For what was supposed to be a small, local town just outside of the Badlands, Hale’s Pass made Casterville look like a couple of shoddy shacks in the desert. Of course, it literally was that way until yesterday.
Hale’s Pass was home to at least a few thousand people, but it wasn’t nearly as busy as the streets of Mainhelm or New R’lyeh.
I guess there’s always a bigger place. Caster thought as he carefully looked over every inch of the town as he and Abel made their way toward the market square.
I never realized just how much goes on in a city to make it work. There are so many parts and detailed aspects that I hadn’t seen before. I guess if variety is the spice of life, then mundane is the meat.
He joked to himself as they passed a burly man who was butchering and beheading multiple barrels worth of salmon. Somewhere nearby, the barrel of fish that had come before the last was being grilled and salted. Caster didn’t dare search any closer for the source of the smell. He could taste the butter being spread over the crisp fillets.
I can’t get distracted now! I’m so close to getting Casterville to a point where it can function on its own. Once I do that, I can start getting involved with all the other way more interesting things in Perdita. Caster calmed his mind.
They stopped, standing in front of their first destination. It was an armorer’s stall that was on the outskirts of the marketplace. The symbol of an ax and shield was carved out of a wooden board that hung above the door, it was obvious to all that weapons could be found here. The two entered the shack.
Inside, it was no different than any other building or log cabin. However, this place had weapons, everywhere. Abel ogled at the steel toys of war, each one seemed to be more interesting than the last. Caster made his way to the counter and was greeted by a man nearly three times his size.
The shopkeeper had black hair and a matching beard. He wore a steel chest plate that featured more furs between the joints and angles than what Caster what used to seeing.
I wonder if that’s a collector’s item. He seems like the kind of guy that’s really into his craft.
“Welcome, I’m Samuel Bartholomew. Looking to protect yourself, or deal some damage?” The shopkeeper asked. His voice was rough but non-aggressive.
“Both. I’m looking for a couple of dozen pieces of armor, a basic plate for the chest and legs. Also, two dozen straight swords and daggers – with sheaths. The same number in pairs of hard leather boots. And a two dozen short bows with about 2,000 fletched arrows.”
Caster and the man stared at each other, neither showing a single emotion.
“You know, when I was a kid, when I and the boys went out squirrel hunting we just used pebbles and slingshots. What’s a lad like yourself planning on doing with all that armor?”
I think he’s just being playful, but now that he mentioned it, I do look pretty young. I don’t want to raise any suspicion, so I should… play dumb!
“My pa sent me here to pick it up. He says our tribe is ready to head into the Badlands and fight for our corner of it.”
“Ah, that’d do it. Just be careful out there,” the shopkeeper began to turn back toward his shelves but stopped. “Say, not trying to offend the name of your pa but, you got proof you can pay for all this? I’m one of the best smithies west of the Empire's Edge Mountains, the steel isn’t cheap, but the quality isn’t cheap either. You’ll need some serious coin.”
“How much?” Caster asked.
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“About…” Samuel looked at the ceiling for a moment as he counted with his finger.
“400 Silvers.”
“Holy…” Abel gasped, his voice trailing off.
Is that a lot?
“Well, I don’t have the coins but, I have this to barter with.” Caster took the Onyx Selinian Crystal out of his pants pocket and placed it on the counter.
Samuel narrowed his eyes. He grabbed the crystal and held it up to the sunlight. A smile grew from the corners of his mouth, and he tried to stifle a laugh. He failed, and a hearty chuckle came out. He sat the crystal back down on the corner.
Oh no. What is it this time? Is it not a real Onyx Selinian Crystal or something???
Samuel calmly slid the piece back to Caster, and Caster took it in his hands, inspecting the object for anything unusual.
“Kid,” Samuel leaned over the counter, his tone hushed, but still friendly. “Take that crystal over to the Hale’s Pass Chief Artificer, his stall is direct across from this one. You sell it to him and him only. Anyone else in town will rip you off three ways to Sunday, if not kill you outright for that thing.”
Caster looked between Samuel and the crystal.
Just how valuable is this thing?
“I’ll get your order ready in the meantime,” Samuel stood back up with a sigh. “I’m getting soft. Back when I was your age, I probably would have chopped your head off right here, then taken that crystal right off your corpse. Be careful carrying that thing around, not many other folks in Perdita know the value of honor,” Samuel warned.
Oh. I guess this thing is really, REALLY expensive.
“Um… Thank you. We’ll be right back!” Caster turned, heading out the door. Worrying just how rare the mineral was, Caster began looking at the people all around the marketplace instead of the city’s roads and structures. Caster’s mind went wild with paranoia about the rock that was in his pocket.
What Samuel had said was true. On the other side of the marketplace, there was a stall that had a sign bolted onto its front side.
Artificer.
“Abel,” Caster snapped his head in Abel’s direction.
“What is it?”
“How valuable is… the thing I have?!?”
“Oh, that rock? I dunno. I’ve heard they’re super rare. I think mages use them for spells and things like that.”
Damn it Abel that doesn’t help. Well, I guess I can’t be mad at him. He’s from the Badlands, I don’t think any of the villagers would know how much this thing is worth. I guess the only way to find out is through the Artificer.
Caster held the crystal with a death grasp, its hiding place that was in his pocket seemed like it wasn’t concealing anything.
“How much is a Silver worth?”
“Oh, I know this one! A gold is ten silvers, a silver is ten bronzes, and a bronze is ten GP.”
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GP? I know that word. Oh, I got 3 of those when I killed the Gulper Parasites. That means… how many Gulper Parasites would I have to kill for just one silver? Ahh, it doesn’t matter! Just wait till you get inside the office.
Their pace came to halt once more as they reached the front door of the Artificer’s Office. Caster swung the door wide open and stepped through. On the inside, a young woman greeted the two of them with a smile.
“Welcome to Artificer Andy’s Office. How may I assist you today?” She kept smiling.
“Yes, I’d like to…” Caster looked around the Officer, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else around. “I’d like to sell this Selinian Crystal.” He placed the item on the desk.
The woman’s smile faded to shock.
“Oh my! I’ll go get Artificer Andy right away!” She bowed, hastily turning, then disappeared into a room farther inside the log office.
“What?!” Caster heard a man say from inside the room the woman had vanished into. Seconds later, a man stepped out. He was wearing robes of grey, and a billowy hat that covered everything around his head but his eyes. His eyes frantically looked at the crystal, then Caster.
“You sell, yes?” he spoke in a nasal tone that made his broken, rapid-fire words blend.”
“Yes? Caster answered, unsure of what the terms were.”
Artificer Andy laughed, the kind of chuckle a child would have before stepping on a sleeping dog’s tail. It wasn’t as creepy as it was odd.
“Mav, 4 Talents. See to it, yes?”
“I’ve already opened the safe sir.”
“Good. Good. I go.” The artificer said, facing Caster and Abel once more.
“Many thanks, many thanks.” He bowed at least five times before vanishing inside of the room he’d hobbled out of, slamming the door shut behind him.
Caster and Abel looked at each other, unsure of what had just occurred.
“Well gentlemen, how would you like your payout? We can pay you in any combination of Golds and Silvers, or I give you the 4 Talents as a whole.”
“What… what’s a Talent?” Caster asked.
“Why, it's one hundred gold coins of course.”