Artless Bazaar Thread

[Godhand]

Godhand walked into the bazaar, not bothering too much with flowery prologues or bullshit like that, and lay a Titanium mace upon the table. He'd had it custom made, the head being only slightly smaller than a bowling ball. It was a good, sizeable amount of Titanium that he never used. He felt it was about time to see what it was worth.

"I'd like to know what you can give me for this mace."

[AdventWings]

It had been such a long while since a straight-forward customer stopped by at the Akashiman. While Jirou preferred chatting with the customers, he understood the essence of time.

"I can offer you 3,500 gold pieces for the item, sir. Is that a fair price?"

Jirou felt almost surprised seeing that much Titanium used in a non-explosive weapon. If he could melt down and purify it into a usable ingot... He lost count of how many flintlocks it would become given to the right hands and tools.

[Godhand]

The mercenary ran a hand through his hair.

"That's...Considerable. Actually, I'll be back in a second. I need to-... I don't know what the Hell I was thinking when I had the thing made, but will you just wait here for a second?"

Godhand dissapeared for a while, and when he returned he had to holler at the shopkeeper to come outside. When he did, he'd find the swordsman carrying an enormous 21-foot Delyn Zweihander. He'd had it made when he had too much money and more than a couple of drinks in him. Something about using it as both a sword and shield. What the Hell?

"I'd like to know how much you can give me for this, and..." Well, he wasn't using it either,"And a Titanium sword cane."

[AdventWings]

Jirou let out an amused whistle when he saw the titanic blade, wondering what sort of god-like bladesmith had been the creator of such an impractical weapon. Then again, a seven-meter long shield-sword was not all that impractical. After all, the blacksmith himself had once trained with one.

Mind you, the one he used was only a crudely-hammered steel lookalike about ten feet long. Nothing in comparison to the intimidating blade he now faced.

"Mmm, ho. Impressive." The Akashiman mumbled as he eyed the blade with inquisitive eyes. "...Khm, alright. How about I give you... five thousand gold pieces for that Zweihander and six hundred for the swordcane. Is that reasonable for you, sir?"

Keeping a straight face as best he could, the blacksmith could barely contain his excitement about trying out the gigantic sword after the day was over.

[Godhand]

"That seems fair, and I respect that you have to make a living and everything but you've to consider...I mean, I'm giving you a tremendous amount of Delyn here. Not to mention the Titanium, and we both know how rare that is. How about you give me...Nine thousand for both? That seems fair."

Godhand was always pretty good about behaving himself at the Bazaar. I mean you had these big menacing guys that liked to huff and puff, or the shapely broads that liked to flirt. The mercenary didn't do any of that. Just treat the man with a modicum of respect, you know, and carry yourself with some basic fucking dignity. That was usually enough.

[AdventWings]

It did not take long for Jirou to decide. After all, that was a lot of Delyn. Not to mention the titanium as well.

If anything, a private collector would be willing to pay anything to get their grubby hands on those fine two specimen.

"Fine, fair enough. Why not take them inside where we can continue?" The blacksmith smiled, walking back inside to grab the medium of exchange. The man had been courteous enough not to stare hate and doom into the blacksmith, which was becoming quite rare in this age and time, plus the fact the giant sword was not going to find another suitable hand than the Akashiman man himself. Nine thousand gold pieces was a small - and just - price to pay.

He was fairly certain the store had enough room for the gigantic blade to clear. If, by any chance, it did not completely make it inside, Jirou would just have to find another way. But for now...

"So, that comes to a total of twelve thousand and five hundred gold. Is there anything you would like to buy or sell...?"

[Godhand]

Godhand pointed a finger at the blacksmith, amusement playing over his features.

"A-ha! I said nine thousand for both, but now I see you're prepared to go as high as twelve! I have you now, merchant!"

