It was Lord Hound who spotted the ship first. He came into the tavern, slamming open the door and barking at 'Bob' who was sitting with 'Harry' and 'Selma' enjoying a casual lunch. Suzette's tavern had become a popular place for certain people to come and not be Lords of the Fae for an hour or two. The unofficial rules laid down in each of their lands forbid disturbances. Bob had made no such rule for Lord Hound. He knew the Hound would ignore the rule, which would be embarrassing.

Selma (known elsewhere as Duchess Midnight, The Graceful Lady of Silent Daggers) tittered and rolled her eyes. "Your Hound seems upset, Bob. Perhaps he needs to be better trained? Give him to me for a fortnight, and I will send him back to you without his bark." Bob bowed his head, acknowledging the offer, but declined. "I find his bark useful. Excuse me while I take him for a walk." As Bob left to walk his dog, Harry got up as well. Lord Cyrus Vordinphelt was no fool and had long ago learned the language of the hounds. If he was interpreting the dog correctly, a Smokejammer from the elemental planes was about to land near the town. He tried to move casually and not betray his excitement, but Duchess Midnight was not fooled. She stood and took his arm. "How splendid. We can all take a walk and see what the dog does. I'm sure that something is going on if the two of you are both interested."

The ship sailed gracefully up to the town and settled slowly until it was only thirty feet above the ground. Suzette was already there, waving up to the ship. While the Splinter was still a hundred feet in the air, Ozzy had jumped to the ground to meet her, slowed by a black chain that reeled out behind him. She noticed that he landed heavily, his boots sinking into the dirt, but with more grace than usual. Life on a ship looked like it had been good for him. The Butcher was dressed in a fancy coat and hat with grey leather breaches tucked into his boots. A captain's hat perched on his head. The two ran to each other, and she leaped into his arms, holding him tight. "I've missed you! I had the worst dreams while you were gone." Ozzy held her tighter. "Trust me; I know how you felt."

Duchess Midnight had been walking quickly, intending to speak with the ship's Captain first, but was taken aback as the man leaped from his ship and scooped up the little half-breed barmaid who ran the local tavern. She sighed in exasperation, so like a sailor to go for the first skirt he sees. It must have been a long voyage. Lord Vordinphelt held her arm as she went to greet the man and gain his attention. While it was rude to poach a business dealing while in an allied mortal realm of someone else, she could claim that the ship had yet to land, and therefore he was fair game.

"Have care. Do you intend to anger the Summer Lord? He is young and naïve, but his position in court is growing. I advise caution and diplomacy." Her ally kept his voice low.

She whispered back. "I detest 'slow and steady wins the race.' The opportunity is here. I'd rather hang for being a hare than live as a tortoise." She shook off his arm and walked forward quickly. Behind her, Lord Vordinphelt smiled and stood relaxed with his hands behind his back, content to watch the show.

"My, but I do love a man in uniform. Greetings Captain. I am Duchess Midnight, Lady of the Fae. I would speak to you about your visit with the idea of entering into a trading agreement." She put out her hand to be kissed. The little barmaid was scowling at her as if she could kill with her eyes alone. As someone who actually could kill with just a look, the Duchess found her attempt amusing. The captain took her hand but, instead of bending to kiss it, just pumped it up and down as if she was some mortal he was dealing with. "Nice to meet you. I'm Captain Ozzy. Glad to talk business later, but I'm a little busy at the moment."

That agreement was all she needed. By fae law, she had offered to enter into talks, and he had agreed. The hare takes the lead. "Oh, by all means, Captain, take time to dally with the local flowers. I'll be in touch." She turned and sauntered away, leaving behind a furious barmaid and a confused Butcher. Ozzy gave Suzette a long kiss and then took her by the arm. "Come over here; I have people I want you to meet." A ladder had been put down, and people descended from the ship. The first was a smaller man also dressed in a Captain's coat and hat, his quite better made than Ozzy's with decorations on the shoulders and a splay of diamond jewelry on the hat. Something clicked in Suzette's mind, and she laughed. "That's the Captain of this ship, isn't it?"

"Yep, hard to miss with that sparkly display on his hat. It was a present from Old Smoke himself. Yo, Woodrat, meet the most important person in my life."

Woodrat doffed his hat and bowed to Suzette. "You must be Suzette. He talked about you." He rolled his eyes at Ozzy. "Talked about you a lot! I was trapped with this large lump of a mate on a small raft for some time. I feel like I know half the people in this town already. And do I correctly remember that you own a tavern? I would be happy to make you rich for the rest of the day and half the night."

Other members of the crew were gathered around now. Introductions between the townsfolk and the crew took some time. Suzette met each one with a smile and a curtsey, getting blushes from some of the humans and a warm smile from a giant and a woman floating in the air. Joe waved from the ship. "Go on with you. Get your beer and food. I'll make sure Splinter stays in one spot. But you best go check in with that Pit of yours. It missed you and has been waiting for you to get back."

Ozzy looked over at the smokehouse, there was a rattle of chains, and smoke was pouring out of the chimney. "Yeah, that's a good point. Can you take this crew and get them some beer, Suzy? I need to go talk to my monster."

Remembering what the Pit had been like in his absence, Suzette grudgingly admitted that was a good idea. "Of course, I can. She hooked her arm through Captain Woodrat's and started toward the tavern. "So, any embarrassing stories you can tell me about Ozzy and what he got up to?" Woodrat laughed. "Do you want the story about him making friends with a whale or a giant squid first?"

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Butterbelly went with Ozzy to see the Pit. "I've got to tell you; I'm both curious and scared. I've never heard of a sentient smoke pit, let alone one that started as a demonic charnel pit."

