Konrad Ringelheim
They say that a person's greatness and significance, as well as how they lived their life, is determined by the number of people who attend their funeral. On the day of Ewald Ringelheim's burial and farewell, a very large number of guests gathered—numerous relatives hoping for a chance to inherit even a fraction of his wealth, close friends acquainted with the man for many years, and, of course, business partners wishing to resume cooperation with the new owner of the trading company.
– Today the world has lost a great man. – All those assembled remained silent while a young man in his thirties spoke, the only son and heir of the deceased. – In Sylvestria, there was no land where Ewald Ringelheim's foot had not stepped, – in his youth, Ewald Ringelheim indeed traveled far and wide, seeking business partners to create a strong business and a stable flow of money, – there were no people whom he could not win over, – Ewald was known not only for his resourcefulness, but also for his charisma, easygoing nature, and kindness. All these qualities brought him many loyal friends and the devotion of his servants. – Farewell, father. – In the thirty-second year of the entrepreneur's life, his only son was born, and at the same time, his beloved wife died. Later, by age fifty, his body and mind began to weaken, and this continued for twelve years until he fell into a coma several months ago. Since then, all affairs have been managed by Konrad Ringelheim, his son. As it happened, Konrad never loved his father. He respected him, but only; their relationship was purely professional, more like that of a mentor and student than son and father. Now Konrad will never know what caused this. Did he wish to raise him as a worthy heir? Or perhaps he could not love him after his wife died in childbirth? Either way, the young rich man cared little for this, nor had he ever reproached his father for it before. And how could he? The deceased provided Konrad with a good education, instilled in him the necessary qualities, and furthermore bequeathed all his property to him. Can paternal love compare to all this? Konrad could have easily been born into the family of some pauper, and then no amount of love would have saved him from a miserable life.
When the farewells were over, some people began to disperse, while others returned to the estate. On this seemingly gloomy day, the sun shone brightly and there was not a single cloud in the sky.
– I am sorry for your loss. A good man has left us. – Konrad had never seen the gentleman addressing him before. – My name is Eric Hoffmann; I happened to be a partner of your father.
– Ah, Eric Hoffmann. It is a pleasure to meet you face to face; we have done business in the past, albeit not directly.
– Correct, correct, I am glad you remember. To tell the truth, Ewald Ringelheim's funeral is not the only reason I came. I feel awkward speaking of this on such a day, however...
– You have no cause for concern; I will be happy to continue cooperation with you on the old terms.
– Oh, straight to business? A good approach.
– Eric, please excuse me. – Young Ringelheim hurried to end the conversation with Hoffmann as soon as he saw a woman approaching them.
– Ah Konrad, how glad I am to see you. – Anna Ringelheim hugged the young heir. – What a pity about Ewald; he died so young.
– You are always right, aunt. – Konrad never liked his father's sister, and now she hated him with all her heart. If Konrad did not exist, all of Ringelheim's property would have gone to her.
At night, when all the guests had left, Konrad sat on the balcony, drinking wine and admiring the starry sky with great pleasure. Visual enjoyment was the most pleasant of all for him; he adored the stars and the moon, admired the beauty of nature, and loved everything that fit his subjective idea of beauty: be it jewelry, art, architecture, or women. Speaking of women, one had just silently appeared before him. This was Arabella—a young girl whom he had bought from slave traders several years ago. Now she was his personal bodyguard; that is how he had trained her.
– My suspicions were correct, were they not?
– Yes, master. Anna Ringelheim hired a small group of mercenaries to take your life.
– And?
– They have been eliminated.
– "As I thought, she simply didn't have enough money for proper thugs; otherwise, Arabella would have correctly assessed her strength and not tried to deal with them alone" – Tell Bjorn to do as I commanded.
The next day, Bjorn delivered Anna to Konrad's estate. This man was a professional mercenary and had been working for young Ringelheim for a long time.
– Heheh, you should have ordered the kidnapping of some young maiden instead, – Bjorn spoke cheerfully, removing the gag from the captive's mouth. – Old hags are not my taste.
– Old hags? OLD HAGS?! I AM ONLY THIRTY-NINE, YOU IDIOT. – The woman screamed the moment her mouth was freed from the foreign object. This did not surprise Konrad; Anna was so focused on herself and had such a high opinion of her own person that she could easily forget what situation she was in. A little later, when she regained her composure and realized her brilliant plan had been exposed, the "old hag" burst into tears, made all the excuses she could, and begged for forgiveness in every way. Konrad decided to teach her a lesson. Knowing of her vanity and arrogance, he told Bjorn to take the aunt to some remote village and offer the local peasants a chance to "amuse themselves" with the woman for a monetary reward. He did not consider himself a cruel man, but decided this would be a fair punishment for attempting to kill him. When Bjorn led her away, Konrad thought only that, fortunately, he would not have to witness this disgusting scene.
Thus ended the funeral of Ewald Ringelheim.Despite all the advantages Konrad has in life, there is one problem that gives him no peace: there is nothing in his life for which his soul longs. His father approached his work with passion, but Konrad, although possessing all the professional skills for the business, sees it only as work and finds no satisfaction. Throughout his life, he tried many things, but always stopped at a certain point when he realized that this was not what he wanted from life. In addition to the skills he acquired managing the company and planning trade routes (he draws both paintings and maps well; has innate and trained leadership abilities), he also knows how to handle weapons, has a basic understanding of magic, and possesses extensive knowledge in history and archaeology (a hobby born of his love for beautiful and unusual objects).
When business was concluded, Ringelheim decided to set out on a journey, wishing to rest and, if fate were kind to him, find something that would spark passion in his cold heart. He took only the most necessary items with him.
Konrad and Arabella arrived in Sjyotoyukyure just as Lutiel Slyface began gathering a group to guard his vessel.
Origin: Lakelia: free level 2 trade skill; free persuasion skill; starting capital significantly increased; the player gains the ability to create an NPC bodyguard within the limits of starting characteristic and skill points, but without origin or belief bonuses.
Beliefs: Madiism +5 Intelligence, additional 3 skill points, 1 trait point
Characteristics:
Constitution: 20(+10)
Intelligence: 23 (+8)
Strength: 25
Dexterity: 25
Speed: 15 (+5)
Will: 22 (+12)
Perception: 20 (+10)
Skills: One-handed weapons I, Cold, Leadership, Battle Mage, Archaeologist, Cartographer, Trade (2), Persuasion.
Equipment: all necessary travel gear (including money, map-making tools, etc.), leather armor, expensive (in terms of quality, not gem-encrusted) one-handed sword.
Arabella
Konrad bought Arabella when he himself was barely over twenty, and they have been together ever since. The girl addresses him as master and he, accordingly, addresses her as servant, although in reality their relationship is far deeper than that.
Characteristics:
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 10
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 25
Speed: 25
Will: 10
Perception: 25
Skills: Assassin, Thief, Scout, Knife Throwing
Equipment: Knives, lockpicks.
Небо
