Greed is Good (IC)

[Artemis97]

Laelaer smiles at the sailor. "We'd be happy to buy from you. And I wouldn't want us to stay out there longer, if you felt uncomfortable with the idea."With luck, they would have time enough to make a good profit. If not, well, then they'd have some oysters for lunch.

[The Orange Zergling]

Thorus nodded in agreement. Truth to be told, he had not had any instruction on how to swim, but he was physically fit and had seen other people do it. It couldn't be that difficult. "Alright. I'm set."

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I'm establishing now that Thorus is not wearing his armor. If it matters, it's back at the caravan with his other things he doesn't carry around.

[Destro_Yersul]

Forge
"I do, yeah. I've got a measure strip around here somewhere..." Axel started going through the pockets on his toolbelt, coming up shortly with a thin strip of leather carrying markings along its length. "Give me your hand. Shan't be a moment."

While the smith was measuring Alec's hand, he spoke again to Glaffin. "I'll gather up what I can, then, and pay you for the tools once they're finished, if that's alright." He laughed. "And once your friend here pays me for the weapons."

Alec's Spoiler

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Tallhelm
"Yes, well, it does seem to have turned out alright, and a good thing too." Ever happy to dispense what he undoubtedly thought was Wisdom, the merchant puffed himself up importantly. "You might think that, but fish is still a good item. Stormgate's big enough that it can't meet its own demand, you see. They do fish plenty up there, which means it's not as good as it might otherwise be, but if you've nothing else you can still make a good bit of money off it. My advice? Buy what you can at the cheapest prices you can find. Even if all you get later is market value, you'll still turn a profit."

Danvers
"Might do that. My thanks for the invitation."

Martin
"Alec, then. The city may have changed a while since I was last out that way, but you ought to have a look at the public library, if you consider yourself a man of letters. Originally I think it was just for guild members, but it was opened up to everyone a little while ago. They've some fine volumes on hand. The keep is worth a look too. Some fine stonework went into that place, though perhaps the dwarf you're with would appreciate that more than most."

The mayor dabbed at his mouth with his napkin and set down his fork. "The guilds are where the most interesting work goes on. They've been trying to bring in Altyrian artisans for a long time, and it's likely a few have started to trickle in. Have you ever been to Altyria?"

The Docks (Laelaer and Thorus)
"Alright, then. Follow me." Leading the way to the end of the docks, the sailor stepped into a small rowboat that was moored next to a much larger boat. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called up. "Ho, Captain, I'm taking the dinghy out! Couple of them merchants want to go diving!"

The captain appeared on the deck of the fishing vessel a moment later, wearing a hat against the rain. He came up to the railing, looking over at Laelaer and Thorus, then down at his (presumedly) employee. "Just don't sink it. Storm's bound to get worse before the day's out."

"We'll stick near the coast," their new friend assured him, beckoning the two to get in. Casting off and taking the oars himself once they had, he began to pilot their small craft away from the docks. "Take us a few minutes to get out far enough. Piece of advice, look for the big ugly ones. If it's been around longer, there's a chance for a larger pearl. The small ones aren't usually worth bothering with." Straining at the oars as he rowed, the sailor grinned at them. "That one's free. You pay me a couple of silvers for the trip, I'll show you a few other tricks. How's that sound?"

[Artemis97]

"That sounds fair enough." Laelaer agrees with the sailor. She wasn't going to argue over a few silver when their rewards could be much greater. The drowess climbs into the boat, balancing easily as it rocks. She had enough practice with the water ferries in Vayentsia to be comfortable on the small craft. Once seated, she began to remove the heavy belt her sword hung on, and pulled her bow and quiver off of her back. If they were going to go swimming they would just get in the way. As would her armor, which she shrugged over her shoulders next. The Duskblade tried to stow everything as carefully as she could, to protect it from the water. Maybe she should have left it in the wagons, but this was a somewhat spontaneous idea and Laelaer did not want to waste the time going back to the wagon. That storm didn't look promising, and was bound to cut their trip short.

