Hold the Oil
-=--=--=--=--=--=<* A07: Lower Alexandria Market District *>-=--=--=--=--=--=-
Just west of the Northern Highbridge and east of the arena, commerce blooms. Noisy and bustling, most anything may be purchased here for a price. Vendors from all cultures sell their wares from exotically colored carts, and the smells of different nations and far-off city-states mix with local ones from Alexandria and its riverbanks.
For all its commerce, visitors are advised to keep hold of their purses. Even the merchants possess a certain, cunning look. Most are positioned at carts or stalls as opposed to a formal storefront, with trade here being mobile, and visiting from all parts of the world.
Though the quality of goods suffers here compared to Upper Alexandria, the options are more diverse. Too, the oversight of the Watch is slightly less, and during times events are held at the Arena, chaos abounds. After dark, the square becomes a hangout for bards and other entrepreneurs whose business is best conducted by night; the shadows at the edges of the square often contain furtive figures engaging in their own brand of business.
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- Appearing -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Elyanna A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers. Darius A tall, stocky and muscular human warrior. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
It's a quiet night
For a given definition of 'quiet', anyway.
It finds a red hued woman shrouded in black staring impassively into the face of a human merchant who's fervent, energetic sales pitch. The mana lamps raise the blue highlights of her cloak in subtle ripples as her weight shifts beneath.
She flatly intones a single question: "How long between treatments?"
A tall black-haired warrior wearing a green cloak over a faintly glowing mithril armor and a ornate greatsword on his back with a bow hung over his shoulders walks in. He peers into the marketplace and notes that there is still someone doing business this late at night, unusual, which is why he stops and moves to see what's going on and says, "A bit late for business isn't it?"
There is a sidelong glance to the human, a quick sweep over posture and loadout on the question, to which the red woman smoothly replies, "For some, perhaps." There is a glance to the merchant as he falters, "Ah-ah, er... well, er.... Once a week?"
"You do not sound certain." Elyanna replies.
The warrior raises an eyebrow at this, and looks between the merchant and the woman and says, "Indeed?" He looks to his left and right, all the stalls are empty by this point and only a few that are dealing with transfer of goods already paid for are 'open' (at least in the sense of having product out and someone manning it).
The red woman glances to the warrior again, "Do you have business, human?" she asks evenly, then turns to more directly regard him. The merchant looks even less certain of himself at this point, looking between what he hopes is two patrons, but doesn't chime in to that effect, yet.
He stares right back at her undeterred and says, "I only ask because only those wishing to do shady or illegal deals, do so late at night... I merely was curious as to the nature of the business being done."
There is a fairly flat look afforded the man, then, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, "Which explains the complacency I note in the Guard." Elyanna glances sidelong now to the merchant, "Tell him."
The merchant, suddenly on the spot, straightens a little with a couple of blinks, then, "H-hair oil...." Ahem, "I." Ahem 2(puff up, puff up!) "I sell hair oil, my good man, the finest blend, from the farthest reaches of Veyshan!"
GAME: Darius rolls sense motive: (4)+1: 5
He raises an eyebrow at the merchant, "Are you an apothecary then my good Merchant? Do you have a license with the Apothecary Guild, or paperwork that verifies that your goods do indeed come from where you say it does? If not, then I suggest you do so, I know the Apothecary and Herbalist Guilds tend to be a bit... well, shall we say, cutthroat with merchants who attempt to sell products they themselves do either in Guild-run shops or their own shops?"
The merchant, aghast at the insinuation, "You wound me, sir! I am an honest man, and all of my papers can be provided with the proper writs of seizure or a badge of the Guard."
As that transpires, the red woman takes the interjection as providence and turns on her heel to make her way back to her other tasks, ignoring her immediate yearnings.
He simply eyes the merchant and says, "Honest men work in the daylight... why aren't you?" He notes the woman leaving and says, "Perhaps you ought to change your hours of business if you don't wish any hassles by the Guard."
"Because many of our citizens find the daytime unnecessary, sir, and would prefer to do their business when most people have sought their homes." the merchant replies. He shakes his head, clearly struggling to constrain his dismay at losing this little bit of business, "Perhaps you would like to make a purchase?"
Elyanna, for her part, carries on without rebuttal, though something creaks ever so softly under the cloak as her grip on whatever it is squeezes the blood from her knuckles.