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[Tack]

"Of course. If you're half as good at tracking as you are at fighting, I might even have to pay you myself."


"Certainly. Toolwright Arnel of Dashess, owns a rather large shop just downriver- difficult to fit the places in the city proper."
"As for... Bowmaking? Uh... I think every hunter just makes their own, and the mercenaries usually draft from the hunters, so there's never really been a market for them..."
Bows clearly never weighed heavily upon the mind of this... (Nabih takes a cursory look around the store) Timber merchant.

[Caellath]

"Tell me, how many wagons are you taking?"

The young merchant practically drew the name with decisive strokes of his Eastern pen, calligraphy being one of the many areas he had practiced to exhaustion. "I see.. How peculiar. What about the guard, or military forces? I would expect good bows to be in high demand, or at least someone in your area of business to have heard of someone seeking good pieces of wood for bowmaking." Nabih casually continued whilst checking out Fairnalt's timber for any sign of good logs that could be used for producing bows.

Spoiler: OOC (click to show/hide)

A composite bow takes months to dry, so unless magic can help Nabih will probably have to limit himself to crossbows with metal prods for speed of manufacture.

[Tack]

"... I'd never thought of that. The lords hire troops as we need them, and they bring their own gear. I suppose the bowmen might get their bows from somewhere, but I'd just assumed the sorry lot were suckled on them."

He blinked, realizing he'd missed an earlier question.
"Three wagons, one for crew, two for cargo. Why?"

[Caellath]

As Nabih finished writing, he thought back to all the signs he had seen that parchment was the best the Westerners had for use. Dod they even have well-stocked libraries? He might need to set up some paper production at a later date. "I am unsure about how my recruitment run will work out, so the matter of wagons came to mind. Talking of which, I should probably join them soon. Is your timber extracted from nearby? My curiosity about its price has also been sparked."

[Tack]

He looks puzzled. "No, I bring it here from near Aurelar. The canyon city literally runs on wood which can't possibly grow here, and the area north of the swamp has been logged bare since well before my time."

[Caellath]

Even before it begun, a possible paper mill was already threatened due to the absence of a nearby source of lumber. "Interesting. How much time does traveling there take, and what about the prices usually practiced for timber?"

[Tack]

[Rapport=2] > [4]

"Sorry, you are a caravan guard, yes? Why all the questions?"

[Caellath]

The young man stopped idly adding elaborate filigree to the paper's edges and smiled. He had been expecting that question, but it actually took a bit before it came. "Let me introduce properly. I am Al-Safi Nabih Shahin, owner of a military company but also previously an Eastern merchant before deciding to travel here and change business. Mercantile matters are therefore of great interest to me. That and lumber is something I plan to purchase, what with the many uses one can find for it, weaponry being one. Does that answer your question so that you can answer mine?" Nabih sounded politely amused instead of bothered after having to explain his motives.

"And I could always cut our conversation short so as not interrupt your business."

Spoiler: Actions (click to show/hide)

Remember how much the merchant's paying for the completed job, unless you're planning on deciding that later. After getting some useful answers from Fairnalt, see if I can find our recruiters to help with the recruiting process.

[GiglameshDespair]

While the young master talked, Ghaminia kept watch, unobtrusively looking around.

[SOLDIER First]

Larok lets out a laugh at that.

"I should hope this one will be easier. Yesterday I lost track of a disgusting little weasel who thought it was wise to insult me. Would have taken his head off.. But the guard..."

[Tack]

OOC Thread

Spoiler: Name: Larok Ar'grush (click to show/hide)

Race: Ogre
Gender: Male
Bio: An excellent specimen of the fine Ogre species, Larok grew up in a relatively small stronghold along a lake. He learned fishing as a hobby, but never took to it, since it was time-consuming and didn't accomplish anything except making lots of neat little toothpicks.
Larok is also completely bullheaded and doesn't stop working on a task until the job is done. ...Ever. Or he dies. So far that hasn't happened.
Deciding once he was of age that he should put his talent for swordsmanship to use, as the stronghold's militia was full enough anyway, he worked for months without stopping to save up enough gold and start a company.

Fighter from the Hills
Unnecessarily Obstinate
- Real Ogres Use Swords!
- Unshakeable Will
- I Pity The Weak

Equipment Aspects:
Weapons:
Armor:

Skills:
Great (4+)
- Physique (+5)
Good (+3)
- Fight
- Provoke
Fair (2+)
- Investigate
- Will
- Deceive
Average (1+)
- Rapport
- Empathy
- Notice
- Athletics (+0)

Stunts
- Shrug it off - You can use Physique to defend against Fight attacks made with fists or blunt instruments, though you always take 1 shift of stress on a tie.
-
-
Stress:
Physical: [1][2][3][4]
Mental:   [1][2][3]

Consequences: [2][4][6] - {2}

Fate: 4
Silver: 117
Copper: 0

Spoiler: Name: Nabih Shahin Al-Safi (click to show/hide)

