[info]Mini mission!
Max Players: 2
Exp Reward (varies from 50% to 200%): 200[/info]
While wandering through the open market in Ternadan, you note a commotion a short ways ahead. It seems to be a dispute between a customer and a stall merchant.
You arrived at the scene just in time to witness a climax of the outburst. "2 gold!? You're charging so much for workmanship like this!? It's charming, I'll give you that, but it's no masterpiece!" The yelling man was holding a cloak clasp discerningly in front of him. "I'll give you 40 silver for it."
The merchant had a calm demeanor through the initial criticism, but it soon contorted in rage at the offer to pay 20% of the cost of the piece in question. "You dare to look down on my work so much!? If you want a clasp at that price, go to a general store. What I sell is art! This wasn't cast in some mold at a forge! It was shaped by hand! My hand! Are you calling my skill worthless!? The merchant's fists were balled up in anger.
"And what if I am? I've critiqued multiple pieces here, and it's all grossly overpriced! I wouldn't even be surprised if the materials were cheap." The comment was said sharply, and you felt as though something else was going on here. You also felt a sudden aura of blood lust from the vendor at the man's comment.
"You...!"
It was apparent that if someone didn't act fast, there was going to be a fight. A possibly lethal fight.
It was a beautiful day! Lia decided as she randomly waved at passersby while she walked through the markets. People were out and about buying all sorts of things. Even though she had already experienced walking through the markets on her first day back. Being back again in Ternadan, especially the markets, brought a sense of joy to the young elf.
This was her home city after all, and though travelling in the wilds for months or years at a time was something Lia enjoyed, partaking in the silence of nature was completely different than home. Sometimes she would miss the bustle of the city. Among other things too, now that Lia thought about it. She missed things such as the crowds of people, the random pickpockets in said crowds, the bartering between merchants, the loud yelling from the mishandled negotiations, and finally, the prospect of running into a potentially lethal fight!
She nudged her companion.
"Don't look now, but it looks like they're about to kill each other." Strangely, Lia had the same bubbly smile she always had.
"Gosh! No matter how many times I go through the market, there's always something fun and interesting to see!" Sophie thought, as she eye'd the unique, hand-made items. Silly trinkets, useful tools, weapons, and food! Anything you could dream of could be acquired!
Although Mimic hadn't accompanied the maid today (Sophie had learned many lessons about bringing her raven friend around shiny objects), she wasn't alone. Lia, a friendly and according to Sophie , "Extremely adorable elf girl", had come along for the little adventure. Lia wasn't exactly around often, but, knowing the girl was an adventurer - the habit wasn't exactly a surprise. Lia certainly wasn't the only guild mate to disappear for long spans of time. Most would go on missions, some never actually came back. It was something the maid had grown used to. Sophie always made sure that when and if they did return, however, she always had their favorite meals ready, and their rooms clean!
Sophie gently brushed some dust from her dress. She wasn't wearing her usual attire today. Having the day off, Sophie had opted for a cooler garment - A small white sun dress. While she still generally preferred her uniform, some days it actually had to get cleaned.
"Oh?" Sophie directed her attention to the commotion ahead, Lia having mentioned something about killing. The elf wasn't kidding, it looked as if at any moment, the two would jump at each-others throats. Although the tension made her nervous, it was obvious someone needed to step in. "No no, we can't let this happen Lia! It's our duty as a guild to protect people!" Sophie stated. The maid quickly glanced around, before snatching a beautifully made sun-hat beside her. The shop-keeper had no time to react as she quickly made her way to the stand.
Having carefully placed herself beside the fuming men, Sophie smacked her hand against the counter, hoping to draw their attention with the loud bang. "Oh my!" Sophie exclaimed, dramatically bring her hand to her forehead, as if about to faint. "Such craftsmanship!" Seeing as the one starting the commotion still seemed to have the clasp in question, Sophie picked up another at random. "I've never seen something so beautiful in my life! Such work should be in history books!" She complimented the piece passionately. "Ah, yes, I'll be sure to inform the clasp society about this." She nodded to herself, next turning her attention to the shop's keeper. "Sir! I would like to buy this most skillfully crafted clasp, so I may bring it to the society and let them know of your excellence!" The maid told him.
While Sophie was never one to lie, she was one to keep the peace. The maid had little in the way of acting skills, but still gave the performance her all. She did her best not to break the facade, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest. She hoped, if nothing else, the dramatic act would be a momentary distraction and help the men to come to their senses.
[spoiler]Bluff check? :D
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 9, total 9[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]
"Why, yes! Yes!" Lia piped in before the two citizens were able to respond. "The clasp society would love to take a look at those... umm... clasp things." Lia said with her bright grin.
"In fact... I happen to be in this so called clasp society!" She continued to smile, wondering how in the world people like Lyolf pulled these sort of tricks.
