Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Cool

Bruh that's fake news

[Strif3]

+1 Also I thought she only wanted rid of the tip of the spear, and that we were thinking of using it on the end of the staff.

We can get far better quality stuff now than that.

[King Zultan]

+1 Also I thought she only wanted rid of the tip of the spear, and that we were thinking of using it on the end of the staff.

We can get far better quality stuff now than that.

Oh yeah we can buy a new one instead of using a used one can't we, also why don't we find out what kind of weapon she actually wants to use and get that for her since she doesn't seem to like the spear.

[Strif3]

Oh yeah we can buy a new one instead of using a used one can't we, also why don't we find out what kind of weapon she actually wants to use and get that for her since she doesn't seem to like the spear.

Yeah +1. That sounds like a good idea. Lets find out about her weapon preferences.

[Quaksna]

It's that time of the week again, but this one was special. Not only for some holy women allegedly found a funny redbeard suspended above a tomb after he scared some soldiers to sleep, I had a grand ol' day yesterday and as such, I've thought this would be a good occassion to unveil a little something I've been working on, namely, refining the ToDW theme I did a while back, first finishing a classical four-voice composition, then going nuts and writing a version for the orchestra.

Here it is, please give it a listen. A long way it's been here, I see a longer ahead. And I'm looking forward every step.

. . .

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Very well." you accept the money. "I've been told of a bigger marketplace, let us head there first."

"Right then, we follow." Flax replies, and you set off.



Second time down the street, up the river, past the temples, library, and school grounds. As you tread, you approach the vagrant once again.

"You stay with me." is your wish, and so you plead. "I need help with the exchanges, I don't know the value of these."

"I've figured." she simpers, and assures thereafter. "Sure, I will."

You briefly turn to Flax, wobbling a couple step back, concerning himself more with the buildings, inspecting each as you pass along. Then you face her again.



"Say, if you still want to get rid of the spearhead, I can arrange that when he's not looking."

Now the smile perhaps mocking takes a turn, to one nothing but excited.

"Aye, let's do that."

"Alright, but we keep quiet." you mutter, then proceed with a lookout of your own. Since you might not get bones for your staff at the square, some other peddler you'll likely have to seek. The roof high up of the sorcerer's house you focus the gaze at for a while, and the lass takes notice.



"We're not going back there, are we?"

"The wizard could provide some insight on the materials. You wouldn't need to come, naturally..."

"The farther we are from the place the better!"

"Then you'll be happy to hear, I have some to put to use as well, fortunately. Birch or oak for the shaft, and a skull on top. From a bird, preferably, and have some of the plumage added to boot. Of course it can be improved over time, still, such groundwork is already significant, and good for it!"

"Quite a vision you have. At least you know what you're doing..."



The southern bridge is ahead, and a marketplace sooner than you've expected. You may not need to venture across the river just yet... Again you check on your leader, and speak to the stoat.

"I suppose I should get you another weapon, we don't want him too mad... What will you have?"

"I've told you, the pole is enough!"

"Surely I can't leave you with that. He'll be furious!"

"They tip them with iron, if that's worth anything. Say you want a quarterstaff done at the smith, simple as."



With such instructions the plot can go through. You nod in agreement, and turn to Flax for the third time, now to talk.

"I'd like to take a look around this place here!"

"Sure, lead the way!" he smiles, and indeed is quick to follow. Once you enter the square however, he is quickly swayed by particular stalls, he summons Sas and approach them together. While they are busy with the provisions, you scour for the shops you need.



On the vagrant's advice you visit the exchangers first, to acquire a handful of silver pieces, more fit for the trade you are to engage in. Next, you plant seeds for your grand plot, discovering a metalworker amidst the vendors.



"Hail, good man." you greet him. "I need this spear turned to a quarterstaff. The tip you can keep."

The smith inspects the iron proposed, and lays out his conditions.

"No issue at all, done in a bit." he says. "I'll take one piece silver for the work."



A glance you throw at the girl, and, rather unsurprisingly, profuse nodding ensues.

"Fine by me." you pay up, and leave the master to his art. "I'll come back for it later."



Further in your search, it is some kind of a carpenter shop you come across second. More divisions are spread over multiple stalls, and one you spot housing helves, hence it is your new target.

"Greetings, what wood do you have?" you ask the man behind the counter.



