“May I introduce Mister Eric Breckenridge and Miss Illana Maple.” A deep bow from Mayordomo Nagi finishes his introduction of the Braycott delegation.

King Malkav, the delegation, and I are in the throne room. The Braycott people are dressed in elaborate garments, looking every bit the part of Diplomats. They’re attractive, somewhere in the late 30s, and both friendly and inviting. Everything you’d want in a diplomat. With the same dimpled cheeks, deep brown eyes, and platinum blonde hair, I’d be surprised if they’re not related.

Breckenridge speaks with a deep, rich voice. “King Malkav, Leader Jordan, we thank you for taking the time to speak with us.”

“Indeed. It is fortuitous you arrived at the same time, Leader Jordan.” Maple’s voice, in direct contrast to her partner’s, is high pitched and sing-song.

“Jordan is a friend of the Twin Rivers. Our people frequent one another’s homes, and we trade openly and with great success.” Malkav gives me a nod in respect.

“We are pleased to hear that.” Breckenridge gives me an appraising look. “Your appearance belies your class.”

That’s a fair statement, to be honest. System does something to people, making them want to do the thing their class does. If they’re crafters, they have an urge to produce. If they’re fighters, they get antsy if they haven’t been in combat for a while. It’s not too big of a problem for the crafters, as they don’t get homicidal when they run out of supplies. The fighters, on the other hand? Oh boy. More than once a fight broke out because, and I quote, someone sneezed like an asshole.

Another byproduct is people dress and act like their class. Melee fighters have armor on at all times, while mages wear robes and carry staves or wands. Sneaky people, like Rogues, wear all black and keep to the shadows. Nature oriented people, like myself, rarely live in buildings or wear modern (by 1600s standards) clothing. For whatever reason, the desire to wear animal skins and sleep in a bush never overtook me. Most of the time I wear a simple white tunic and breeches, and keep my head buzzed and beard neatly trimmed. I do go barefoot, though.

“You’re aware of my class?” I raise an eyebrow in question.

Maple gives me a disarming smile. “Much is known about Carcosa and the Twin Rivers, and those who live there.”

Her comment should appear suspicious, but it doesn’t. I figure she’s got some kind of Talent or Class Ability to help stay neutral in the eyes of others.

“Good to know.” I make a mental note to have Andy and his crew do a security audit.

“Let’s hear your spiel, shall we?” Malkav gestures to the Braycotts.

Breckenridge gives Malkav and I a warm smile. “Six months have passed since the world ended. Braycott has survived because of the tenacity and determination of its residents. In that time we’ve grown to over 200 people. Well educated, skilled, and determined, but insular, people.”

The man’s hand gestures and facial expressions compliment the words powerfully.

“Braycott has reached the point of stagnation. We’ve seen the benefit of cooperation between Carcosa and the Twin Rivers. The growth you’ve experienced these last few months has caused our leaders to reconsider their stance.

“Without cooperation, we cannot grow. Without growth, we cannot survive. We want to survive.

“Each has much to offer the other: food, knowledge, Shop access, and protection. When one is without, another can provide. We are neighbors and communities, and those can only succeed when they work together.

“And so, in the name of growth and survival, our leaders want to open up a dialogue between our three groups.”

Malkav and I look at each other. Our eyes say the same thing: we are thoroughly impressed. He clears his throat and smiles.

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“Mister Breckenridge, you have quite the way with words.”

The Diplomat nods in appreciation.

“I’m glad the leaders of Braycott have finally seen the benefit of cooperation.”

“It came at significant cost.” Maple’s sing-song voice is in sharp contrast to her expression. “We sent a delegation to the Bloods to work out a ceasefire. Their answer was returned with the heads of our people. Their actions have prompted a swift change in policy.”

“I understand. We’ve had our own run-ins with them recently.” Malkav turns to me. “What about you, Jordan?”

“Besides a single confrontation a few months ago, we’ve not dealt with them at all. Our scouts and trade convoys give them a wide berth.” I look at Malkav, then back to the delegation. “I’m sorry if I’m being too direct, but are the Bloods so hostile towards you because of your lack of combat classers?”