[Blarghy]

The Forge

He lets Axel have one hand to maneuver as he wishes while they talk. "I'll have the coin ready at the inn tonight," he says. A polite way of refusing to pay in advance, although he might let himself be bargained into giving half now and half later.

Tallhelm

"Hmm." Alec thinks that over. "Good advice. I'll look around and see what I can find." He also has the beginning of an idea; even if he doesn't make a profit in Stormgate, precisely, he could still greatly benefit from the process.

Alec stands expectantly, giving the impression that he's open to anything else Tallhelm might have to say but is otherwise finished with the conversation on his end.

The Jail

The pirate nods gratefully and shifts his weight towards the door; as with the master merchant, he's ready to leave unless Captain Danvers wants to discuss something more.

The Mayor

He nods throughout mention of the library, keep, and guilds, showing genuine interest. Although Alec isn't a big reader per se (perhaps surprisingly, given his passion for writing), he thinks he'd like to see a good collection of human knowledge just as the impressive accomplishment that it is. Maybe he'll even find a book or two that personally interests him. And if he found, say, a text by someone famous with handwriting worth imitating...

"Altyria, yes. Well, on the outer rims. I landed in a few port cities during my sailing days, but I never traveled inland. That desert sounded like something I wanted no part of. Still, I saw enough strange culture to feel like a foreigner, which I suppose is the mark of a good vacation. What about you? Have you ever visited?"

[Gullara]

The Dead Man's Chest
"That'll be fun," The woman said as she re-filled the glass. "Tharius knows we could use a little excitement around here. Trading caravans are about all the excitement we usually get. Unless you count Romnir's cooking." She smiled as she said the last, inflecting it as a joke. The dwarf's food wasn't bad by any account.

The Next Day (Present Time):

The gray elf returns to the inn the next morning well-rested, washed, and clothed in clean garments. When he sees Cecily, he makes a beeline towards her table and wishes her a hearty "Good morning!"

Cecily laughs at the joke, recognizing as such do to her own experience with his cooking. "I hope you all have a good time at the show then. I'll do my best to keep you entertained."

When Indrys arrives, the bard greets him with a warm smile. "Good morning, Indrys. I hope you slept well."

[Slii Arhem]

"If the tools are finished before you've got the weapons together for him, you can just take your price for the weapons out of what you're paying me and he can pay me directly. The money's the same either way, and I'll be traveling with him, so I know he'll be good for it eventually." Glaffin suggests in between pedaling the grinding wheel. He's working steadily despite his obvious exhaustion and the way he's panting, probably so the eventual rest will come sooner.

[Sophistemon]

The Dead Man's Chest

The elf returns her smile. "I did," he says. "Actually quite a bit better than I was expecting. I hope that you slept similarly well." Following that, he indicates available seating. "Do you mind if I sit here? I was thinking that we might continue last night's conversation, if that would be all right with you."

[The Orange Zergling]

Thorus clambered his bulk into the small dinghy. Boats of this size always seemed like tempting fate to him - so easy to tip, crash or break at the slightest provocation. Still, they weren't going too far out; that was something. At the sailor's suggestion he had to give it a moment of thought, trying to weigh the odds of turning a profit versus losing money, but then it occurred to him that he was, at least from his point of view, paying for entertainment. Besides, Laelaer agreed to pay, and he didn't want to look like too much of a curmudgeon. He nodded silently and started rifling through a small pouch of spending money at his belt, figuring the sailor would name his price.

[Destro_Yersul]

Forge
"Either of those works for me. Guess we'll see when I finish." Axel straightened, marking down his measurements on a sheet of paper. "I'd best get started, though."

"All done as far as your hand's concerned, for now," he told Alec.

