides of the palace were fortified; King Haldane was not ignorant to the perils of his world. Still, the broad balcony gave him the illusion of openness to his people.
    He heard the sound of boots slapping the tile floor and did not turn around.
    "Good morning, Beric."
    "Good morning, your Highness," said Beric Mallon, Warlord of Cresida. A slender man with wiry strength and a shock of white hair, Beric had been at Haldane's side for over twenty years. A practical man with little use for the intrigues of court, he held tight to his station with brutal efficiency. In short, he was just what Haldane needed for external business; a mirror of Waric Faerir for internal business. It was perfect and Haldane enjoyed life these past few years better than any other of his 62 years. He turned to face his guest.
    "Speak Beric. Tell me what's on your