It was days like this that the bazaar truly was good times. Still, he felt a bit of reluctant to sell the sword now. The merchant's excitement had rekindled his own. He'd bought it expecting to use it in some great war; axing down both horses and their riders in one swing, ducking under it to avoid the ensuing arrow storm...What great plans he'd once had. It was perhaps a bit sociopathic to wish for war only so you could use a weapon, but Godhand was comfortable with his assorted neuroses.

"Look, I don't know if you make sheaths...But even if you don't, I still think you'll appreciate this."

Godhand pulled his sheathed sword from his hip, slowly drawing it from it's scabbard. A Masterwork, Adamantine Muramasa. It'd never even been used; not by him, anyway. It was glorious. Perfect in every single way. And what an ordeal it had been to get it. He'd pried it from the dead hands of an eastern Demon Emperor he'd overcome in combat, replacing it with his own Prevalida blade to avoid taking on some sort of curse. Then it turns out the blade itself had been corrupted by the creature's soul, so he'd had to spend a ridiculous amount of money having it cleansed. Still, it was worth it. What was left was perhaps one of the greatest blades in Althanas' history. Unfortunately, he was still using the same sheath as when he'd started out with with his old steel pigsticker. It was time to upgrade.

"Look at this beauty. Doesn't it just make you want to weep? Now look at the damn sheath. No artistry or soul to it at all. What I want you to do for me is craft me a masterwork, and I do mean masterwork, sheath of crimson liviol. I want it to be fitted perfectly to this blade. Then cap off both the mouth-is that the proper word for it?- the mouth of the sheath, and the base with ornate golden prevalida. All of it should be of the utmost quality. Do you think you can handle something like that?"

[AdventWings]

The blacksmith raised an eyebrow in surprise and skepticism. He distinctively remembered telling the customer that the two swords amounted to nine thousand gold pieces, the Titanium mace adding another three thousand and five hundred to the total. But not wanting to lose more precious time with the customer, the Akashiman blacksmith decided to give in - if only just a little.

"Well, I did say twelve and a half thousand... for all three of your wares. But let's just get that out of the way and, say, ten thousand for the Zweihander, a thousand for the canesword and three thousand, five hundred for the mace. Thirteen thousand, five hundred for the three of them together. Sounds fair?"

And while the metalworker had been thinking about his response on the fluctuating prices, his thoughts were already calculating the possibility of the weapon's sheath.

Liviol was a rare wood prized by the Raiaeran... and Prevalida by the Salvaran to the North. It would take a lot of strings to pull, as well as a lot of time, before the final product would become realized.

Factoring in the work he would have to put in as well.

"Five thousand for the sheath, sir. If that is fine with you." Jirou replied, but his eyes betrayed a sense of seriousness and urgency. "Although you would need to allow me about two month's time. I don't know how fast we can get a shipment of Liviol from Raiaera with the undead running wild out there, or with the Salvaran killing each other up in Knife's Edge. If we're fine on that, I'll give you an order slip and you can come here to pick it up when it's done."

All the while, his eyes continually drifted across the Muramasa in the customer's hand. The blacksmith felt as if he was actually in a dream to be so close to a metal of legendary status... A metal rumored that no existing blacksmith could forge. And with the blade in front of him forged in the distinctive Akashiman style, Jirou could not help but feel proud of his country's legacy poured into a blade so magnificent.

The only outward reaction he displayed, however, was a mere cough of surprise.

[Godhand]

"You've got yourself a deal, blacksmith."

Godhand sheathed the glorious weapon once more. He was happy to be getting a companion piece appropriate for such a blade; keeping his Muramasa in a plain oak sheath was something akin to carving a statue of a retard out of white gold. Plus, he had plans for that sheath. Liviol was purported to be the most deeply magic-conducive wood there was, and Prevalida was the best metal you could get without plundering a forgotten Emperor's grave. Even then, Adamantine was completely unmanageable by modern blacksmiths, so if you wanted to use it you had better hope it was in the form you wanted. No, Prevalida and Liviol of Masterwork quality was the most any amount of money could buy. The mercenary hesitantly removed his Muramasa from his belt, sheath and all, and handed it to the Blacksmith.

