Uninterested in engaging in an argument he'd already had many times before, Hudson turned his attention to the other figures in the room and was momentarily shocked by how few there were. However, it began to make sense once he gave it some thought. The General likely only wanted a representative for each deity and the soldier specified that they had been ordered to only round up Tal'Qamari citizens. The Conclave had done a good job suppressing its competitors, so it shouldn't be a surprise that there were so few of them.
Hudson recognized one of them, an elderly ogre man with graying hair, as the leader of some traditional ogre faith, although he couldn't quite remember his Class or name.
Like most ogres, he stood far taller than anyone else in the room and looked strong enough to shatter a boulder with his bare hands. His ash-colored skin was as rough and thick as old tree bark and his broad face was adorned by two protruding tusks. He wore a hide tunic adorned with a multitude of strange symbols and a pendant made from the bones of several different creatures hung around his neck.
Despite his fearsome expression, Hudson could easily see the intelligence and wisdom in the old ogre's eyes.
The next figure was somebody that he didn't recognize but could guess who they were. Hudson had heard many rumors recently of a young female Lizardkin dressed like some kind of monk proselytizing among the lower class. She was very lucky that the Conclave had been pushed out of the city when it had, otherwise Hudson was sure they would have paid her a visit soon.
The last person in the room was a thin naga man with a somber expression. Unlike everyone else who wore some manner of religious garb, or jewelry in Hudson's case, the naga wore a set of luxurious robes that Hudson would expect to see from one of his clients.
"Hello. Have any of you heard anything about what happened between Merchant Lord Raqasor and the Conclave?" Hudson asked, hoping he could learn a bit more about the situation.
The old ogre grumbled and shifted as he turned his gaze to Hudson. "I've had little contact with the ruling class since the Conclave refused to endorse the Way of Gendal. Some among the clans report that tension has been growing for some time between the Conclave, the Merchant Lord, and the naga elites, but this was as much of a surprise to us as it was to you."
"It's surprising that the Conclave dared to move against the Merchant Lord. Tal'Qamar will face a difficult situation without access to his Skills," said the naga man, his forked tongue momentarily flickering out as he spoke. "Raqasor's [Wealth of the Land] was one of the primary reasons that merchants flock to us instead of our competitors. Without him…"
Hudson shared the naga's apprehension. In this world, societies were often defined and shaped around those who ruled them and the Skills they possessed. [Wealth of the Land] was a skill that both made it easier to find and amplified the resources within any land owned by the [Merchant Lord]. The city wouldn't fall apart immediately without it, but things would certainly grow more difficult over time.
Tal'Qamar was about to become a very different place now that General Nasrith had taken control. The General had been firmly in control of the city's military for decades and was the most powerful man in the Tal'Qamar.
"It's going to be difficult for people to adjust to no longer having the Boons offered by the Conclave's gods as well," Hudson said thoughtfully. "[Suhail's Boon] was responsible for getting a lot of people through particularly bad heatwaves and [Rayya's Boon] helped the city's water situation significantly."
As a god of sun and sand, [Suhail's Boon] granted people an increased tolerance to heat and a small increase in Vitality while [Rayya's Boon] granted a boost to Spirit and the ability to produce their own water. All of the Boons offered by the Conclave were well-suited for desert life, which was exactly why they had grown so successful.
"General Nasrith and his mercenary army contribute just as much to Tal'Qamar's economy as the merchants and the people won't immediately lose their boons. I'm sure we'll be alright," the young lizardkin woman said optimistically.
Nobody looked reassured and Hudson also wasn't sure that he believed her words, but keeping a positive outlook was probably better than drowning in worry. Over the next few minutes, Hudson learned the names of those he didn't recognize as everyone politely introduced themselves.
The elderly ogre was a [Grand Shaman] of the Way of Gendal who introduced himself as Borak. Next, the naga man was an [Ophidian Priest] by the name of Kassan who worshiped some ancient naga deity called Ghisara. Lastly, the young lizardkin woman was named Kinta and she served a foreign god she referred to only as the 'Serene Guide.' Like Hudson, she hadn't attained a Class evolution, so she was just a [Monk]
Once introductions were over and it became clear that nobody knew what was happening, the conversation soon died back down. The tension was palpable as they waited, and Hudson couldn't help but keep glancing at the door while he waited for the General to make his appearance.
After another half hour of waiting, during which nobody else entered the room, there was an abrupt shift in the air. The heavy doors finally swung open and a squad of armored soldiers marched into the room. Every movement they made was precise, their eyes alert and scanning every inch of the room. It was obvious to Hudson that they were far more skilled and disciplined than the guards he usually dealt with.
One of them, a burly human man with a fierce expression, nodded to someone on the other side of the doors once they had thoroughly checked for dangers. As he entered the room, Hudson's first impressions of General Nasrith were that he looked exactly like he expected from the man's reputation and that he was the largest naga he had ever seen.