The Pain with Grain (Private)
Feb 18, 2023 18:44:30 GMT -5
Post by Harper Quinlin on Feb 18, 2023 18:44:30 GMT -5
The city of Zeinav was astounding to Harper. The red brick of which the streets and buildings were comprised to the beautiful architecture that swooped and curved as the dunes he'd travelled to reach the city left an impression that he would not soon forget. The most shocking sight had been something smaller, easier to miss. He surmised that the city, its officials and affluents especially, would prefer that the sight be missed or ignored entirely. Poverty. To those with an eye for inequality it was obvious in even the most affluent areas of the town. After speaking to some of the sufferers as well as a few merchants, who were quite hard to convince to say anything at all, he discovered a major soirce of the issues at hand. Two large companies had been lording over the town's grain supplies. While the common folk were suffering difficulty buying luxuries the poorer folk were now starving to death as a result of the price gouging. Of course, this was all being done 'unofficially' to avoid laws that stood against such practices.
Making such affairs public knowlege and providing folks with some power to effect them was Harper's specialty. The government couldn't ignore a problem if the whole town knew they were doing so to its economies detriment...To achieve that end he embarked upon this quest to relieve the two companies' upcoming business meeting of any secrecy it wished to keep.
Before he could intervene he had to gain as much information as he could. The best way to do so he decided was to impersonate a foreign merchant looking to enter into the town's grain market himself. Harper now walked the market streets in the garb common to merchants from Kings Valley. He stood around 5'6, with curly red hair, a mustache, and soul patch adorning his head. He was lithe in form, wore no armaments, and carried himself with an air of dignity. He entered the market with a backpack of "samples" and a miriad of forged documents1 meant to convince those his words and appearance could not.
The market itself was a happy discord, melodies foreing and local chymed alongside one another to create a din of uncouth harmony. The many guests and merchants that milled about spread an assortment of wealth and greetings in languages familiar and strange. Harper himself mingled with this lot speaking first to a grain salesman, hoping he was privy to the plot. The stall was full in stock, looking rich and well kept yet barely a soul had done any business while Harper observed it...
"Greetings, greetings fine sir. Do you own this establishment?" He waved the man over as he approached, taking up a handful of grains and examining them as he spoke.
"I do indeed, finest supply you'll find in the city. Are you looking to purchase anything?" The man replied in curious apprehension.
"No no, I look to make a sale... or, perhaps, a long term deal." He stopped momentarily, cutting the merchant off as he started to reply.
"I come from a farming community out of Kings Valley, in fact I service many such communities as an intermediary of sorts. They like to grow, I like to sell. I've made great efforts in creating a route to this area and with the shortage I hear about I hoped to find an importer for my goods."
The merchant's eyes lit up at the mention of a new importer entering the markets, it was obvious the man was involved in some way. If only he'd say how...
Making such affairs public knowlege and providing folks with some power to effect them was Harper's specialty. The government couldn't ignore a problem if the whole town knew they were doing so to its economies detriment...To achieve that end he embarked upon this quest to relieve the two companies' upcoming business meeting of any secrecy it wished to keep.
Before he could intervene he had to gain as much information as he could. The best way to do so he decided was to impersonate a foreign merchant looking to enter into the town's grain market himself. Harper now walked the market streets in the garb common to merchants from Kings Valley. He stood around 5'6, with curly red hair, a mustache, and soul patch adorning his head. He was lithe in form, wore no armaments, and carried himself with an air of dignity. He entered the market with a backpack of "samples" and a miriad of forged documents1 meant to convince those his words and appearance could not.
The market itself was a happy discord, melodies foreing and local chymed alongside one another to create a din of uncouth harmony. The many guests and merchants that milled about spread an assortment of wealth and greetings in languages familiar and strange. Harper himself mingled with this lot speaking first to a grain salesman, hoping he was privy to the plot. The stall was full in stock, looking rich and well kept yet barely a soul had done any business while Harper observed it...
"Greetings, greetings fine sir. Do you own this establishment?" He waved the man over as he approached, taking up a handful of grains and examining them as he spoke.
"I do indeed, finest supply you'll find in the city. Are you looking to purchase anything?" The man replied in curious apprehension.
"No no, I look to make a sale... or, perhaps, a long term deal." He stopped momentarily, cutting the merchant off as he started to reply.
"I come from a farming community out of Kings Valley, in fact I service many such communities as an intermediary of sorts. They like to grow, I like to sell. I've made great efforts in creating a route to this area and with the shortage I hear about I hoped to find an importer for my goods."
The merchant's eyes lit up at the mention of a new importer entering the markets, it was obvious the man was involved in some way. If only he'd say how...