"Haha... hahahaha. Yes that's right I'm a member!" She gave the two a thumbs up, stuck out her tongue, and winked.
[info]Bluff.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+4 : 20 + 4, total 24[/blockquote][/info]
[info]Though Lia's bluff is awful, and seen through, it distracts from questioning Sophie's, thus inadvertently aiding her.
Bluff passed!
However, requesting Appraise checks from both of you. The goal is to 1) Understand the actual value and 2) Make any artful insights on the item so as to continue your bluff.[/info]
The customer scoffs, "A society for for clasps?" He looks from Sophie to Lia, the latter of which he immediately dismisses as 'fake'. Then, he shrugs. "I suppose there have been stranger gatherings. But now I question your organization's abilities! How could you consider this artful? Which part of this is 'skillfully crafted'?" He holds it up to Sophie for closer inspection, obviously still in disbelief. "Please, enlighten me, miss 'clasp enthusiast'."
You note, however, that the shop owner seems to have relaxed. Though his expression also seemed to admit to exaggeration, he considered it genuine in some form. But mostly, he recognized you were stepping in before things became messy. His rage had certainly gotten the best of him before you two intervened.
Another thing your mood-changing speech influenced the scene was that both realized that they'd gotten much too heated, especially in front of two young ladies, let alone the crowd. Not wishing to seem any more foolish, they made an effort to simmer down.
Despite the situation, Sophie almost cracked a smile at Lia's attempt to help. Yet, somehow, even with Sophie's overly dramatic performance and Lia's...Well, that silly thing Lia did...The man seemed to believe them...Or, Sophie at least. "Please excuse my apprentice, she gets very excited! As a new member to the society, it is my duty to make sure she sees and learns about as many clasps as possible. Granted, she currently knows little to nothing!" Sophie smiled at Lia, and waved her hand - suggesting the elf come take a closer look.
Sophie really knew nothing about clasp quality. In fact, she had assumed she'd be laughed at and the situation would be over. Surely, she could just give herself up and end it....But, no, for whatever reason, she felt a small hint of pride being part of some big society...Even if it was just for clasps.
Sophie cleared her throat as she took a closer look at the clasp he held in front of her. "Wow..." She said aloud, her reaction genuine. Not because she could truly understand what kind of effort was put into it - She was just easily pleased. "Well..." She thought for a moment, squinting as if to take in the details. "The color is very nice! And the metal itself, so smooth!" She observed. "Even though the design is simple...It's still pleasing to look at. Just because it's complicated looking doesn't make it good! Any clasp enthusiast should know this!" Sophie went on matter-of-factly. "Take a close look Lia!" Sophie gestured for her friend to do so.
She glanced at the shop keeper, before back at the man she was speaking to. Luckily, her plan seemed to have work.
[spoiler]
Appraise check
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 8, total 8[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]
Lia puffed up her cheeks as she glanced at Sophie.
"Why am I the apprentice?" She complained, her voice low and mumbling to herself that she wasn't quite sure if even Sophie heard her. She raised an eyebrow when Sophie mentioned she knew 'little to nothing'.
Oh I see how it is.
Still somewhat cross, when Sophie beckoned her to go forward, Lia did so staring at the item in front of her.
[info]Appraise in next post[/info]"My master doesn't know what she's talking about!" Lia exclaimed. "Any clasp enthusiast would see that the design isn't simple. It may first seem simple, but if you take a look at how the overall shape and design, you would totally figure out it hides a subtle complexity. Gee master."
Lia said as she faced Sophie with a proud but almost mischievous look on her face.
"Maybe I do know a little more than little to nothing."
[info]Appraise
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+0 : 7, total 7[/blockquote][/info]
[info]Appraise results:
Sophie: You can tell that the piece, in fact, IS poor quality. Though the offered 40 silver certainly is too low, the original 5 gold price tag is absurd. The only reason you'd say it's worth a gold is due to the quality of the materials; those, at least, are decent.
As far as design, you could tell he'd been attempting something interesting, but couldn't follow through on the idea, covering it up into a more simple design. Mechanically, it would still work, but it certainly wasn't an article to brag about, were you the owner.
Lia: You would definitely say that the piece is overpriced, but it wasn't that bad. You'd place it at around 2 gold as far as worth.
The design had some interesting bits to it. It looked plain at first, but had spots that drew your attention and deepened your initial impression. You honestly believed your own appraising words, it was a simple piece, with complexity.[/info]
"Hmph! Foolish speech. And you dare talk down to me? I, myself, am an accomplished jeweler. While passing by, I saw this man's work and the prices associated with them. The absurdity of it all enraged me, as I saw it as a mockery of my profession. that is not metalwork, this is!" The man drew a piece from his pocket, another clasp. This one was silver, shaped like a lily, and set with five slivers of garnet to look like the stamen of the flower in the center. It's shape was realistic, and even without appraisal you could tell it was a quality piece. Seeing your shock, he smiled. "This is art. Tell me, based on what you've seen here, and his prices, what do you think this is worth?"