“That’s correct.” Breckenridge opens his menu and sends Malkav and I a file. “This is the breakdown of our population. We’ve held back their names. As you can see, of our 208 residents, 154 are non-combat. Of those that are combat classers, we have eight that use magic. Two of them are Wizards, while the other six are support roles like Paladins or Bards.

“This puts us at a major disadvantage in damage output. Our Fighters are well trained, but we’re stuck between defense and exploration. Because of our proximity to the reservoir, any group leaving the Control Zone needs a great deal of protection. The monsters are both plentiful and powerful.”

He ain’t lying. The Clarence J. Brown Reservoir, once a popular destination for Springfield’s residents, is a staggering level 40 zone. Though they usually stick to their respective areas, monsters have wandered out from time to time. Talk about a nasty surprise for any would-be explorers.

“My scouts tell me you’ve started recruiting your own conscripts. Neither Jordan nor I have been able to afford that.”

“You’d be correct, King Malkav.” Maple’s smile melts me a little. “We were lucky enough to find a great cache of books within the school’s libraries. Those funds have allowed us to recruit fifteen archers and ten fighters. Because of the expense, they are only at level five.”

Malkav ponders on a thought for a moment while I review the data on their classes. Braycott’s non-combat class breakdown leans towards academics and management more so than it does crafting. Considering the easiest way to make money is to produce goods, that’s probably more of a hindrance to them. Of their crafters, they have at least one Blacksmith, Carpenter, Tailor, Butcher, and Alchemist. More than enough to cover the basics.

Combat class wise, they have more melee than ranged, and more Rogues and Scouts than Fighters or Barbarians. The magic users are all decently leveled, but with only two Wizards, that limits their offensive capabilities by a lot. That’s not to say Wizards aren’t forces to be reckoned with all on their own. I’ve seen Dominick and Doctave, with little more than a flick of a hand, fry, shock, freeze, and explode all manner of monsters.

“Your numbers seem low.” Malkav consults his menu. “You should have been able to recruit many more at level five. Did you upgrade their equipment?”

“Apologies, king.” Breckenridge bows. “My words were misspoken. Braycott has recruited many more than that in the past. We have twenty-five conscripts at this time.”

I stifle a smirk. That was smart of Malkav. He caught the diplomats in a non-lie, which puts them on a bad footing. Might as well press the issue.

“Why is that, Mr. Breckenridge?” I cross my arms and give the man a serious look.

“Braycott has encountered several swarms, one of which was particularly large and deadly. That resulted in the loss of many of our conscripts. Additionally, a patrol of a dozen conscripts was lost when they encountered a high level monster while venturing too close to the reservoir.”

“That is unfortunate, yes.” Time to throw them off by a sudden change of subject, and to move this along. “What, specifically, is it you hope to get out of an agreement with the two of us?”

Without missing a beat, Maple replies. “Leader Jordan, your directness is refreshing. To honor your forthright question, I will answer in kind. The goal of Braycott is to secure allies as a deterrent against attack. The food production capabilities of Carcosa greatly interests us. Dungeon access is also a concern, though that’s not a priority. Finally, an exchange of knowledge and expertise would be beneficial to all parties involved.”

Those are pretty damn good reasons.

“And what do you bring to the table?”

Breckenridge’s turn. “Both Carcosa and the Twin Rivers are Settlements. Braycott is a Hamlet, and as such, we have access to a higher quality Shop. Many of our people are academics, and their expertise can help you with better management of your residents. There is a level fifteen dungeon nearby that we would help you and your people run. Last, a formal working relationship, as dictated by System, would give those who’ve been hesitant to immigrate a reason to do so.”

Even more good reasons.

I turn to Malkav and give him a subtle nod of approval. He stares at me for a moment, then turns and gives a similar nod to Mayordomo Nagi. The foppish man steps forward and smiles.

“I would like to recognize the Braycott delegation for their skill in negotiation.”

Breckenridge and Maple nod in appreciation.

“Let us retire to a more comfortable setting to discuss specific terms.”