Race: Human
Gender: Male
Bio: Born in a trading clan, Nabih was one of Sahid Al-Safi's and Naleiya Al-Safi's few children. Given a good education thanks to his parents' stable financial conditions and the advantages of their profession, Nabih turned out to be a bright kid with a good measure of curiosity and creativity. Saleiya was responsible for most of the couple's accounting and also a rather spiritual woman moderately versed in the arts of magic, which she taught Nabih and a few of his siblings. Meanwhile, Sahid was the face of the operation and a man with a dream; while mankind was more numerous than most races and a formidable force due to it, the man was an admirer of dwarven engineering and was consequently sore about human inability to craft so much of what the xenophobic, stout race was able to create. He wanted human technology to stop complacently feeding off trading and antiquated notions and move forward, without any assistance if necessary.

His parents' teachings and interests rubbed off on Nabih as he grew into a capable, intelligent man with a dream. Too many dreams, actually; whether it was due to his passion for crafting, knowledge or magic, he began to piece together mechanisms even during his sleeping hours, turning him into a lucid dreamer with an objective. Learned and feeling comfortable about his own intellectual baggage, he managed to loan the necessary sum of money to start a mercenary organization, benefiting from the clan's nature to not be drowned in interest and/or threats. Why a mercenary organization? To be safe you need how to wage war and he's realized technology like firearms are a game-changer in the field of battle. In Nabih's opinion, having a body of warriors to field-test any improvements on military tech is less risky than giving them out to strangers.

Nabih is a young-faced inventor and magic practitioner as well as an accomplished trader, partially due to the right connections in his clan and out of it. He's bronze-skinned and has a slightly wide, straight-cut nose between emerald eyes. He prefers to wear the traveling clothes of his people, pants and shirts complimented by robes and headscarves to protect against the sun and elements. The trading clan he's part of is one of the few that established themselves in a section of the Surrounds generations ago to create an outpost for the wandering caravans of his people.

High Concept: Steel Wizard of the Forge
Trouble: No Lore By Man Untouched
-True Traders Haggle
-Formal Bearing and Education
-Clan and Connections: Assets & Debts

Equipment Aspects:
Weapons: Worn Scimitar and crossbow
Armor: Sturdy Cloth

Skills:
Great (4+)
-Crafts
Good (3+)
-Contacts
-Lore
Fair (2+)
-Athletics
-Rapport
-Will
Average (1+)
-Empathy
-Investigate
-Notice
-Physique

Stunts
-Bloodline of Bargain: +2 bonus to Rapport when used to haggle.
-Extensive Network: Gain a +2 bonus to Contacts when using it to Create an Advantage to know the perfect purveyor of specific goods or services.
-Inventor's Insight: Inventions created by succeeding with style gain an (extra) useful Aspect or Stunt.

Stress:
Physical: [1][2][3]
Mental:   [1][2][3]

Consequences: [2][4][6]

Fate: 3
Silver: 8344
Copper: 0

Spoiler: Name: Ghaminia Al-Haral (click to show/hide)

Race: Human
Gender: F
Bio: When Nabih turned fourteen, his parents got him a bodyguard and servant - one to be dedicated to him rather than a general house servant. It was fashion at that time for them to be female - less obtrusive, more likely to be underestimated... and often nicer on the eyes, too.

So it was that Ghaminia entered Nabih's life - she was a few years older, and while it was never explained where she had come from, she was a quiet and omnipresent figure in his background. She tended to his hurts when his experiments went amok, and assisted when needed - mainly with her prodigious physical strength.

A quiet, tall woman, she has a tendency to blend in to surroundings. Her skin is dusky, her features plain - aside from the claw-marks that trace down the right side of her face. She's trained in grapples, and a brutal, close range fighting style with a pair of karembit knives. A tiger skin is draped over her shoulders, with the head forming a hood she can pull up over her own. Besides the knives at her waist, she has another woven into her hair, and two small straight blades concealed at her calves. Her flowing silks do a good job of hiding the thin-yet-sturdy armour beneath.

She also knows how to move silently and pick locks... her past was not a gentle one, nor on the right side of the law. By becoming a servant, her old life was abandoned. Her old name was abandoned when she went into servanthood, but in some drinking dens the name "The Silent Tiger" is still whispered...

High Concept: loyal strongwoman bodyguard with a bloody past.
Trouble: Ghosts of the past
-
-
-

Skills:
Great (4+)
- Physique
Good (3+)
- Stealth
- Fight
Fair (2+)
- Notice
- Provoke
- Burgalry
Average (1+)
- Ride
- Will
- Craft
- Decieve

Stunts
-
-
-

Equipment
Weapons: Knives for every occasion.
Armour: Concealed Lammelar.