At this point, the vendor had his eyes on the newly presented item. You wouldn't say his face was pale, but it was definitely not a pleased expression.
[info]Make another Appraise roll BEFORE you write, which I will respond to like I did above. RP continues after my response. I want to make sure you actually have an answer to his question haha.[/info]
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 4, total 4[/blockquote]
[info]Appraise!
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+0 : 6, total 6[/blockquote][/info]
[info]Sophie:
You would say that the piece is worth 50 gold.
Lia:
You would say the piece is worth 100 gold.[/info]
Sophie held back a grin at Lia's response. She'd have to apologize later for her words.
Sophie looked at the item in awe. It really was beautiful! The petals seemed so realistic - Whoever had created this obviously put a lot of hard work into it.
The maid could tell her performance was nearing its end. It was unlikely she'd be able to trick him for much longer, in fact, she wasn't sure if she would be able to handle the pressure. But, seeing as she'd gone this far, it seemed pointless to not at least make an attempt at the pricing. She took a slow few moments to take it all in, a hand at her chin as she contemplated what its worth might be.
"I'd say, about 50 gold!" Sophie guessed. She crossed her arms, taking a confident pose.
"Nu uh Master Sophie!" Lia said as she put a discerning eye to the trinket.
"It's at least twice that price. Look at how the silver gently caresses the slivers of garnet, as the silver tips reach out in a natural and exquisite way. It's as if nature itself has been captured by this clasp. Truly a fitting piece to admire for the clasp society. Even I, a most amazing apprentice, can tell the craftsmanship is worth at least 100 gold pieces."
"BUT!" Lia exclaimed as she moved forward and pointed at the first piece, the one that was worth a couple pieces of gold.
"Even this has a quality to it! It may not be as shiny or exquisite as yours my good sir, but can't you see it's charm?" Lia proceeded to put on an air of authority.
"This piece just oozes out a potential in its creator. Can't you see the work put into it? Can't you almost feel the fires of the forge as intricate tools slowly mold it, carve it, and shape it into the form you see now?" Lia moved her hands as she explained, being energetic and animated as she raised her voice in excitement.
"Your piece is akin to a noble who already is living in wealth and luxury. While that has a particular beauty to it, this more raw piece isn't tarnished to be as such. It's as if it was an underdog hero trying to move up in the ranks, or the aspirations of a simple soldier trying to be more."
Lia exhaled as if to release all the built up excitement.
"My master saw this from the get-go, the simpleness like that of the soldier who, struggling against his lot, would one day prove himself and become a hero. And there, my good sir, is where its complexity lies!" She paused again to build up the dramatic effect.
"And likewise, where it's beauty truly lay."
[info]Diplomacy to help the customer see the light!
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20-2 : 9 - 2, total 7[/blockquote][/info]
The man had seemed so prepared to answer, confident he would prevail in the verbal debate, with the momentum in his favor. But nothing could have prepared him for the impassioned rant of the seemingly-unknowledgeable Lia. There was no stopping the flood-like prose of fiery praise that poured from her mouth.
It...
IT WAS...
The man gritted his teeth, "UTTER NONSENSE!!!" The roar bellowed from the depths of his being. "Worth in the toils of its creator? Complexity from its simplicity? That's only if the quality is decent! The only gain from such a thing goes to the creator them self, not the buyers." He pocketed his piece. "I commend your speech, it was spoken like a true merchant; like an artist and jeweler. But your praise is misplaced, your eyes blinded by trickery."
He notes off to the side, "And you were both wrong, the worth of the silver lily is 25 gold. It seems your master truly knows better after all, though I am left disappointed either way."
"My point this entire time is that this merchant is taking advantage of the unwary and unknowledgeable, and charging far too much for his work! He has skill, but not enough for these prices. And the worst part is, he knows it! And so, I want him to answer for these misdeeds and change his ways." The man whirls back toward the merchant, "This con artist must- huh?"
The merchant was gone, along with his goods. At least from the stall. A couple seconds more of searching, and you can see him making his way through the crowd is a secretive manner.
"Halt! Stop that man!"
[info]You still have a chance to subdue him, or you can choose to let him go, or even aid in the escape. The choice is yours!
For subdue, roll for a combat maneuver (CMB check) to pin or trip (unless you wish to use magic).[/info]
Sophie listened in awe as her "apprentice", gave it her all in describing the clasp. It was quite the improvement, compared to her act during the beginning of their encounter. Sophie gave a small, excited clap as Lei's speech came to an end. However, before she could even utter a bravo, the man let out a yell that sent chills down the maid's spine.
