History of my Noble(fiction)

[Double-edge]

“10,005….10,006….10,007….10,008.” Noceo scribbled that number down on a piece of parchment. “Hmm, only 10,008 pieces of gold this time.”
This month had been rough for Noceo, the slave market has been kind of dry the past few weeks. Which was not good for business, for his town or the rest of Naggarond.
“Not to worry, I’ll fund another expedition to Cathay. I like the humans there. They are……different from the others.” He said to himself. Noceo was a businesself, who specialized in the slave trade business. Infact, it was the slave market that got him the town he governs now. For just a few centuries ago the economy was in bad shape, after their latest failed assault on the beautiful Ulthuan. The Witch King didn’t show it but the wise could tell that their economy was declining and if someone didn’t do something fast riots could very easily pop up. For decades no one did anything, slave expeditions plummeted, the more Malekith invested in slaves the more empty handed the Arcs came back. Some never came back as they didn’t want to face the wrath of their king if they showed up with nothing. Naggaroth’s money was slowly being drained by these failures, as the economy declined so did military training. Soon the only worthy fighters in Naggaroth were those trained by the Witch King himself and the assassins, for they did not need money to train. Malekith was getting desperate, he launched assaults on anybody he could, leading the armys himself to ensure good bounty. But all they could afford to attack were plantations and farms on the outskirts of the Empire. From these Malekith was able to sustain Naggaroth for a little longer. Of course not all fighters were trained by the military, some were privately trained in independent schools. These schools were never considered to produce quality warriors though and ever since Naggaroth was first created they have been swept under the carpet and forgotten. But one of these schools, or dojos, as some call them was different, it was very secluded and secretive, only those born into one of the dojo’s founding familys were able to train there.
Most dojos use old veteran soldiers to teach to young, those too old to fight and have not been in the heat of battle for a while. But most of these veterans were usually former spearmen or crossbowmen.
But this dojo had a different concept, they used slaves from Cathay. The masters of the martial arts who were taken prisoners were forced to teach everything they knew under the penalty of torture. Most druchii look at Cathay and see the riches they have and the jewelry they make or the weapons, but Noceo’s ancestors used the slaves as teachers. Most of the dojo’s graduates become free-lancing assassins never really becoming part of the Cult of Khaine although they still pay tribute and praise Khaine as their god. But the dojo’s best student, the one no elf could best in archery, hand to hand combat, horse back duels, cold one duels, and grappling, became a business elf, Noceo.
After Noceo graduated from the dojo as their star pupil he began to study econmics. He soon became one of the best business elves never to have gone professional in Naggarond. He stayed independent although he grumbled a lot about Malekith’s incompetence in the field of economics. Malekith doesn’t know the first thing about economy, his attention was always towards politics or war.
Before long Noceo noticed the great economic decline and he stood by and watched as Naggaroth plunged and came close to a depression. Finally one day he took charge, the had one thing on his mind and that was to bring Naggaroth back up to a booming empire once more. But where to start, there were so many problems, and Noceo was just one druchii. One day as he was pacing around the old dojo trying to think of an idea he spotted his old master Jiew Si Bun, and it hit him. This man was a slave, a slave! That’s what Noceo would do he would start out in the slave trade. He ran over and hugged the old man and spoke to him in Cathanese, “Thank you old friend.” But as he was hugging him he drew a dagger and swiftly thrust it into the old man’s stomach. He couldn’t have any witnesses to his new found plan, especially not Jiew Si Bun, which was an exceptionally smart Cathanese who could tell what you were thinking just by the expressions on your face.
Noceo now had a plan, but first he needed help. He sure as hell wouldn’t have gotten any from his family nor did he want their help, he wanted professionals, elves that knew what they were doing. He enlisted the help of corsairs. It was a dirty, motley crew but they had a fine ship and were all veterans. After months of planning with the Reaver they came to an agreement. 1000 gold pieces to Cathay, 1000 back, his corsairs would be at his command and help with whatever needed it. No, Cathay was too expensive thought Noceo, gotta start small. What could was closer than Cathay, but brought in just as much gold, of course Ulthuan! He would get some high elves, they were worth a lot. So the new agreement was 200 to Ulthuan and 200 back, no more than 300 slaves and they would only attack near the coastline. Before they set sail Noceo asked one of his old friends from the dojo, Kalendae to help. Kalendae agreed without hesitation. Now Kalendae was an assassin, a very good one at that as he trained under the same master as Noceo, he brought along his band of shades to assisst the mission.
