Beggars Guild

[Nilrem]

@Gharan: As said in the first post, the idea is not original, but taken from Terry Pratchett. Credit should go for him. Still, thanks for the praise

@Syilph: You were waiting for a story, but this is not the one you were really waiting for ^^ this will be...different.
A relief that you're liking it. 

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The beggars building hosted some of the greatest thinkers of all Hydlaa. Or at least, some of the ones that had more time to think.

Truthfully, they normally considered any other activities more important than simply thinking; one  would say the building acted as a big black hole, sucker of thoughts.

However, some escaped that tendancy and managed to argue that, in fact, the crystal did not obey their begs to let them have light for a longer time simply not to cause envy to the rest of the surrounding guild headquarters.

The black hole was such a gourmet, and only allowed to escape those thoughts not worth to be swallowed.

It was said that the building belonged to a farmer, and that with Hydlaa expansion through the years, the city engulfed the surrounding towns, and a building concieved to hold and breed a large amount of stinky animals was then occupied by the beggars.

It can proudly stand as one of the few buildings that did not change its functionality due to urbanism advance.

The structure had three floors. Not many farms have three floors so the beggars wanted to believe the building belonged to a rich farmer, or even an aristocrat of the ancient times.

The owner was simply a stupid farmer, with an excesive tendancy towards fancy architecture.

Hydlaa was the right city to experiment with arquitecture. No matter how hard he would have tried, there would be always weirder buildings made, or on plan.

Edit: Typo. Thanks, once again, Auithianilize. 

[Nilrem]

This chapter goes to Bereror. For different reasons, the first of them: he loves long posts. He's also been always a helping hand in any technical issue that I might have had when trying to run the game, and has had such attitude towards everyone else, as far as I can tell. During a talk, he also game me the seed that eventually grew up and became what you'll read. Thanks Bereror. 

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A lonely man approaches the building, his mane fluttering at the wind. Hakil Ildiom has been through many battles, tough ones judging by the scars on his face and serious expression, although it seems he was victorious in them all.

*slight paper crumpling sound*

Hakil turns, trying to guess where the sound had its origin, his dark grey cape defeating the light breeze due to his decided move, his wide arms tensed, the hilt at hand.

Noone.

The mighty warrior relaxes, looks to one and another side of the street. If this was a trap, he would be ready to add it to his list of successes, from the assault of Butchin village, till the battle for the lake of Zhamlech. He had them ordered alphabetically, pity he was in Hydlaa, and not in Akkaio.

Voices came from a nearby street. Nothing wrong, just people returning home. It was evening and his armour fought to reflect the last ray of lights that were going to be thrown in that day. The ambience acquired an ocher colour, as if everything was covered with amber.

*heavier crumpling sound, followed by agitated mumbling*

The sword sang happily when released from its jail, and was menacingly swirled describing a circle around Hakil, his fingers moved frantically, ready to strike.

*crumpling sound, then a murmured curse*

This time Hakil faced where the sound came from, his eyes narrowing, the eyebrows meeting each other, the lips opressed, minimal compared to the imposing jaw.



- CUT! - a man yelled, his hands covering his eyes while heading towards the set.

Hakil features relaxed, the sword was lowered and looked questioningly to the man approaching him.

The little man held a bunch of papers on his left hand, and looked at them trying to find something.
Eventually, he arose his head and faced the mighty warrior.

- Now, who are you? - he asked bluntly.

The deep voice of Hakil filled the space.
- Hakil Ildiom, son of Eildur, defeater of the Angerath's army, carrier of Endun's bracelet, re...

- Yes, yes... fine – the other man replied, cutting Hakil's curriculum speech-. You see... you don't figure in here – said the man pointing to the bunch of papers.

- Sir, that's the catering menu -a loud male voice replied from the darkness.

The man holding the papers turned to the darkness and yelled:
- Have we any other camera assistants?

- We've two more, sir. - Came the reply, this time a woman voice.

- Fire that one, then – said the director, and turned towards Hakil, still holding the papers -. You see, we're rolling something about beggars in here... - he started.

- But... but I'm maxed! -Hakil was not going to let the chance go, and showed an official paper that indeed proved he was maxed. In more than one stat. Not that he needed a paper for that, though.

The director scratched his head, his hair acquiring a weird form after that, and adjusted his glasses, facing again the hero.
- I honestly think you've better chances of success if you tried to enrole in another type of project. There's a casting for Eternal Battle between Goods and the Evil part 1437 in the set next door.