Once the stranger had finished explaining his side of things, Sophie began to feel a small hint of guilt. Maybe she had been on the wrong side the whole time?
"Halt! Stop that man!"
The shop keeper was well on his way out of the market, clasps in hand. Sophie had no intention of following, though, finding herself unable to handle the stress of being something she wasn't. "Uwah! I can't do this!" Sophie exclaimed, covering her face in shame. "I'm not from the clasp society! I don't know anything about clasps or jewelry! Please forgive me, I just didn't want anyone to get hurt!"
As her speech finished, Sophie felt a light tap on her shoulder. She quickly turned to find the shop keeper from a couple stands over, her hand held out, the other on her hip. "I'm sooo sorry!!!" Sophie quickly removed the sun hat from her head, returning it to its rightful owner. The shop keeper simply mumbled as she shuffled away. "Great, now I'm a liar and a thief. " Sophie thought with a sigh.
She didn't quite understand why the shopkeeper wanted to run. But she at least called out to him.
"The clasp society would have bought your trinket!" She called out, but shortly after hushed down as she grabbed Sophie's arm as she realized Sophie was confessing.
"Master!" She turned towards the merchant who actually knew his stuff.
"I think my master is just tired from the... hmm.. hot sun today!" She grinned as she gave the merchant a thumbs up. She then placed her mouth near Sophie's ear and began to whisper fiercely.
"We're sooo caught! Let's just walk away?" She suggested, but before Sophie could respond, in a louder voice for the merchant to hear, Lia followed up.
"I must take my master to rest! Yes!" She began to laugh nervously.
[info]Bluff:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+4 : 4 + 4, total 8[/blockquote][/info]
The man stopped momentarily, sneering and making a 'tch' sound. He did not even spare a word, between the confessing Sophie, and the continued attempts at bluffing from Lia. To struggle to understand the situation would prevent him from chasing after the merchant before him.
Without a moment more of hesitation, the man dashed into the crowd, chasing after his mark. And so you are left in the aftermath of a stripped stall and a very confused crowd. Lia's attempted bluffing fell on deaf and non-believing ears, and Sophie's confession to the whole thing being an act dispelled the ruse altogether. However, you could see many that were glad it had not come to bloodshed. In fact, most of the surrounding crowd was grateful for your actions. The one exception was the hatter/haberdasher from whom you'd 'borrowed' the hat. Of course, he'd suspected thievery almost immediately, but seeing that it was just an act, along with how apologetic Sophie was, made amends. With a little more time to dwell on it, he felt it was almost like advertising for his shop.
With the event dispersed, and the duo of merchants off somewhere in the distance, you both were now left to the rest of your day in the market, to do whatever task you'd wandered there to accomplish.
[info]Mission complete!
Base experience: 200
Creativity multiplier: 150%
Total Experience gained per person: 300 experience[/info]
The day had soon ended with both Lia and Sophie finishing their shopping. For the most part Lia enjoyed the outing with the maid. Sophie was the guild maid for many years now. Even before Lia went off on her journey that last three years, Sophie was one who cleaned up the entire hall and took care of many of the chores around the guild. When the day ended with both the elven archer and maid going their separate ways, Lia had quickly scampered off to retrieve one last particular thing.
That was just about a couple hours ago and Lia found herself in front of Sophie's room in the guild's dormitories. It was already turning to be late evening, but likely the maid was just getting ready to turn in for the night. She knocked first, but ever one to be careless and impatient she pushed the door wide open anyways.
"Sophie!" Lia exclaimed.
"Look what I got you!" She pulled out what looked to be a sun-hat, the very same one Sophie had stolen and worn earlier that day. She pulled out a second one as well that looked just like the first.
"Do you know what this means?" Lia asked playfully as she plopped on Sophie's bed handing her one of the hats, and wearing the other at the same time.
"The Lia & Sophie Adventures, Part Two: Revenge of the Clasp Society!" The archer couldn't help but grin.
As expected, Sophie had been setting herself up for bed. Having already gotten into her pajamas, she was surprised to hear a knock at the door. Before the maid could even respond, a familiar face popped in. Sophie placed her hands on her hips, giving the elf a disapproving look. However, she cracked a smile soon after. "Lia! Don't you know what the point of knocking is?" She joked.
Sophie watched curiously as her elven friend dug through a bag, before pulling out what looked to be the sun hat from earlier. Lia then proceeded to pull out another, nearly identical hat. Sophie smiled brightly, doing the same as Lia and placing the hat she'd been given on her own head.
"Part two?" Sophie laughed. "I could hardly handle part one!"
The friends chatted for a small time after that, the two making up stories of their clasp society, and other encounters related to it. Eventually Sophie sent Lia on her way, needing to sleep before work started the next morning.