Soon they set sail for Ulthuan. The trip was easy going, they got good wind so the corsairs didn’t tire themselves out rowing and they were there in about a week. It certainly was not worth Noceo’s 200 gold, but no worry, he would get it back, soon.
And yet again Khaine granted that Noceo’s journey be lessened by sending a high elf deep sea fishing boat their way. The ship was about 10 miles off the coast of Ulthuan deep sea fishing. “I didn’t know high elves fished!” said Noceo. “Well apparently they do, milord.” Replied the reaver. “Well, now that I think about it, it does seem these High Elf funboys do everything gay.” Said Noceo as the whole crew snorted a laugh, even Kalendae who rarely spoke. The high elves put up no resistance at all as they were fishing and had no weapons. Soon after they had ran sacked the boat Kalendae discovered there were 4 more ships scattered about. They easily dispatched and captured the whole fishing expedition.
On the return trip Noceo counted 284 slaves. “Haha! I’m rich! Malekith will surely pay handsomely for such a load of crap!” laughed Noceo. He then went to his cabin and began to list out the things he would buy and do with his new money. That was his first mistake. And his first lesson he learned as a business elf, never believed you have succeed until you have. A loud bang went off on the side of the ship and it almost capsized. “What the hell’s going on!” said Noceo as he scrambled on deck.. As he did he saw the biggest sea dragon in his life gobble down two of his corsairs. “Hey! Hey you! Yea you! I paid good money for these pirates and you just ate 2 of them!” His greed turned to anger and his anger fueled his skills, he picked up his repeater and fired a single bolt into the eye of the beast. It flailed uncontrollably, the corsairs shot harpoons into it but they just rebounded off it’s thick scales. “Noose! Make a noose!” shouted Noceo and the corsairs obeyed, they make a dozen or so nooses from ropes and threw them onto the sea dragons neck and hands and legs. Noceo jumped onto it and not wanting to damage it’s precious hide shoved his sword down the throat of the monster, but that just caused it to flail even more wildly. Just as he thought he couldn’t hold on anymore Kalendae threw him a small vial of purple liquid. Noceo immediately knew what it was and hastily pored it on his sword, spilling most of the potent liquid, and as the poison touched the water steam issued from it as though it were hot. His sword now dripping with poison, Noceo climbed back to the sea dragon’s head and once again thrust it so deep into it’s throat that it actually swallowed his sword! It died instantly. And the corsairs hauled it on ship. It’s beautiful scales shimmered in the sunlight, a magnificent blue light. The scales themselves looked as if they were made of glass but it was the sun that made that image as under the transparent sparkle of pale blue light, the true color of the scales contrasted beautifully, a dark blue. “Reaver, skin this animal, I want its hide. It would make an excellent cloak.” Just as he thought this journey couldn’t get any better a corsair ran up to him panting,”Sire, the slaves, they’ve escaped!” Noceo’s face stayed the same but his eyes flared with anger, “WHAT!” and as he said this the decapitated the pirate’s head. “It’s alright, my friend, my shades have taken care of it. They will be back shortly with whatever they can find.” Replied Kalendae. “No, we must help! Reaver, prepare your…..” “No need to,” interrupted Kalendae. “My shades do not miss a body, what ever they bring back is more than this whole crew would ever find.” After half an hour or so all the slave that were recaptured were beaten to a bloody pulp. “Milord, we have retrieved 165 slaves,” said the reaver as he watched Noceo flogging a slave with his newly acquired cloak, “And you have killed……65, which makes our count 100 now.” Replied the reaver. Noceo finally tired of beating slaves swung his cloak around and clipped it into place, “Excellent” and he didn’t say another thing until they reached shore.

And that is the story of the noble Noceo. His many other raids were more successful and as the centuries rolled by Naggaroth’s economy sky rocketed. Noceo became so successful that 45% of that economic boom was because of his slave raids. Malekith, grateful that someone took charge, granted Noceo with a town on the outskirts of Naggarond. The nobles were gaining their power back. Malekith has never trusted nobles, but during that economic decline the middle class lost much of it’s power as it could not function without money. Malekith now grants more power to the nobles and gives them land. He has also stopped funding expeditions himself, but trusting that independent nobles fund their own expeditions. Of course he rewards them handsomely. Out of Noceo’s many raids he has gotten a suit of armour made by Malekith’s finest black smith and a ship to call his own.
Noceo prefers to go into combat atop a mighty dark steed, and has bred a stallion unlike another in Naggarond.



“20,017….20,018….20,019….20,020” Noceo scribbled this number down on a piece of parchment. “Ahh, this month is a good month.”