"You'll need it's exact measurements to make the perfect partner for it. But take care of it, damnit. I'll be back in two months."

-----------------------

Sure enough, two months later Godhand was walking into the Smithy's once again. He was carrying two weapons with him. A pair of swords; he'd never used them. Back on the same kick during which he'd gotten his monster-sword, he'd also commissioned two other blades to be made. They were twin Titanium katanas, each identical to the other, apart from some flourishes Godhand had asked for. One had a tanned golden handle, with a symbol etched unto the blade meaning "Life". The other had a black handle, with a matching symbol carved unto the weapon meaning "Death". They were never supposed to be separated, so it only seemed fitting that the swordsman sold them both together.

"I'm back, smithy. Would you do me a favor and appraise these before showing me your masterpiece?"

[AdventWings]

The days had been rough and the materials only rougher - Jirou was feverishly anxious about the deliveries making through the blockades and pirates ploughing the waters between Corone and the mainland. It was bad enough he could barely get news through to his contacts in the snowy nation, the crimson Liviol supply he ordered was almost lost to an errant pack of undead.

It took two long months - even with the help of the local craftsmen and a young witch who opened her own shop only a year ago - before the masterpiece was completed.

Their efforts had paid off - the Masterwork Liviol and Prevalida sheath now laid proudly on a stand just next to the Murasama the customer had lent to the blacksmith.

"Welcome to the Akashiman, sir. I have the sheath ready, as I have promised."

Jirou took eager strides towards the sword and sheath, dutifully carrying each of them with great reverence to the master and the sword itself. It was Akashiman custom for a warrior to consider his sword and spirit one and the same. Jirou, himself once a warrior in the prestigious South Akashiman Army, held high regards to such a legendary blade.

"I have not taken the liberty of binding the sword to its sheath, sir." He spoke in a calm, polite manner. "I refer the final binding of their wills... to you."

In the meanwhile, the blacksmith was already eyeing the two brother blades Godhand had brought in.

Taking each of the Katana from its sheath and inspecting them one by one, the blacksmith's skin rippled with excitement. He had never seen a blade of Akashiman design crafted with such exotic material, knowing full well Titanium came only from the mines of Alerar where the Red Nation's smiths had no real access to. It was hard enough to acquire Prevalida from Salvar - Alerar guarded their supplies even stronger than money could buy.

"Uhm- Well, ahem." Coughing to remind himself of the task at hand, the blacksmith gently placed both blades down on a stand where the blades would not be harmed. Once they were settled into rest, he looked up to say his price.

"Fine blades, sir. Very fine blades. I suppose... Three thousand and two hundred pieces for each of these blades would be sufficient?"

[Godhand]

Godhand's breath hitched when he saw the Blacksmith's work. It was just as he'd imagined it; golden and crimson and perfect. Five thousand gold pieces for a sheath; who had ever heard of such opulence? The mercenary smiled as he took scabbard in hand, feeling the perfect distribution of it's weight. The golden prevalida, especially collected for this piece, beautifully depicted an eastern dragon circling the sun. And in his other hand, the Muramasa. An armor fit, and more than likely crafted, for an Emperor. Slowly, as if threading a needle, he pushed the blade into the sheath.

Click

Perfect. Just holding it made him feel...Legendary. He smiled at the Smithy.

"This is excellent work, sir. And you've given me a fair price for all of it, as well. I thank you, and will sell you the twin swords for three thousand, two hundred gold each. However..." Godhand thought about buttering him up, gushing over his work to see if he could get some information, but decided that was demeaning to both of them, "I've aquired the perfect sword, purchased the perfect sheath, and now would like to bless it with the perfect enchantment. Do you know where I could make that happen?"