Hakil pointed somewhere on the left.
- Right there?

The director nodded.
- Left there. They make films at a high speed, more than 600 over the year, you'll find your place there.

- Hollywood -Hakil whistled, while deciding which of his arms was right and which left-.
- Holly mother of god, I'd say. Those do move the money, man. - and tapping Hakil robust shoulders, he turned and headed towards his chair.

Hakil remained standing still for a second, his cheekbones fighting to blush. It's always sad to see a soldier losing a fight, even if there were only his cells this time. Hakil sheathed his sword, and proudly moved towards the glory awaiting him on the other set. A silence followed his departure.

- Independant films – the director wanted to dive in his chair-. Let's roll that outdoor scene before the light goes completely out. I'd better have that building recorded by the end of this week...

Sound of people moving followed, and a poster filled the scene.

- Beggars Guild Sorry. Story. -a tiny voice said, while a mumbling coming from the director was heard, once again-. Ou... Outern building sight. Take 2.

- Aaaand Action!

If that was an order, it had so little will in it, that it would not have even encouraged a dwarf to drink yet another ale.

[Nilrem]

Thanks to those of you that still resist, and keep visiting this thread.
I received a couple of comments regarding the previous post, and both of them seemed to like it. Thanks for stating it guys. Thanks too to those lots of others that didn't, and were extremely respectful not sending me their yells. I just can encourage both sides to keep like this.

If anyone thought that the previous post marked a tendency, from where the writing could go up to a higher level, better be warned now. It was a false alarm.

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The first floor was devoted to the animals.
There they basically fed themselves, bred and had their life. There were no inner walls separating stances, it was a large and wide room where the voice could go out of your mouth never to find the way back to your ears.

The beggars called that floor the hall. It's the word they heard people used in their own houses, and when you've a building with three floors, you can't allow yourself not to have a hall. A hall it was then.

But names don't make rooms; the impression any new beggar trespassing the main door had was of chaos if that was the first house ever seen, and of chaos for those that was not.

Order is a state that is reached when there's no will left in the anfractuous attempt to bring sense to the chaos.

The hall was in fact all the house parts, except the bedrooms, shaked and mixed in a cocktail box and thrown away once the ice was already melting.
Tables and chairs that could stand for the diningroom were followed by shelves that conformed the library and from there to the kitchen or the resting areas.

Edit: Typos. Thanks anonymus reader.

[Nilrem]

The second floor was the farmer flat.

Normally, farmers chose to make a house, appart from the animals, where they would live. For some reason, this one did not consider that possibility, and instead devoted the floor to make it his house.
An animal lover. Really someone with bad nose to business as will be seen later, and to odours, as is seen now.

The guy surely felt thinner inside his own flat than when walking on the Hydlaa streets. The second floor had the same size than the room below, filling such space with a bed and a closet certainly gives the impression of spaciousness. And cold in winter.

Beggars devoted that floor to the bedroom area.

One might think that beggars sleep on the streets, and thus, there's no need for them to have bedrooms in their own guildhouse. What they do on the street, is meditate. Beg and meditate. Some meditate too few, and what you actually see is boredom on their faces.
Wait, perhaps those were the ones that did meditate. In any case, the point is that a beggar never sleeps when at work.

Begging is a way of life.

Their only way, for that matter.

The second floor was, then, a large file of aligned mattresses, where the beggars that had ended their work turn, could sleep.

The former owner would be pleased to see how his initial plans were fully respected by those beggars.

Following the plans of a stupid, does not turn you into one; simply proves you're lazy.

And beggars are.

[Nilrem]

People wondered where the origins of the third floor were.

It held the private chambers of the Council members, and it was the only floor in all the house that had divisions inside of it. Being it so different to the other two, there had to be some good reason behind it.

The guild begged for the illumination of renowned citizens.

Religious leaders were consulted.

Talad followers explained that, in fact, the three floors stood for the three deities that those lands had. Talad, Laanx, and his scission, the Black Flame.

Obviously Talad was represented with the third floor, that had the honour to be the one divided, and currently held the Council members. The other two, below Talad, represented the other religions not able to compete with Talad's will, and with the need of spiritual healing on their insides, this latter need sustended by the fact they had no inner walls. Empty bodies lacking a soul.

Once knowing this explanation was gifted to the beggars for free by Talad followers, Laanx adepts quickly knocked the guildhouse doors to add their own vision.