"All hardwood here, pilgrim." he answers, and with his fingers presents what's on offer. "Oak, cherry, apple, beech, birch, ash and the like, all well stocked."

"I see... I need a staff for travelling, do you think you have those at least up to my shoulders?"

"Certainly so, make a wish and I shall bring it forth."



What do you want to do?

[Strif3]

Lets ask him whether he has anything exotic - with particularly unusual qualities.

[Superdorf]

Lovely composition! I really like the cover art too, very striking with the red and gold

Regarding mundane woods, oak and ash are quite good - I don't know about the others. Hickory is best if they have it; it's very heavy and durable.

[King Zultan]

Exotic woods sound like a thing we need, if he doesn't have that Hickory sounds good.

[Quaksna]

One more busy week to go, then the updates might start to stretch a bit longer again.

. . .

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A wish you'd make, but there is not quite enough information for you, and so you inquire on.

"I'd like something special, of as remarkable properties as one can get... Do you perhaps have wood like that, an exotic stock?"



"Exotic..." the vendor grumbles, and takes a deep dive in his mind. "We provide quality alternatives to the unsatisfactory conifers these parts drown in, drawing from across the border too... But I am not sure that meets your needs. If you seek the fabled glumprong perhaps, I am sorry, we do not deal in that here."

While the man isn't upset really, only a fool would risk such turn with the opportunity at hand. Hence, you respond accordingly, and maintain such tone.



"Oh, it doesn't have to be that fancy... Simply a material of quality, as you said, good hickory would do quite enough, so it lasts a while! If you import from far away, surely you can offer me the best specimens to be found, all around."



"Ah, I understand." the man lights up, and proceeds to choose and collect some of the poles by his side.



"We'll sure to find something, then."



He lays them onto the counter, and continues.

"Sturdy hickories I have, from the orchards of Tolonthola, harder hard to find. Elm staves I have not seen many, still we can provide! Patience has harvested some from around the Mires. And all manners of wildwood, gathered from as far as the groves of Arintar."



The shafts are of excellence undisputed, your eyes alone can tell that. But more have you been paying attention to what the merchant was saying. Interest it raised, just a bit more clarity is warranted.

"Where is that?" you readily ask, to keep the man on the track you want.

"Arintar? At the very south of the lands of the Union, pilgrim, the ground the second folk has seized. Even now, thick growth is still to be found there, by the river Thomokozi, all the way to the sea. Word has it, elves used to inhabit the area, but no more so, as far as I know."

A fable mayhap, yet promising one, should it be true, this might just be the wood for you. Never have you encountered elves, but their magic you could, for likewise it is said your folks have crossed paths in the past. And you are well aware of their dominion o'er that which springs from the earth, perfection of the power that saved your life a couple times already. No spiritual presence is in any of these sticks, but hardly does it matter - if you choose correctly, you'll be able to fix that easily.

"What trees from there?"



"No hickories I am afraid, hazels rather, but plenty more to make for it! As I've said, ash and aspen, birch and beech, lime and oak... What the wild gives."

"That I like, this Arintar stock. I have to wonder, do magicians also care for this novel wood?"

"I cannot say, they don't happen upon the shop very often. But better staff they wouldn't find anywhere in the city, I can tell you that!"



"May I touch them?"

"But of course! Just don't travel off early, hehe..."



A closer inspection you take at the pieces, and consider the options available. The tougher wood would make for a verge durable, however would you decide to use it, ash and the outspoken hickory lend themselves here. Whilst any more ritually significant trees should prove weaker in such regards, so should such offer superior magical capabilities. Of such, oak is unquestionably the most potent, holding immense vital power and drawing the forked fire of heavens. Even stronger symbol of life is the birch, elusive and fair, coveted by your people for it. Poplars you have less insight into, apparently some kind of rejuvenation they possess too.



What do you want to do?

[Strif3]

The physical strength of the wood doesn't really matter, since we have magic that can repair it should something happen. Plus, the way we weave the wood with magic will make it stronger anyway. I'm thinking we take the birch stock.

[King Zultan]

The stuff about oak sounds pretty interesting to me.


Since we can magic wood couldn't we get the best of both by using magic to twist the two staffs together, which would make it stronger and also get us the abilities of both.

[Strif3]

Since we can magic wood couldn't we get the best of both by using magic to twist the two staffs together, which would make it stronger and also get us the abilities of both.