Ozzy nodded. "Yeah, it's something else. Higher level than I am now and fully capable of doing a lot of the work on its own. We can turn out barrel after barrel of tasty smoked meat. I'm anxious to get back to cooking some stuff up. He opened the doors and yelled out. "It's Ok; I'm home!" Several silvered chains grabbed him and pulled him inside. Flames roared from the pit, and smoke filled the room. "I think it wants to get right to work. How do you feel about slopping some sauce on a dozen sedge beast carcasses after I do a horse-radish rub on them?" Ozzy shook loose the chains, dumped a pile of screaming coal into the pit, and started hanging sedge beast halves on the chains.

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Butterbelly set down his pot and got out his brush. "Sounds tasty; let's get to work." A salty tear came to his eye. He had enjoyed the Smoke, but the roaring fire and billowing clouds reminded him of Muspelheim. Maybe his sister would want to move here and go husband hunting? This was a lovely house for a honeymoon.

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Bob had a wonderful time that night in the tavern. Harry and Selma had left suddenly, but he had many new friends to talk to. As the night wore on, he found himself at a table with Billy and Captain Woodrat. Woodrat had picked up enough chatter in the tavern to know who his tablemates were. He'd spent a lot of time in taverns, and with his high perception, it was easy to separate conversations and pick up tidbits of information.

Billy was asking subtle questions about what Captain Woodrat might be carrying on his ship and what he might be looking to pick up. The captain smiled and started on his ninth bottle of dark ale. It was thick, tasty, and far different from what was brewed in the smoke. "Well, locally brewed alcohol, for one thing. Of course, we make ale and rum, and whiskey is around for the right price. Wine if you have a connection to the islands. But overall, alcohol is a luxury, and by the number of barrels that little barmaid has hauled up the stairs and how much I'm getting for a couple of gold shells, it seems common. I'd be happy with a load of barrels and a cargo of wood."

Billy was happy to hear that. He pulled three cigars out of a pocket and offered them to the other two gentlemen at his table. Woodrat snapped his fingers and lit them. "Wood and alcohol are two things we are known for in Sedgewick. And Bob here may also know someone who has goods to trade."

Bob puffed on his cigar. The baron had a fine tobacco field here in Sedgewick and the arcane knowledge to turn it into cigars. The box he had given to the King had gained him a great deal of thanks, and cigars were all the rage now in court. The Summer Lord and the Baron had agreed to limit the supply, keeping the price high, which only served to make them more popular. "Indeed, I have met the Summer Lord on occasion, and he has read some stories of the old days when the Fae still traded with the Planes. I have rare trees growing in my...in his demesne that were valued in the smoke.

Everblooming Cherry, Sugar Maple, and White Hazel."

Woodrat had heard of those. They were never cut. Only a few existed on one island, in the royal forest. "I'd pay well for the wood and even more for saplings to take back to my own island."

Billy showed off by making a bird out of the cigar smoke and sending it flying around the room. Bob followed suit, making a hawk that chased Billy's bird. Woodrat breathed out a dozen small sharks that killed and ate the birds, then fought until only one remained that came back to hover above him. Billy and Bob took long pulls of their tankards and pretended nothing had happened. The man who wasn't the Baron of Gadobhra had a question. "We know what you want, but what can you bring us from the smoke?"

Woodrat grinned. He snapped his fingers, and a small chest appeared on the table. He opened it and scooped out a handful of items that he theatrically scattered across the table. After all, he had spent time talking with Ozzy and had a good idea of what trade goods to present. "Golden shells, pearls black as night, and rubies that glow with the fires below. I'll bring you a pirate's treasure."

Bob looked at the gems, entranced, and then made a decision. Twitterberry and the Hound were suddenly at his side as witnesses. "I, Lord Alwyn, a Summer Lord of the Fae, wish to propose that talks between myself, the Baron of Gadobhra, and Captain Woodrat of the ship, Splinter, take place at a time convenient to those two gentlemen." Captain Woodrat watched as completely normal Bob became a dashingly handsome man with piercing eyes, dressed in fine silks and leather. The tavern became quiet as the mortals realized whose presence they were in.

Billy stood up, and his dirty worker's clothes became noble attire in black and red. His eyes glowed, and he exuded power. "The Baron of Gadobhra is ready to talk business."

Captain Woodrat stood up and let his Aura shine, not to be outdone, matching the other two in stature. "Captain Woodrat, Baron of Cingo and representing the Queens, is interested in trade negotiations. We have food and alcohol, gentlemen, and the night is young. Let's do some trading."

Corporate Announcement

Captain Ozymandias Shipbreaker, has journeyed to the elemental planes and sailed upon the Seas of Smoke. Together with Captain Woodrat and the crew of the Smokejammer, Splinter, they have traveled between the elemental planes and returned to the Conjunction.

William Korvacs of the ACME corporation, AKA Baron William of Gadobhra, AKA 'The Butcher Baron,' has opened a trade route to the Demi-plane of Smoke and negotiated a trade agreement with Alwyn, Summer Lord of the Fae. ACME is the first corporation to open a trade route to another plane and the first corporation to sign a trade agreement with a Fae Realm.

ACME Corporation, Northern Division, under the control of William Korvacs, has gained 37,500 building points.

The Hamlet of Sedgewick, under the control of Mayor Suzette, the Lonely Barmaid, has gained 12,500 building points.

Captain Woodrat, Baron of Cingo, has increased his Aura by +1 and is acknowledged by the Queens as their representative to the Conjunction.

Alwyn, the Fae Lord of Summer, and his entourage will now be seated at a table only two removed from his Majesty, Oberon, at the next feast. He is encouraged to bring gifts. Red shiny gifts.

The Fae Realm of Alwyn, Lord of Summer, has been granted an increase. He may now claim a realm twice its former size.