Mayor Martin and Alec
"Mmm, yes. The Great Desert. Not a pleasant place to travel through, I would think. I've been there only once, years ago. I had decided to travel to Vayentsia, to see the wonders of the city. I never made it so far, though. We landed in Cairath for re-supply, and I found myself quite taken with the city, so I stayed there instead. They're great engineers, the men of Cairath. Marvellous architecture. I exhausted my money before I had even set foot outside the city, and was forced to return home."

Laelaer and Thorus
"Two silver it is, then, split how you like between yourselves. Now." The sailor's powerful strokes sent them rapidly through the water, and towards the rocks. He slowed down when they neared them, the shoreline visible within a fairly easy swimming distance, not that it would have been wise to test it. "Look for the ones hiding in the cracks, down where they might have been growing for a while. Don't try to stay down too long, looking for more. Bring up what you have, and you can always go back down."

Removing a couple of old sacks from ender the seats in the boat, he passed them one each. "Put any you find in these. Chances are, we might not find anything. Can still eat the oysters, though, or sell 'em to Grimfist if we wind up with extra." An anchor followed the sacks out from under the seat, fixed to the bow with a long line. It splashed as it hit the water, dropping rapidly out of sight.

"Last thing. Sometimes, sand gets stirred up, covers a bunch of them. If you spot any of those, grab them for sure. Dive in, I'll show you where to look."

The Dead Man's Chest
"I'm sure you'll do a fine job. Call me over if you'd like anything to eat." The woman looked like she was about to leave, until Indrys wandered over. Then, she hesitated. "Anything for you?"

[Artemis97]

Last of all Laelaer kicked off her boots. "I'll be certain to pay you once we get ashore again." Best to get services before they were paid for, even if this venture was certainly going to prove profitable. The drowess picked up a sack and perched herself on the side of the boat. "See you down there." She flashed a smile at Thorus before falling backwards into the sea with a splash.

[Slii Arhem]

Forge

"Right, let me know if you need a work spot in particular while I'm using it. I've got enough to do that I can move from the grinding wheel to the anvil to the press as I go, so I shouldn't be in your way so long as you let me know to move."

[Blarghy]

The Forge

Then Alec uses said hand to gesture goodbye. "Happy labors. I'll see you both later."

The Mayor

This could work. Oh yes, this could work.

"That's a shame. Do you ever think about going back, if you liked it so much? You seem like you've got the coin now. You could even make a tour of all the great cities, assuming you could tear yourself away from Cairath."

[The Orange Zergling]

Thorus stuffed his coin pouch into one of his boots before removing them. He also removes his shirt, and is suddenly reminded of the bolt he had taken in the encounter with the bandits. He hadn't given it much thought, but he suppose it did still ache a little. He thought it shouldn't matter too much right now, though he did make a mental note to seek aid for it later.
Arranging his belongings in a rough heap, he takes one of the sacks and does his best to climb out of the boat without tipping it over. He eventually decides to follow Laelaer's lead and leans backward into the ocean, painfully aware of how undignified he likely appeared.

[Gullara]

The Dead Man's Chest

"Go right ahead. That sounds like an excellent idea." Cecily replies. "I slept very well, thank you." She starts to say more, but then the woman speaks again. She'll wait until Indrys has replied to her.

After that, though, she went on. "You mentioned you could create sounds and an illusionary figure last night. What sort of complexity can you manage with the later?"

[Sophistemon]

The princeling elf smiles at the serving girl and nods his head. "Ah, certainly, thank you." he says. After a moment to pause and think, he continues with his order: "Eggs, please, over easy and with toast. Tea, too, if you have it. Strong tea." Following that, he takes the seat so graciously offered to him by the bard. After hearing her question, his already pleasant demeanor brightens noticeably. "I'm so glad that you ask! It's one of my most favorite tricks, and it can be of endless amusement. I am capable of creating most anything, but what I make has no taste, touch, or sound, and it is confined to a rather small area..." He uses both hands to point out the boundaries within the room. "About that large, you see?" He smiles. "So, as you can gather, the spell is purely of a visual nature, but still quite impressive if properly accompanied."