Apparently the initial explanation caused such an impact, since they kept the floor distribution that Talad followers suggested, but the explanations were slightly changed.

The two first floors represented Laanx and the scission; by Laanx generousity Talad was allowed to stay above, and have the third floor. Talad and Laanx had been lovers in the past, and eventhough some books picture Laanx filled with rage towards his old mate, Laanx followers mantained that his generousity was never lost.

As for the first two floors, the absence of walls was explained as a sign of purity, all the unnessential parts removed from them.
It was Laanx, in his femenine side almost forgotten, the one that held not only the farmer and his family, but also the animals, in the immense uterus that the first two floors conformed.
 
Those religion representatives had way too much time.

They could have been nice beggars.

When the representants of the Black Flame went to the guildhouse, after having flamed for always being the last ones to know about things, they were begged not to speak.

[Nilrem]

In those early times, religions did not yet realize the importance of numbers. Just imagine a religion heavily based in one single number, say three, like the floors the guild house had. It would just not work. Impossible.

That's why, besides the religious leaders, the Numerologists existed. Their task was to investigate proportions of the known land, and give sense to those numbers. Needless to say, three became the pillar number.

Yliakum levels are shaped in an almost circular form. Numerologists managed to estimate the perimeter of those circumferences. Finding the diameter was another story. Specially considering they started by the first level. That large hole in the middle of it certainly makes things tricky. Obstinacy is a quality all Numerologists share, so they kept insisting on roughly measuring it.

Eventually, someone realized that measuring those same parameters in the lowest levels would be easier, since the central hole was smaller.

Three years had to pass till someone noticed this. Numerologists took note of the number, for further investigation.

Soon, they discovered that the relation between the diameter and the perimeter was three. That is, the perimeter was three times the diameter. At that point, they realized how much the three number ruled the world, since they had to wait also three years, before being allowed to achieve such an enlightenment. Clearly a deity sign. Furthermore, applying the same rule of the three (even nowadays the rule of the three stands) they found out how all the levels followed that same pattern. Levels shaped by gods.

Once the power of number three was discovered, Numerologists quickly found places to apply it.

Starting by the meals of the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Following by the body parts: head, torso, and extremities. Even the levels of the stalagmite, wrongly believed to be eight; the Numerologist replied that, in fact, the surface was to be considered the first level of it, which then would make the stalagmite have nine levels, that after all, was three times three. Even the states of matter were three: solid, liquid or gas. The Alchemists guild felt part of the world, for once in its life.

It all fit perfectly. The whole environment was designed; and clearly three was the key pattern.
So how a guild house could escape those laws?
Three words: It would not.

[Nilrem]

It was not weird, then, that Numerologists came to support the fact that the third floor was added to the building with a defined objective, of such subtility that it was hard for them, plainly mortal minds, to embrace all its significance.

Still, they added, the number of floors was not a casual one. Everything was set up by a higher mind, and it was a pity that the farmer was not alive to explain them the truth of all things.

Three were the deities in the land; the farm was set in Hydlaa, the city of six letters that upon substraction of the three deities leaves as a result, then again, the three number. The number of floors.

A Numerologist emissary was sent to the Beggars guild house. He was dressed with a fine gown, decorated with golden numbers, having all of them something to do with number three; his beard measured three inches, giving him a feeling of sophistication and learned one.

The beggars that were not in their working turn, gathered around him, as kids listening to a storyteller. The Numerologist looked around satisfied, and feeling inside a sacred place, he started to advertize his believings, just like the religious leaders did before him.

- “Nine are the races of evolved species that populate Yliakum” – he said with a grave voice, sounding clearly in the first floor. And looking around he added – “Humans, Elfs, Dwarves, Lemurs, Krans, Diaboli, Enkidukais, Klyros and Ynnwns.”

He let some time pass, while the sentence was still being repeated by the thick room walls, for his audience to embrace the whole significance, nodding from left to right, as the group started to marvel.

When the first comments arose amongst the audience, the Numerologist exclaimed loud and clearly, raising his hands to the ceiling while the gown slipped and shew naked arms under it:

- “And isn't nine the result of adding three times three? It is not three the sacred number that rules the laws of this, our world?”

This time it was the audience the one who started to nod vehemently. Concentrated faces could be spotted amongst them, each of those trying to find another example where that number was showing its divine origin. The Numerologist came to their aid, and revealed them the next step:

- “Would this only work for our known races? By all means not." - He looked around, as wanting to find someone who, for a moment, could have considered such a possibility- "What if we name each and every kind of those races?”