Stress:
Physical: [1][2][3][4]
Mental:   [1][2][3]

Consequences: [2][4][6]

Fate: 3
Silver: 280
Copper: 0

Spoiler: Name: Riskiss Malodie (click to show/hide)

Race: Goblin
Gender: Female
Bio: Riskiss was born, like all goblins, to a large family. In her case, the family was wealthy and established, in Dashess, the heads of the household being Krafit Malodie and his mistress, Retuin Sihil. She never much enjoyed pushing and shoving her way to the top of the pack, nor indeed did she very much like being there. Too stressful, with her siblings and cousins always trying to find ways to pull her back down or put her in her place. Besides, she didn't have the brawn for physical confrontation, and it was so much easier to just get other people to do it for her. Especially her brother, Kars. Kars had always been nice to her. He was generally quiet and kind, for a goblin. He was very easy to manipulate. But as she kept him in place at the top of the pack, never seeming to step out of line, as she found her niche in the struggle, she felt worse and worse about doing so. She began working on other people, so he could be himself more. It was nice, to see someone who wasn't utterly ruthless in the lead, for once. Relaxing, almost. Eventually she tried to ease herself back; attachments were dangerous, if you thought about it. And it was alright, for a while; she dealt with threats that might get him cast out, and enjoyed life in the Malodie manor.

But inevitably the good ends. Kars was not ruthless enough to stay strong on his own. His elders knew that. When Riskiss was away to conduct one of the first business deals she was meant to for the house, he made a mistake. The price he paid, was, of course, his position as a member of the house. A few weeks later when Riskiss returned, her good mood was broken by learning of her brother's exile. She cared for the rest of her family, of course, had close friends...but they were not her responsibility. Kars was. And now he was gone. Soon she was gone too. Riskiss knew how to play people. (Unfinished)

High Concept: Upper-Crust Puppet-Master
Trouble: Power Brings Only Grief
- There Is Such A Thing As Being Too Clever...
- Power Lies in Lying and Laying
- Killing Is For Ruffians And Imbeciles

Weapons: Nicked Dagger
Armor: Old Reinforced Silks

Skills
Great (4+)
- Rapport
Good (3+)
- Contacts
- Deceive
Fair (2+)
- Stealth
- Empathy
- Lore
Average (1+)
- Will
- Notice
- Investigate
- Provoke

Stunts
- Dulcet Tones: +2 to first impression Rapport roll.
- White Lies: Can use Deceive to boost a Rapport (?)
- 'Spy Networks' Sounds So Unrefined, Darling: Can use Contacts in place of Investigate in areas with networks built up.

Stress:
Physical: [1][2]
Mental:   [1][2][3]

Consequences: [2][4][6]

Fate: 3
Silver: 350
Copper: 0

"Are difficult to bribe and harder to threaten. I've had dealings with them. Believe me, they're better than the others."


"It does... So long as you're planning to purchase, and not to compete. I sell construction timber for about fifteen silver per stone."

[Investigate=2] > [1]

Having the original list of contacts, it's not hard to assume how far the potential recruiters would have gotten- they should be currently hiring one of the cooks.

[SOLDIER First]

"They did not believe I could break open the cell, either - which, of course, I could. The looks on their faces were so funny."

[Caellath]

"Like I said, I need timber for my own devices. Competing with you would escape the scope of my business. How much do you purchase the timber for?" He continued, interested in knowing the margin of profit.

Spoiler: Actions (click to show/hide)

After milking Fairnault for information, do find our recruiters to help with the recruiting process. Oh, and roll or consult Lore to remember how many wars this kingdom has faced and possibly their level of military technology.

[Tack]

[Rapport=3] > [3]
Barely succeeded
He gives a snort."Even for one like you, that sounds like a feat of myth. But let's say I believe you. What would you have done if the bars had not bent?"

[Rapport=3] > [4]
Failed
"Asking about profit margins is Not something a customer does. If you still wish to escort my caravan, perhaps we should part here for the day."

Despite the perfunctory politeness of the dismissal, it seems mercantile espionage may be a thing here.

As Nabih travels to one of the taverns housing his potential cook, he muses on what he knows of the kingdom.
[Lore=3]
The kingdom has had many wars during its founding not too many centuries ago. Since then, however, they have built large walls to insulate themselves from the States, and none of the mercenary groups, bandits or raiders have really put in much effort to attack them. Unlike the states, at least, they reputedly maintain a standing army, however it is unknown how much their tech level has advanced since the walls went up.

[50/50] > [Heads]
Luckily, the inn he arrives at seems to be the correct one.
[Empathy=3]
Reece and Tiat seem to have recently had an argument- Reece appears quite sullen, whilst Tiat is speaking amicably to the cook.
To his credit, however, the cook seems to have been quite powerfully persuaded, and is nodding happily.

[Caellath]

"Hello, my friends, contracts were sparse but I have talked to the merchant we will be escorting and he has agreed to meet us at an Inn where I plan to have a productive business meeting. What have I missed during my absence? I take it you have made good progress?" Nabih's question sounded as enthusiastic as always, though he took note of the difference in mood between Reece and Tiat.

Spoiler: Actions (click to show/hide)

Roll or consult Lore to remember military information of the Surrounds/States.