The fabled Mountainhome of Soulrocks was famed throughout the world for its rich stores of gold and its fine metalwork. Rumors told of a massive vault deep underground, filled floor to ceiling with golden masterworks of Dwarven craftsmanship. Naturally such tales attracted many merchants from lands afar off, to trade with the proud denizens of Unolid.
Rimtar, a merchant prince of Iteb Kezat, arrives in late autumn with his caravan, dreams of golden treasure dancing in his mind. He steps carefully over the withered and dismembered limbs of many foes, the wheels of his wagons making streaks in the still-fresh blood on the ground, and enters into a trade depot piled high with bins - no doubt filled to bursting with jewel-encrusted master crafts. He can almost smell the sweet aromas of rare perfumes, taste the luxurious richness of the fine fruits from foreign lands such wealth will buy for him, and he smiles.
Negotiations begin. "I'll take... all your steel armor, and weapons," says Udib, the Mountainhome's broker, "all your cloth and leather; drinks, of course; plenty of meat, cheese, fish; and sugar, why not?"
"Excellent, excellent. And in return?" Rimtar asks excitedly.
Udib opens one of the great bins. "XX pig tail fiber socks XX," he says gleefully. "Made by the legendary Atir Likotdodok, from cloth spun by the masterful Edem Mengetar. Bins and bins of them. A steal, a real bargain if you ask me."
Rimtar's face falls somewhat. "Oh. Well, um, thanks, I guess? But..." he asks bluntly, "maybe I could have some... gold?"
Udib pulls out a -gold amulet-. "Here," he says, handing the small item to the merchant, "that settles us, I think."
And so, his wagons now laden with worn-out clothes where late shining steel swords had sat, the merchant prince seems now to smell maybe more homely perfumes, and taste perhaps more earthy fruits in his fancies. But as he rides into the winter sunset he gazes upon the small -gold amulet-, a mere throw-away from the vast vaults of storied Soulrocks, and decides that, after all, he is pleased with the trading.