[AdventWings]

Perfect sword, perfect sheath, perfect enchantment.

The blacksmith scratched his stubby beard thoughtfully, wondering about the request and what the man had meant. After all, Liviol and Prevalida were both known for their conductivity to magical energy as well as their somewhat volatile nature - especially Liviol, but he only knew so much.

...Fair enough. He reasoned. Nothing should be expected less for a set as perfect as this.

"I'll recommend you to a friend of mine who can help you with that, sir." Jirou moved away from the counter and led the way to the door, pointing his finger down the road. "The Cockatiel is right down the road from here, sir. It's got a big yellow bird sign on the front - You shouldn't miss it from here. The owner's the best enchanter in town, although I suppose you can get even better deals in Raiaera."

"But you know what they say about those Raiaerans." Jirou said in a joking manner, giving the customer the acknowledged trade-in value of 14,900 Crowns back in a large leather pouch. "They're really stingy with foreigners."

[Godhand]

The heft of the money pouch was pleasant. Jirou was one of those old fashioned traders that had resisted the advent of the money mark, so he still did all his business with gold coins. Godhand wasn't complaining; money was money.

"Thank you, my good man. Mark my words: there has never been nor will there ever be a combination as powerful as this sword and sheath."

The mercenary gave the blacksmith a small nod. He'd sacrificed a great deal of his inventory to afford it, but he knew the sheath to be priceless. And now, for the finishing touch...

Godhand walked out of the Jirou's shop and walked down the road to The Cockatiel. He had the unpleasant sensation of being watched, but he knew that that just meant he needed this enchantment with even more urgency. Opening the door, he approached the enchantress. A lovely girl, if a bit...Dark. Her clothes, that is. Dark cloak, dark hat, dark everything. Still, she was cute. Maybe even beautiful, if she was given a couple of years to grow out.

"Good day, madame. The large gentleman that owns the smithy down the road recommended you when I told him I was looking to have his," The swordsman struggled to find the proper word,"Masterpiece enchanted. What I'd like you to do for me is enchant this sheath so that it absorbs all magic five feet in every direction from it. I realize that an enchantment of that magnitude will be prohibitively expensive, but I'm prepared to pay for it in full. Keep in mind, I don't want you to make this spell nuanced so that spells beneficial to me such as healing are allowed to pass. I feel that it shall make your work simpler, if only a bit, to make it so that all magic is absorbed, regardless of my will."

[AdventWings]

((Bunny approved by Godhand. Moderators, please refer to the discussion thread in the Mod forum for further details.))

"I was expecting you would be arriving, sir."

Agatha responded cooly, glancing up from a large leather-bound tome from under the rim of her midnight-colored hat. She had been researching the spells and enchantments the man would be likely to ask for, as such a construction would most likely accompany a powerful incantation. And if anything, she expected Jirou would defer to her had the customer needed such a spell. After all, a masterpiece artifact would only be fitting to house a masterpiece power.

"I hope you realize such an imbalance in this world you are about to create, sir. However, I also realize you have a need for such an... uncontrollable artifact. If it is not too prohibitive, twenty thousand worth in gold is the price I name."

The sound of gold coins landing on the counter drew her attention from the list of incantations within the tome and her eyes wandered slowly to the bag.

"I've got fifteen thousand now. Five thousand more will come after the enchantment's done." She heard the customer reply. A roguish grin spread across her face, hidden under the shadows of her oversized hat, and she turned the pages calmly with only a breath of sigh to break the silence.

"I see. Well, then. I must request you for an ingredient to this ritual. If you are willing, I require a vial of blood from your veins."

The gothic witch girl watched as Godhand tilted his head in curiosity, raising an eyebrow as if questioning her request. But after a short pause, he extended his arm in quiet compliance.

