Act I, Part XII: The Hero of the Union

By Dravyn Balen, Friend of Gandosa

I found myself sequestered away in a corner with a couple fingers of sujamma in one hand and a pipe of hackle-lo in the other as she gave her speech. Gandosa always was good at talking to people—has that kinda charisma and honest-to-ALMSIVI goodness about her that just warms peoples’ hearts, but, they don’t know her like I do. Sure, she talks good and she believes every word she’s saying, but I remember when she was just a kid running around with Volene and she always had a glass half full way of looking at things and it doesn’t look to me like that’s changed much. It’s not that I don’t like her, hell, I love the kid, but she’s got these people dancing and cheering and calling her a hero when all she’s done for sure is get our issues heard before the Council. There’s no guarantees, not even with her father being on the Council, but I’m not going to ruin a good thing—this is the first time in months that I’ve seen some of these guys smile and I’m not going to mess that up. Doesn’t change though that she’s still the naïve little girl that was getting into trouble with Volene all the time back in the day. Doesn’t matter though. What’s going to happen is going to happen and we just need to accept that. I personally think we’re in for some hard times, but nobody cares what a washed up old tradesman thinks these days—I’m just an old man with a body that has lots of cracks and pops these days and not a damn thing more.

I hope she’s right though. I hope her Councilor Athyn does draft the best damn motion they’ve ever heard in those Council Chambers and I hope those Councilors understand this isn’t just a matter of money to my guys or anyone in the Union really. This is life or death. I’ve got guys in my mine alone who have families with small children; they couldn’t survive out here, especially not with the ash storms starting to get people sick with stuff that I’ve never seen before. They need to realize that you take their homes and you’re going to have to drag them out, kicking and screaming, and that’s if they don’t outright give their lives fighting for them. That’s the thing about Gandosa though—she understands that. For all the trouble those kids got into all the time, she wised up quick about life once she got out of Under-Skar and into the real world. I mean hell, she saw me back in the day when I had my own shop and people would come from all over Vvardenfell and the Mainland alike for a chance to own an authentic Dravyn Balen necklace or ring, and she saw what happened when that dried up. She saw me in the streets hassling pedestrians to just take a look at my inventory, because I was on the brink of losing everything I had spent my whole life working towards and she saw when I closed the doors to my shop one last time and when I just tossed all my inventory into a crate outside for anyone to just take. After all, I couldn’t give the stuff away after the Hlaalu engineered the Imperial Silver craze of 322.

Still though, just because she understands what’s on the line for these people doesn’t mean she’s aware of the power her words possess. She’s got them drinking and smiling and singing songs together in her honor, because she’s convinced them all that everything’s going to be okay, but I’m not like these youngbloods in the Union. I know better. I know that until the Writ is signed, it doesn’t mean a damned thing to anybody with any power in this town or any other, because after all, I was supposed to get a big order for my wares from the House. I remember hammering out the deal with Councilor Ramoran for weeks; he wanted two-hundred bonemold signet rings made for 61st Redoran Infantry, A Co. as a reward for their deeds at some Sixth House base I suppose. I couldn’t believe it. It was a godsend to me as it was going to be the order that was going to save my business and save everything, but, as things like that tend to go, he pulled out at the last minute and opted for Adamantium Signet Rings imported from Mournhold. Just like that, I knew it was over. I knew my life’s work meant nothing and that things weren’t going to get better for me, but, that’s life and that’s why I’m worried about her getting all of these men so excited for something that might not even happen, because now they’re expecting it, and if it doesn’t happen, you’re not only going to have a lot of very scared, anxious men, but a lot of scared, anxious, and disappointed men who now feel like they were lied to. I pray everything works out, but I’m worried it won’t—things don’t tend to in times like these and I’m scared of what’ll happen when they don’t.

It’ll b a dark time for Ald’ruhn, I know that much for sure, but I’m just hoping it’s not bloody. That said, I think it’d be a good idea if I just hunkered down and maybe put a little money away for a good axe I think—things might get scary here soon and I don’t want to be unprepared if they do.

­-Dravyn Balen, Foreman of Dremma-Maz Eggmine