Lately, the local market places have been filled with new traders offering their wares. It seem as if many across the land are trying their hand at selling clothing, weapons, and trinkets. With so many new faces, now is the best time to go to the market and barter for the best prices.
So go ahead and grab your goods or grab your gold and take a shot at bartering.
This prompt can be played from either side: your character can be the merchant, or can be looking to purchase an item. Groups can RP with both characters on the same side, or trying to barter with each other.
|| You can also use this opportunity to test out the new Item Crafting system! || If you use an item that you have successfully crafted with the new system (you do not need to have customized the item) as the item in your prompt, you will earn 15exp in addition to the versatile point. Please provide a link to the crafting thread in your character's first post. || If you choose to craft an item for the event, the attempt must have been done after the prompt opened (February 8th), and all requirements must be complete for it to count. || As always, the crafting system is intended for stage 2+. Younglings and prentices will not be able to try for the extra exp. || If you choose not to use a crafted item, you will only receive the versatile point credit.
Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 5:31 pm
The hustle, the bustle, there was a lot of it today. The market places was teaming with merchants and towns folk. With the sun over head, a young teen wandered down through the stalls of the market, away from his own father's stall where he shouted out his wares of fine fabrics and bobbles for women. He needed time away from his father's area, it was getting crowded as people came and went. At his side a small pouch with a few coins in it. Ones he made from the trades he managed to handle. His father allowed him to keep a bit of the main sum. "I don't know what I would buy with it though," The teen had argued at one time or another with his father. "I don't really need anything"
"Its not always what you need, sometimes there is just something you can't turn a blind eye to," Had been his father's reply.
the teen grinned to himself as he wandered down through the stalls, peeking at what he could see. Something he couldn't turn a blind eye to, huh? And what had that meant? He would soon be figuring that one out as he perused the market, listening to what was being sold. Would he find something?
"Janarim pups for sale!" Rang a husky voice over the dim of the crowded market place. "Best breed in all Oba! Need a companion for the kids? Perhaps a trained guard for your house. The possibilities are endless!" The voice continued.
Draven ambled towards where the voice was coming from. Standing beside a large cage like wagon was a short chubby seller. His cloths less then appealing, with dark stains on his shirt and patches on the knees of his pants. Even his boots had seen better days. Glassy amber eyes watched the growing crowd as they gathered to see what everything about.
"Ladies, please hands out of the cage. Pups they are, but teeth they still have. One wrong move and you might lose a finger or two." The man grinned, yellowing teeth showing. "What do you say folks? Make an offer, take one of these lovely things home."
Making his way closer, Draven watched as the strange pups played and bowled each other over. They looked like they just wanted to play and have fun. Pressing closer to the cage, he watched the pups before something grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away. Turning abruptly he stared at the merchant that pulled at him.
"Not so close boy. Lose your nose." he was told before the merchant went on to another group who called him over.
Tugging his shirt back into place, Draven watched the chubby merchant amber over to a group of men looking at the pups and his other wares. Seems this one didn't just sell Janarims after all. Still, these were interesting to say the least. Turning to the small bit of coin he had, a mere ten was his total count. Surely that was enough?
"Fifty coins and you have a deal my good sir," Laughed the merchant from the other end of the cage. "Miss, I don't think you will like that one. Viscous brute even at this young an age." came that man's voice again as he lead a young woman away from one other cage separated from the rest.
Viscous? Brute? These were words that Draven didn't quite understand as he slipped around the group of adults still talking to the merchant to the cage he lead the woman away from. Was this it? Peering out at him was a crimson and gold Janarim. Its hooked fangs already reaching past its lower jaw, spined tail twitching at his side. This one didn't seem viscous at all. More like he wanted out of the cage that was clearly too small for him.
"Are you really as bad as he makes you seem?" Draven asked as if the beast could answer him. Edging closer, watching the crimson beast before him for signs of hostility, but saw none. Sure it watched him intently, never letting the boy out of its sight. When Draven was mere inches away from the bars, the Janarim raised its head up to stare at Draven in return. It couldn't have been any older then a few months. clearly older then the romping pups, but not an adult and untrainable.
"Here now, come away from there before that one tears you to... You again. can't stay away from the cages can you?" The merchant huffed, stomping over towards Draven and the caged beast.
It was only now that the Janarim reacted and lashed a paw out of the cage. But not towards the boy, but at the filthy merchant that came closer. The merchant backed away before grabbing something off the side of his wagon and banged it against the bars of the cage to subdue the beast.
"Now see here. This one ain't for sale." he huffed again, watching the caged Janarim as it growled.
"How much you want for him?" Draven asked not listening that this one wasn't for sale. "I have ten coins and I will take him off your hands."
"Ten.. Ten?" The merchant spat, "This beast is worth more then the shirt on your scrawny back! Come back when you can pay me 70 coins."
"Seventy? For a beast you keep in a small cage and bang stuff against? I don't think so, Father would say he's damaged because of this treatment." Draven said stepping forward, avoiding the merchant as he mad a pass to push Draven away. "I still offer ten coins for him. No one else seems to be interested."
The merchant looked around, he didn't care if anyone was interested. He was going to try and sell this cursed beast to the stupidest noble he could. He just had to get this kid to leave. "Why not try one of the pups, get thirty coins and you can have your pick of them." the merchant smiled, Draven waving him off.
"Father once told me that there would be something I couldn't turn a blind eye to. He was right, I can't turn away from this. So either take what I offer, or lose him in other means." Draven persisted, leaving the merchant fuming, afraid to make any more the scene in front of all these people.
"Alright, fine. Deal, but don't come running back to me if he bites you." The merchant grumbled taking the ten coins and unlocking the cage.
The Janarim made a lunge at the door as it swing open, aiming his fangs at the merchant. Who in turn took off to the other end of his holdings and would stay there. Draven sighed and reached out to touch the beast.
It came barely up to his thigh at the shoulder, its gold scales and crimson underside needed a bath. Draven was going to see to this and to make sure that his new purchase wasn't injured. It didn't seem like it to Draven as he looped a piece or rope around its neck.
"Come on, lets leave here. That man won't hurt you again." Draven said as if it was going to reassure the Janarim as it pulled against the rope to get at the merchant and sometimes others that they passed. He would need training, a lot of it. "We're going to be great friends. You and I."
The Janarim had other plans, but the feeling of being free from that cage, it was a start..