A vial and a knife appeared in her hands, to which the blade quickly followed her eyes to the veins in his arm. Metal bit flesh, drawing a steady stream of crimson, flowing down his arm into the waiting vessel of glass. A quick verse of incantation, the wound was no more and the enchantress received her ingredient.

With the items collected, it was time to begin the ritual.

"With such uncontrolled power comes uncontrolled potential for damages, I request we move to a... Safer area of the market. I have many sensitive items in this store that I would like to keep intact."

The witch girl finished her sentence with a snap of her fingers.

[Godhand]

There was a bright flash, and then that awful here-we-go feeling. When Godhand awoke, it was night time and he was laying on top of some hill. There was a note stuck to his face. He had vague recollections, bits and pieces swimming in the back of his mind of some dark ritual, but now everything was quiet. He read the note.

"The enchantment has been completed, sir.

As a means of preventing magic from overloading your sheath's capacity, I have added a method to remove the stored energy in a form of wave release. Simply sheath your blade, hold for a few seconds and strike your sword from the stance. A wave shall issue forth to negate magic in front of you using the magic stored within. Please note, however, that to use such a powerful attack the magic must be stored to its fullest capacity.

If, by any means, you insist on hoarding magic within its stores, it will leak and do more harm than good. Should you do not heed its warning, I fear that I must intervene or else we all will feel the dire consequence.

I shall collect the remaining five thousand gold pieces within one month's time. I do hope you shall have my payment by then.

~Signed, Agatha Christine. The Cockatiel

P.S. I raped you!"

The girl had a dark sense of humor. Godhand looked down to see the sheathed Muramasa lying on his lap. He got a strange sense of...Importance from it. Dusting himself off, he wandered back over to the NWO HQ, wondering what he could sell to make that last five grand.

--------------------------------

It was only a couple of days later that Godhand became extremely wealthy thanks to selling his stock of liquor to the right man. He left his sheath at home this time to avoid any unpleasant mishaps at The Cockatiel. Godhand walked over to the enchantress and placed a bag containing five thousand gold pieces upon the counter.

[AdventWings]

"Thank you for being quick with your payment, sir."

Agatha casually waved a hand, whisking the bag of gold away without so much lifting her finger. With all the monetary concerns taken care of, there was only one thing left to do.

"So, now that you have completed your payment, I shall give you one final word of warning."

The blinds suddenly fell over the doors and windows, sealing the room with a small glowing orb being the only source of a faint light. Two cats appeared from the shadows, idly lounging about the table and floor within. The only things marking their location being their bright yellow eyes against the midnight black fur.

"Remember that the only reason I allowed you to wield such a dangerous power is so that you may be protected from whoever you believe will bring harm." Her voice echoed in the dark, appearing to come from every direction at once.

"The sheath is bound to you by your own blood - as such, I shall know if your usage has been more than what I feel adequate. While this enchantment was indeed for your protection, I shall be very discreet with what I use it for... Should I be you."

With her warning complete, a snap of her fingers could be heard in the soundless shadows.

[Godhand]

Godhand remained impassive through her theatrics, only showing a vague anxiousness by pulling his fingerless black glove tighter over his left hand. Old habit.

"Hell, sweetheart; it's not like I asked you for a bomb. The very nature of the enchantment is preventive rather than offensive. I don't see how I could abuse it."

[AdventWings]

((Transaction Complete!

Godhand loses the following at the Akashiman:

- 21-ft Delyn Zweihander/Tower Sword
- Titanium Mace
- Titanium Swordcane
- Twin Titanium Katana Life&Death

He receivese the following there:

- Masterwork Prevalida-Liviol Sheath
- 14,900 GP

Godhand later loses the following at the Cockatiel:

- 20,000 GP

And receives the following:

- Magic Vacuum Enchantment (Note to Other Users: Please contact me via PM for a copy of the full effects and limitations on the enchantment)

Godhand receives 100 EXP for IC Interactions and a net loss of 5,100 GP.

Take care of that Sheath. Agatha will be watching you.))