Now that is a good idea! Lets do that! Oak and birch then?

[King Zultan]

Since we can magic wood couldn't we get the best of both by using magic to twist the two staffs together, which would make it stronger and also get us the abilities of both.

Now that is a good idea! Lets do that! Oak and birch then?

Yeah birch and oak sound like the best of the lot for our magical needs.

[Superdorf]

I only just realized... Blackhoof is ripped, holy moly. Were we always like that, or has adventuring made us stronger?

Since we can magic wood couldn't we get the best of both by using magic to twist the two staffs together, which would make it stronger and also get us the abilities of both.

Now that is a good idea! Lets do that! Oak and birch then?

Yeah birch and oak sound like the best of the lot for our magical needs.

All the +1!

Assuming we can do twisty things, we'll want relatively narrow stock to keep the weight low - maybe 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch (15 to 19 mm) for each piece. Does the vendor also sell very thin lengths of wood, around pencil-width? Maybe we can use oak and birch for the stock, then twist or weave wands of poplar into the final product.

We won't even be giving up much durability by doing this, all going well - oak, birch, and poplar are all hardwoods, so they should still be quite tough.

[King Zultan]

I only just realized... Blackhoof is ripped, holy moly. Were we always like that, or has adventuring made us stronger?

He's been like that, how'd not notice all his muscles? There was a conversation about how ripped he was a while back, and I could have sworn you were part of it.

[Quaksna]

Well given how ever-changing the artstyle is it is hard to judge, the idea goes that Black is strong but not a trained fighter, that's about it. Go off from that, rather than the inconsistent width of his shoulders 

. . .

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Very well, I think I've got the idea." you pass the shaft back, and think which prize to ultimately choose. "Say, give me these Arintar pieces, one oaken and one birchen, both the same size I need but more narrow."

"What, you're going to ski now?" the vagrant chuckles, all perplexed. Although the vendor also hadn't clearly expected such an order, it didn't faze him.



"Kara! You've heard the master." he calls over his shoulder, and an associate heeds, hasting deeper into the pavillion.

He then does not stand idly waiting, addressing you again.

"Coming off the top of my head here, I see it about three pieces silver, ey?"



You twist your eyes down towards the vagrants, and she shakes her head in response. Thus you deduce, you are to attempt lowering the price now. Still, you certainly want her to do the talking, and communicate as much with a gesture.

"One." she tells the merchant, who grins and replies quick.



"But it's a wood from afar, exotic stock, as you've requested..."

"May be a long way to haul." the stoat continues resolute, likewise echoing his prior words. "Yet not exactly hard to come by I'd imagine, didn't come for the fabled glumprong."

"I'm sorry but you'll have to add on. It's a apecial request and all the labor has to pay. Or if there's a problem, I can look for something cheaper..."



"No need. 'Tis in our power to give a full two."

"Sure, that we can agree on!" the man nods, and the right time too, as the helper has stationed himself by with the poles.



The shopkeep picks out two less robust, and passes them across the counter. You examine the goods, and no flaws are to be found, thus, you hand over the money. In good spirits you part ways, and walk off, to seek the more distinct components.



"Strange game, this trade quarrel." you whisper to your companion as you go.

"Game it is, and the best man wins." she agrees. "But you weren't half bad there. One thing your friend is right about, when these big guilds are involved, no party can really afford to cheat. Do tell me though, why did you take two in the end, and both rather puny?"



"This thought occurred to me, I can bind wood already." you explain, now eyes set on the mentioned sticks. "I can form my staff by combining these, I just need to picture how to go about it."

"Of course you can..." she mumbles, and turns her head elsewhere too.

"I suppose one is to be splintered and then attached over, the question is, which is to be on top and which beneath..."



"Isn't it a pity, you could buy a bag filling outright..."

"If I'm creating a new whole, it won't matter. Shouldn't, at least, perhaps I can twist them as they are but it'll take some strain... Hope there'll be time and space for it."

"So where are we headed now?"



"I wish I knew... Bones I seek, but know not where one gets them here. They told me those fox men could peddle such..."



"Well in that case I saw a couple by the bank. Or, we could try and find your regular huntsmen, the woods are wild outside these walls... Surely there has to be some business in the city, it's only if they deal in what you need..."