Treasures Bright and Dull
First Day of the First Month 293 AC
Knowing full well what the presence of 'Rotstone' heralds, you readily agree to remove it and whatever may be nesting near it. For all that you avoid saying that you will kill whatever may be present there. Firstly because however remote there is a chance you could reach some manner of compromise with the beings of the Far Realm, just as you had with Xor, and secondly in consideration with your truce with the Deep Ones, not that you will hesitate long before bending the latter. The Stone Swimmers are near enough allies after all, and what manner of ally does not give succor and protection at need?
While Dany goes off to speak to Rock Shaker and meet some of her friends, you remain behind with Malarys and Ser Richard to hammer out a deal. To the specifications of this Shaitan Lord "He does not want works crafted by magic I am afraid," the elder explains. "He said it would seem in bad taste and fake to do so. Only true work of craftsmanship carved by authentic... ah... natives."
"Primitives you mean?" Malarys laughs. "It is good to know that some things are truly universal... including pretension."
Seeing that Mountain Heart does not know just how to take the jest you quickly ask, "Where does your buyer think you are getting the goods from?" Though Earth Genies may not possess quite the rapacious greed of the Efreet, you would still rather not deal with them trying to backtrack a way to your home just the same.
"Well we obviously did not go so far as to lie to those who trade with us in good faith, but we did nothing to staunch the rumors that we have found a path into the Endless Ocean though some hidden pool," the Xorn rumbles in reply.
"Good," you nod. "Now on to the particulars..."
Negotiations go smoothly as for once you do not face any kind of hostility or suspicion nor indeed any ulterior motives beyond the honest desire to better his people. Though startled by your desire for simple iron in exchange for rare trade goods rather than higher metals which he knows from Rock Shaker are as valued among men as they are among his own kin, if for different reasons, he more than happy to accommodate. Indeed he will even pay the first shipment, one third of all iron bought, in advance from the clan's food stores as a show of good faith.
During the course of discussions you also find that steel is not unknown to the Stone Swimmers, though it is something of an acquired taste with only a few seeking out veins of it to consume. That there are veins of
steel somewhere in these realms gives gives you no more than a slight twinge of a headache. To be a sorcerer is to learn to accept the seemingly impossible, if not at first glance then at least at the second after all.
"Would you also be interested in nodules of Deep Iron?" one of the other clan elders asks to your surprise after drifting near the negotiation table. They had left the discussions solely to Mountain Heart so far, so you had assumed they were merely observers in the matter for whatever reason. A quick conversation identifies "Deep Iron" as the metal usually refereed to as Cold Iron in mortal legend, the bane of fey creatures and demons both.
What deal do you take for the shipment of Bone and Wood carvings, weapons etc...?
[] Only the Basics: 300,000 lbs. of Common Iron
[] Arcane Additions: 200,000 lbs. of Common Iron and 1000 lbs. of Cold Iron
[] That Which Glitters: 150,000 lbs. of Common Iron and precious metals and gems worth 3000 Gold
[] Write in
OOC: Hopefully proportions are clear above. I felt this trade was too simple for a point-buys deal. Mountain Heart's clan does not yet have access to other exotic materials in meaningful enough quantities to trade.
