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[Tack]

Lore 3
There are two known iron "hotspots" in the States. The most convenient of these would happen to be the Brightstone River. Excellent quality hematite is chipped out of the cliffs at Dashness, although at considerable cost, whilst the more affordable bog iron is constantly being cut from the peat at Reridge.

[Contacts=6]
Succeeded with style.
Nabih, being known as a "wizard of the forge", had a great reputation amongst steelwrights all through the east, through that knowing their distributors both east and west. Most miners at Dashness sell their iron by the pound to the state (who also ensure the safety and efficiency of the tunnels), whilst a vast majority of the iron farms at Reridge are privately owned by a single powerful and dangerous family.
The senior foreman of the former and patriarch of the latter are both known to Nabih as they haggle for favourable contracts with the master of the bloomeries and warehouse manager and lead distributor of the caravanserais.
Usually over cards. Which they're playing tonight, in a ritzy inn outside the gates.

[SOLDIER First]

"That was both of our effort, you know.
...Where has my charge gone?"

[Tack]

He looks around, before cursing loudly.
"Where any streak of piss goes. Downhill and downriver."
He gives a shrug.

"He'll have used the last of his loan to pay you, though, so I doubt he can skip town completely. Will probably just run until he finds a barn or something to lay low the night. Won't take me- hm, us long to find him."
He brings himself off his uncomfortable position on the counter and dusts himself off.

"We might as well continue our discussion. Now that the distraction isn't here it might even go smoother. Besides, I'll need to come back here to pay off our fun. He gives a chuckle, looking around the totalled room. "Such fun.. That I might as well work up a tab to go with it."

He holds out an arm. "Regardless, introductions. Which hold are you from, and how in the gods purpose are you not a Warmaster?"

[SOLDIER First]

Larok accepts it gruffly.

"I hail from Guril, and I didn't want to sit around inside the hold. Fishing might have been a nice pastime, but the real fortune was selling myself, so that is what I do.
The first time hasn't gone very well. I still need the second half of my payment."

[Caellath]

Nabih spent some time recalling all the information he had about those he could do business with. It also reminded him why he had picked Dashness as his starting point; he wanted steel, and its mining industry could provide some the quality he needed. "Hmmm. It seems we will have to tell merchant Fairnalt to wait for for the morrow to depart."

An upstart newcomer to the scenario of mercenary outfits in the area would do good to avoid drawing undue attention, but Nabih was already an experienced merchant and being daring in the name of his dreams was part of his life; he would find a way to join the card game and haggle himself a small deal. His appearance and introduction were the actually important part. He was the owner of a mercenary company and his actions reflected on his business, meaning making a splash right from the start would be excellent marketing.

And why not kill two birds with one stone?

Spoiler: Actions (click to show/hide)

Seek Merchant Fairnalt and tell him we're leaving on the morrow. Check whether his business would benefit from getting a good word in with the figures I intend to meet. Make sure he actually deserves that good word too.

Afterwards, check the inn and ask around to determine where the game will be held and if getting a room for the night will be necessary—hopefully the place also dubs as a classy tavern.

[Tack]

"Hmph. Well, it shouldn't be enough to get him to Aurelar, and the mine is the only place he knows to work, so I doubt he'll stay too far from town. He probably thinks he'll come back when the heat dies down."
He gives a sigh "Stupid gvaki has no idea how moneylenders work."

"I'm of Urvuk. Chances are our grandsires killed one another." He settles onto the floor of the ruined room, a functional chair not easy to come by. Leaning with his back against the bar, he gives the countertop a thump with his hand and calls for mead.

Fairnalt's place of trade wasn't listed on the contract, but after asking the clerk, you're directed down the canyon to a series of small shops often loaned out to travelling merchants, whereupon you find the man. He seems quite standard of a merchant, one would even call him unremarkable, but he assents to leaving tomorrow morning and seems quite ecstatic at the idea of having his name mentioned to these people, if a little hesitant.
The iron trade is not his current business, and to usurp some of the other merchants could have some detrimental effects to his business... or health.

