Tools of The Trade I

[Jobe]

Pulling out his sunglasses as he traveled into the deeper reaches of the city of Radasanth, Jack pushed them onto the bridge of his nose and gazed into the blazing sun with a smile of satisfaction. For being trapped on a backwater planet, there were some forms of technology the hitman had just taken for granted. However, there were certain things he lacked that his profession demanded, and he hadn't the resources or the connections to be supplied with the right kind of weapons just yet.

Walking slowly past various booths containing an assortment of items and weapons that Jack was both familiar with and strangely attracted to. For a contract killer, there was no better friend then a merchant of death. However, walking up to a person and asking the name of a reputable gun runner wasn't an option, that is if Jack expected to keep a low profile for the duration of his stay in Althanas. Weaving about various patrons and merchants shouting out their wares, something caught his eye. At first it wasn't anything Jack expected to find, but as the hitman wandered over to the strange rack of weapons before him.

Pulling at a weighted dagger sitting upon the rack, Jack inspected it carefully and checked the weight in his palm as he muttered," Cold steel.. I could use this," the assassin gave a curt smile for the first time in a long while," I just might have found my new supplier.. If only temporarily.".

[Moonlit Raven]

“Ah, Good afternoon most valued customer. I see you have found the best weapons stall in this bazaar.” The short man that rounded the nearly sheer cloth partition was darkly tanned. Dressed in simple tunic and trousers, the tan cloth was marred, tainted by sweat, food and other less recognizable stains. He smiled in an oily manner as he bowed to his customer. Greedy black eyes looked over the customer carefully.

“I, my most fortunate friend, am Rashid. I own this fine establishment, lock stock and barrel. I can assure you that you’ll not find better craftsmanship any where else.” He waved to his other wares.

“Come, inspect what you will. Buy now. There is no guarantee I will be here next week.” Rashid smiled his most winning smile, inadvertently displaying blackened teeth.

“For that nice little dagger in your hand, I charge 35 gold. For two, if you want two, I could give them to you for 60.” Lust for gold gleamed brightly in his beady black eyes.

[Jobe]

Jack eyed the weapon carefully as he patiently placed it on the counter and looked about, his eyes scanning the booth for anything else useful. The sight of the merchant's teeth was revolting, and it was only the abridged history the hitman had accumulated with the criminal underworld that kept him polite and respectful. Tearing his gaze from the merchant's slight disfigurement, the assassin gazed at the gleaming blue steel that littered the shop like a vagrant garden that would be gladly orphaned for a small fee. Althanas doesn't seem to be as hopeless as I first thought, Jack pondered wistfully.

With only a limited supply of raw materials to make his own weapons, the hitman knew it wouldn't be long until the standard 'prison' shiv that he had been modeling his daggers after would become useless. Keeping his eyes that were hidden behind his sun glasses fixed upon the merchant, the assassin gave a courteous smile and leaned forward," I'll take the dagger as well as a whetting stone if you can spare it, and any other throwing knives you possess," pausing only for a moment to console himself on the impending loss of his voucher Jack continued," I'd also like some information if your willing to accommodate such a thing.".

[Moonlit Raven]

The smile never left Rashid’s face as he watched the newest customer eye his wares. At the request of throwing daggers and the wet stone. Rashid bent down and retrieved a slender bundle, wrapped in black cloth. Placing them on the counter, Rashid carefully opened the first bundle. Inside four innocent looking knives lay, the smooth handles gleamed brightly in the sun.

“These are of the finest quality sir. Superbly balanced. I can have the handles wrapped in rawhide if you like. Or they can remain uncovered steel. For this set its 200 gp. A whet stone that’s only 10 gold.” Rashid re wrapped the bundle, tying it shut. Folding his hands over his ample stomach he smiled once more at the customer.

“Information, my friend is a hard thing to come by. What is it you seek?”

[Jobe]

Having done this dance with former associates, Jack knew all too well what he'd have to do to get the answers he seeked. Pulling twenty gold pieces and his voucher slip out of his trench coat pocket, the assassin set all of them on the table and pushed half of the coins in the direction of the merchant. Pointing to the weapons he smiled," Where exactly is it that you got the materials to make your fine weapons?".

[Moonlit Raven]

Rashid rocked back on his heels for a moment eyeing the gold laid on the counter. Finally he sighed, his wide smile slipping for a moment.

“Ah, gold indeed does speak loudly does it not my friend? It gains the ear of lords, kings… and humble merchants.” Rashid hurried down to the far end of the counter and pulled out a map. He opened it before his customer, a basic map of Althanas was bared to view.

“Now, my friend, you requested information on materials? On Corone, the Barony of Radasanthia mines export.” Rashid pointed to the north west area of the Corone island.

“Raiaera has little mining. What they do, they guard jealously. For good reason too, some of the best swords in the world are those that come out of Raiaera.” Rashid waved his hand as if to remove Raiaera from the map. He smiled, pointing at Alerar.

“Alerar, if its materials you seek you could try your hand there. I have heard tales that they use great metal monsters, machines they are called, to do the mining for them. Such tales make it interesting. I know little of the frozen land, Salvar. Few metals from that far land reach me.” Rolling the map Rashid set it aside. He scooped up a gold coin, inspected it for a moment he placed it back on the counter with its fellows.

“Can I interest you in anything else?” Rashid smiled once more, unaware of the effect his smile had on his customers.

[Jobe]

The hitman had forgotten that the aloof ambiguity that was widely accepted in his world as a form of cunning could have been easily misinterpreted in another. Coming slowly to his senses, Jack shoveled the remaining coins into an empty palm and deposited them back into his pocket. Pushing the slip of three hundred gold in credit ahead of him, he felt as if there had been some insidious mistake incited by the world, but then again, whenever cash changed hands, the assassin had a hard time letting go.

" That'll be all," he said before pausing for a moment as he watched the merchant eye him. Deciding to make his time here meaningful he continued," Actually, how much would you put a price on steel or iron ingots. I have a nephew who has taken up the blacksmithing trade as a hobby and I owe him a birthday gift the next time I see him.".

[Moonlit Raven]

“Steel or iron ingots. Normally, I don’t carry any, the weight it too much for the price. I prefer to carry the refined metals of crafted weapons. I do happen to have a steel ingot that a fool gave me in payment of a weapon. I’ll give it to you for, shall we say 55 gold pieces?” Rashid grinned at his customer.

“55 gold for a pound of un-worked steel, not a bad piece is it my friend?” Rashid walked away in search of the steel ingot he kept some where. Keeping half an eye on the customer proved to be annoying while searching for the illusive ingot. He vented his irritation in muttered curse words. At long last he found the ingot. It had been placed on a rope to hold the cloth over head up, holding the hot rays of the sun at bay. Shrugging, Rashid picked up the ingot, ignoring the corner of the cloth tarp dipping almost to the ground.

“Here we are, my friend. Let me see. Balanced throwing knives, a small dagger, whet stone and this fine ingot. That will be 300 gold pieces.” Rashid tapped each item as he listed it off. Picking up the bazaar voucher, Rashid frowned at it for a moment.

“Paper money, vouchers. What is this world coming to when simple, lovely gold isn’t enough? Ah, well, payment is payment my most valued customer.” He shrugged and pocketed the voucher. He smiled and bowed to his customer.

“Perhaps next time you are searching for a good weapon our paths will cross once more but for now, I wish you the most joyous day of days.”


Transaction complete. Jobe loses 300 gold and gains a small balanced dagger, a set of four throwing knives, a whet stone and a ingot of steel weighing at one pound. Jobe also gains 100 EXP for good IC interactions 200 gold remain at end of transaction.