[Gullara]

"I can imagine it is. I wish I could do such useful magic myself, but thankfully I have your assistance for tonight's show." Cecily certainly looks impressed by his talents. "Perhaps you could create some of these images and some sounds with that other spell you mentioned during the show. To illustrate the battle for our audience."

[Sophistemon]

"Ah." Indrys purses his lips in a sour-lemon expression. "Unfortunately, I can't create something so complex as an entire battle with the illusion. While that skill might come later, I am just not currently capable of such a thing. Right now, I can only make singular things - one figure at a time. But if you wanted me to create, say, Thorus and the sounds of his combat, such a thing would be well within my abilities." His features lighten into a smile. "As he was certainly our shining star, I propose we give him center stage. I only hope it doesn't go to his head; I can't imagine much worse than a great warrior who knows how great of a warrior he is. There's simply no excuse for pomposity." The hypocritical irony of the statement is, of course, completely lost on the elf.

[Gullara]

Cecily laughs a little. "Noted. I'll be sure not to give him too much attention, though he does certainly deserve quite a bit of it." She jots something down on the piece of paper in front of her. "At this rate I'm going to finish up just before the show starts."

[Destro_Yersul]

Forge

"Alright. I'll try to give you fair warning." The smith pciked up an ingot of pressed steel and set to work. It would be some time before the metal was formed, taking most of the day, but Glaffin had plenty to keep him busy as well, and Axel didn't seem to be much for small talk when he was working.

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I don't have anything more for Glaffin right now. However, I think that we can advance to the end of the day soon after this. Let me know if there's anything else Glaffin wants to talk about.

Mayor Martin and Alec

"On occassion, I've thought about it. I've got settled into my routine here, and the people seem to like me well enough. I sometimes wonder how they'd manage if I left, but I suppose they managed fine before I came along." The Mayor finished eating, setting down his fork and steepling his hands.

"I do worry, though, that it would cost more money than I have, and I'd wind up with nothing left."

Laelaer and Thorus

Diving into the water was a shock - it was cold, and it stung their eyes. The sailor seemed to be used to it, knifing through the water after them and making for the bottom. They could see the oysters, near covering the bottom in places, but the smaller ones weren't what they were after. Laelaer had the best luck, finding a crevice in the rock packed with fat oysters. After the first dive, their guide had found the fewest, and the horizon had grown darker. It looked like a real storm was rolling in, but they had some time yet. Returning to the bottom, it was once again Laelaer that had the best luck. This time, however, the surface they broke was choppy with waves. Their sailor friend was already clambering back into the boat, being careful not to upset the small craft. He held out a hand to help them up, calling out over the wind.

"Get in! It's too rough to stay out longer."

Spoiler

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Swim check, DC 15 to climb back in the boat. You can have +2 for the sailor helping you up.

The Dead Man's Chest

"Certainly. I'll let the old grump know to fry up some eggs. Three silver, and it'll be ready in a moment." The woman moved off, leaving Indrys and Cecily to speak.

[Artemis97]

Laelaer throws her sack of oysters into the boat and reaches for the sailor's hand. A rogue wave, bigger than the others, knocks her back and sends her under. The drowess comes up again, sputtering, now further away from the boat than she had been. Scowling, she starts swimming for it again, thinking this had better be worth all the effort.

[The Orange Zergling]

Figuring out how to maneuver through the water was easy. Figuring out how to maneuver through turbulent water, while carrying a sack of oysters, while also trying to climb into a boat was more problematic. After struggling for a moment, and being unable to get purchase on the boat's side, despite the sailor's aid, Thorus falls back into the depths. He emerges moments later, spitting water and spluttering. He curses and tries to get closer to the boat for another attempt.