The beggars started to look one another, not really seeing where the Numerologist was leading them. He showed his fist, and raised one finger, while saying:

- “Xachas” -then he lifted another finger- “Ylians” -the audience started to understand what he was transmitting as the finger raising process followed – “Nolthrirs, Dermorians, Stone Breakers, Hammer Wielders, Lemurs, Krans, Diaboli, Enkidukais” -he now closed one fist- “Klyros” – he closed the remaining one- “and Ynnwns!”

- “Isn't this twelve? Isn't this four times three? Aren't we now only three units away from before?”

The audience cheered and applauded, surrendering to the evidence of the facts.

- “We beg for more! We beg for more!” -was heard coming from the back of the room.
- “Beg! Three letters!” -exclaimed the Numerologist- “Rejoy in your situation, for you've been chosen to have as a job” -the Numerologist nodded, as one beggar from the front line gestured to him the number three as he said 'job'- “one that suits and fits in our master number.”

- “Oh God!” -came the answer.
- “Three letters!” - was the reply, the Numerologist stood on the stand, having three fingers raised, to be seen by the audience, while walking around, like a wild animal observing the sure prey.

- “Let's joy!” -enthusiastically exclaimed one beggar.
- “Three letters!”

- “We've been chosen!”
- “Three letters!”

- “HEY, it is NOT!”
- “Three letters!”

- “It's unbelievable!”
- “Three letters!”

[Syilph]

* Syilph is shocked to notice that there are three trees somewhere on Ojaroad, groupped together, there are 6 ways of magic and 6 Gods [2 times 3] the trias have three corners...

By the gods! It is true! All hail the three!

* Syilph looks down thinking about the significance of that number

What? I have three legs! Ummm... no, wait... that was my tail. *gigles, gulps an apple and leaves to find some other signs related to the magic "3"*

[Nilrem]

Well, this should put an end to the Numerologist part. They've appearead already for long enough, I think. What follows was initially meant to be posted together with the last post, but it seemed to me it was too lenghty, hence the cut.

I've been through some dilemas on how to denote the dialogues. Is this way with the " " plus the - comfortable to read for you? (whoever reads this) I'd welcome feedback in this sense through PM. Thanks in advance.

Seems that there's already someone captivated by this number 3 theory.
Please, all this is nonesense.
If anyone feels that temptation, remember that this is only a game.
A 3-D game, in it's 0.3 version...

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The crowd could not stand it anymore, and they began talking amongst themselves.

A nice enkidukai was next to a dwarf:
- “I am an enkidukai” -said the female, while pointing repetitively to herself- “this makes nine letters, which is three times three. A chosen race!”

The dwarf was still counting his letters, when the enkidukai threw:
- “But you're a stone breaker, which makes twelve letters.”

The dwarf saw the counting was accurate, and looked a bit angered to the enkidukai, that tried to apologize.
- “Don't get me wrong, it is alright, four times three... yet not as perfect as we are.”

- “We can be nine too.” -said the dwarf calmly- “for I'm St Breaker.”
The enkidukai noticed how that made it nine letters, but could not avoid replying:
- “St Breaker?”
- “You know, you've to break the stone.” -ended the dwarf.

So low was the level of the spontaneous conversations that arose, that the Numerologist had to catch the attention of his audience once again. It was not long before all faces were looking at him.

- “Who was the one meant to enter this building nowadays?” - he inquired to his now indoctrinated audience.
- “A beggar!” - was the reply.
- “Six letters!” - apparently not everything was lost, he thought.

- “For whom the building was designed in the first place?” - the Numerogist continued.
- “The farmer?”- said the same one as before. The numerologist had to count that; it was six letters but there was the need to praise again number three, the master of numbers, the number of floors. With amazing speed, the Numerologist discarded the suggested answer and raising his arms once again, exclaimed:
- “The cow! Three letters again!”

The audience fell at his feet once more. Cheers and exclamations came back, as groups looked at each other with open mouths, astonished, holding their faces unable to accept such a big reality, marvelling about themselves and convincing each other with more facts.

They wasted a night of their lives praising number three.

All the candles of the hall were lighted that night, and both the light and sounds were to be seen and heard from the outside, making that one of the most fervent nights in all the guild's recent history.


Stupidity has nine letters. Three times three.
 
Extract Hydlaa from stupidity, and you've again your number three.
 
It's just impossible to extract stupidity from Hydlaa.