Written by Jerall Toi
Illustrated by Matt Lichtenwalner
To many, the arrival of the Red Monks is considered a good thing, as their work leads to a reduction in obvious poverty, petty crime and the presence of undesirables. There are, however, a few individuals that know that there is no such thing as real charity. A charitable act not only benefits the receiver, but also the giver. The Red Monks do not appear to benefit from their charitable work and it is for this very reason that some view the group with suspicion.
The Merchant Prince
Nalan, first-born son of a powerful merchant family, after managing several successful business ventures, seemed set to take over from his father. These days, however, one no longer finds Nalan in his port-side office, or abroad conducting business. Instead, he dedicates his time to improving the lives of the poor of his home town.
After the death of his wife, the young merchant seemed to withdraw from the rest of his family and the family business. Nalan’s younger brother did not seem to mind the situation, as it allowed him to step in and take control of the business.
Now, Nalan spends his days, and the moderate allowance allowed to him by his brother, amongst the dirty slums and shanty houses of the city’s poor. He dedicates his time to providing meaningful help to the poor, by buying out small plots of land and converting them to vegetable gardens. He then teaches, those that would learn and work, how to tend to the land, which in turn will provide them with both food and a source of income.
The arrival of the Red Monks has Nalan worried. He is concerned that those who accept the Monks’ food parcels will soon learn to depend on them, rather than seek out their own escape from poverty. Unsure that the Monks have the best intentions for the poor, some of whom he now calls friends, Nalan has now turned his attention and family fortune towards finding somebody that could help investigate the Monks and hopefully allay his suspicions.
The Rat King
Zal knows that the power and position held by the nobles and the rich over the poor is nothing more than an illusion. Without the poor, the nobles could not exist. The nobles rely on the poor. The poor hold the real power, but they just don’t see it, and it’s Zal’s job to make sure that they never do.
Zal has been tasked with uncovering ‘problem individuals’ within the poor neighborhoods. The well-oiled manufacturing machines of his employers can never halt production. It is with this in mind that he offers minor trinkets and food parcels to countless underprivileged children – his eyes and ears – for information relating to any ‘problem workers’ that jeopardise the livelihoods of ‘their parents’.
Zal equates the arrival of the first of the Red Monks to nothing less than the appearance of the harbingers of the apocalypse. Their ‘do-gooder’ deeds are threatening both his and his employer’s financial security, as more and more laborers begin defecting. In response, now authorized to offer monetary reward, Zal has ordered the children, those still loyal to him, to find somebody that would help him uncover the sinister plots the masked monks have in store for their parents. It doesn’t hurt that some of the children know how to act or have the ability to force out a tear or two. In fact, those skills might just help in finding the perfect sap for the job.
The Black Market Wizard
Moss, a purveyor of fine magical goods, currently finds himself facing, what he calls, a supply chain collapse. Moss owns and runs a small store in the city’s merchant district, catering for wizards and others that would appreciate a magically enchanted sword or shield. However, despite the look and layout of the store, his dress and mannerisms, Moss is, in fact, not a wizard.
Moss is nothing more than a reseller of wizardly goods, acting as a middle man for real arcane practitioners that would otherwise be too busy to seek out their own funding and supplies. He rarely needs to trade coin for goods from his wizard suppliers, as they more readily accept arcane components and other goods required by their experiments.
Recently, Moss has developed a successful business relationship with a small cabal that seems to prefer components of a more macabre nature. Moss does not question the orders he receives, but does his best to fulfill them. What does it matter if the blood of a human virgin he supplies just happens to be the blood of a human street child? Unfortunately, with the arrival of the Red Monks though, Moss now finds his supply of eyeballs, kidneys and tongues dwindling.
Moss now seeks out somebody that would help investigate the Red Monks and their true motives. He is quite willing to allow access to his store’s supply rooms in payment for services rendered.
False Charity by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.