[Blarghy]

The Mayor

"Well, I can't speak for your finances, but I think everyone should go for what's important to them. Regrets weigh more than gold, and none of us live forever." He doesn't explicitly point out Martin's age, but surely the mayor has thought of that before.

"Seabreak seems to care about you, from what I can tell. You'd have a happy home if you stayed. Still, it's a wonderful thing, to travel and see the places you love. If that's what you really want to do, I wouldn't put it off indefinitely. Personally, I don't think I could stay in one place for most of my life. There's too much out there to discover. I'm sure I'll go back to Altyria some day, and when I do, I'll remember Cairath. Maybe I'll see you there."

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Let's see if Alec can at least get the idea stuck in his head.

Diplomacy: (1d20+5)[6]

[Destro_Yersul]

Mayor Martin and Alec

"True words, my friend. Perhaps someday, if I find myself wealthy enough to afford it without issue." The mayor didn't have much else to say on the subject, it seemed, as he stood up. "Word I hear is, the young lady bard is working on a new song. Might that be the case?"

Laelaer and Thorus

The weather was only getting worse, and Thorus was already having a rough time trying to climb back into the boat. A wave broke over his head, and a moment later he felt himself get hauled out of the water and into their tiny craft. The sailor stepped back, and started to haul up the anchor.

"If your friend gets close enough," he said, "try and help her up. Whatever you do though, don't overbalance the boat."

[Blarghy]

Disappointed with himself but smart enough not to push the issue, Alec lets the topic change. "I believe so. She'll be performing here tonight; you should come. And tell the townspeople, if you don't mind; I've been spreading the word, but I'm sure you could do a better job than me. Cecily would like a good crowd. She won't disappoint, I can promise that much."

[Sophistemon]

Cecily laughs a little. "Noted. I'll be sure not to give him too much attention, though he does certainly deserve quite a bit of it." She jots something down on the piece of paper in front of her. "At this rate I'm going to finish up just before the show starts."

The elf laughs along with her, and it's a surprisingly deep guffaw to come from a frame as slim and slight as Indrys'. He looks down at her notes, and then back into her eyes, and smiles. "Indeed? What is it that you have planned so far?"

[The Orange Zergling]

Wiping the water from his face, Thorus splutters some more and sets down the sack. Trying to anchor his mass in the middle of the boat, he extends a hand out towards Laelaer whenever she gets close.

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Strength check for when it becomes relevant: (1d20+2)[3]

[Artemis97]

Laelaer swims hard for the boat, more determined than ever to make it back. She throws her hand out to Thorus, but misjudges the distance as the boat rocks away from her. The force of her effort causes the drowess to slip under the water again, but she soon bobs back to the surface. Her orange eyes glow, showing her anger and frustration.

[Destro_Yersul]

Mayor Martin and Alec

"Now that, I will certainly do. Pleasure talking with you, Alec." Gathering his coat and hat, the mayor paid for his meal and headed for the door. If Alec had anything else he meant to ask about, now would be the time.

Laelaer and Thorus

Hauling hard on the anchor line, the sailor pulled it up out of the water hand over hand. The anchor clunked as it landed in the boat, and then he was back over near Thorus, stretching out his own hand as well for Laelaer to take.

"Grab on!"

Between the two men in the boat both helping, the drowess was at last able to climb aboard. As soon as she was out of the water and safe, the Sailor grabbed the oars and spun the small boat around, heading not towards the pier, but straight for the shore.

"Should be a bucket, somewhere. Someone keep that on hand for bailing."

[Blarghy]

Alec lets him go with a nod. He's blundered his first attempt and there's no reason to keep chasing it; he'll just try again later. Besides, he has other business this afternoon anyway. It's time to go buy fish.

Without a chest injury to make him worry about pneumonia, Alec enjoys the rain on his way down to the dock. Water, unsurprisingly, is an old friend. The local sailors might not feel the same, but he thinks it's simpler to check by their ships first before he goes door to door. If anyone lingers by the shore, he approaches them to make a deal.