The Inn, you hear from Merchant Fairnalt, is a leisurely hour's travel downriver, although could take quite a bit longer travelling back. However, after hearing that you may intend to stay there tonight, he offers to meet you there the next morning, it being only slightly off his standard route.

[SOLDIER First]

Larok grabs the seat from one of many deceased chairs and places it next to the other Ogre, and smacks the counter in much the same way as his new companion.

"I hope they have not. My grandsire taught me what fishing was.
And what fish are."

He mulls over the recent events, brow becoming increasingly furrowed.

"...He intended to cheat me as he cheated you..!"

[Tack]

"You are luckier than I. Both sides of my bloodline were warriors. My father was not pleased to hear I became a coin merchant in a gvaki city."
"Although if Ranek planned to cheat you then he is far braver than I gave him credit for."
He shrugs, as two (human-sized) tankards arrive. The barman seems to trust him to pay.
"It is the same now as always. People want to loan from me rather than the umgi in Reridge, because I make rules and stick to them. When the rules become a problem for them, they suddenly think their case is special."

[SOLDIER First]

"My mother and father supported me, because I would bring us glory with my sword.
Braver or more stupid, I do not know which.

Then you break them."

[Tack]

"Nh. Broken people cannot earn, then they cannot pay. Soon they act like rats in a coal-pot. I learned that one the hard way."
"I usually just settle for taking the wind from them once a day. Special cases get hung by the heels from a bridge."
He shrugs.
"Not the most honourable work, but it brings me coin enough."

[Caellath]

"That is certainly worrying, because I do not wish to cause your business' or your own demise. Do you have any friends or acquaintances already in the iron trade that could benefit from such opportunity, then?" Nabih's inquiry sounded good-natured and actually was just like it sounded, though the possibility of reaping fruits in the future hadn't been ignored. Even while being genuinely pleasant chances are a good merchant will still find opportunities.

Spoiler: Actions (click to show/hide)

Lore check: Do the people of this land use composite crossbows? What about siege weaponry such as the ballista?

[SOLDIER First]

"Ah.
No, it is not. You would be good as a mercenary, like me, perhaps. Do you own a blade?"

[Tack]

"That is certainly worrying, because I do not wish to cause your business' or your own demise. Do you have any friends or acquaintances already in the iron trade that could benefit from such opportunity, then?"

"Not exactly. They're quite insular... Although I do know a toolmaker who could afford to make better margins on his work."

[Lore=3]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Composite bows (and therefore, more rarely, crossbows) do exist in the east, however in this region of the world the horn needed to craft them isn't available, whilst the social stigma (and relative uneducation) of most bow-wielders means that they haven't advanced particularly far.
Most areas in the west use simple self bows, along with the rare catapult, whilst the more advanced north uses mangonels, crossbows and longbows.
Ballistae so far have only ever seen use in the East- the western lords being too fractious to afford the maintenance or deal with transport, whilst the kingdom's climate is entirely too wet.

(I think I said too much but just make an assessment on how much Nabih would know.)

"Ah.
No, it is not. You would be good as a mercenary, like me, perhaps. Do you own a blade?"

[Rapport=1] > [6]

He smirks. "I've been given that offer many times before, and turned it down. This business might be pesky at times, but so far it has been very good to me and mine."

[SOLDIER First]

"I see, I see.
Even so, would you find our charge with me?"

[Caellath]

Spoiler: OOC (click to show/hide)

He probably wouldn't know about any social stigma regarding archers. His homeland is likely to have mounted warriors with composite shortbows thanks to the dry climate, so while he wouldn't expect too many composite bows around these lands due to the humid climate of NotEurope he'd at least be expecting bowmen with self or recurve bows.

"Do tell me his name, then. It would be a waste not to use this opportunity to benefit those around me, no?" Nabih's replied enthusiastically, retrieving a sheet of paper and his personal qalam from his belongings in order to take notes. "And it would certainly be appreciated if you could meet me at the inn tomorrow. Tell me, how many wagons are you taking? Oh, I am curious; how is the bowmaking business around this location?"