RP:Linn Over A Barrel

Part of the Rise of Larket Arc

Frostmaw Tavern

Hureig :: War had been thrown upon Frostmaw, and everyone had their duties. The soldiers trained, the smiths repaired weapons and armors, the healers took stock of what they had and searched for what they needed. But what did a merchant do? He sat at a table with scroll upon scroll stacked near his full and untouched mug, his cold stew, and his hunk of bread that had gone stale. Roll after roll, ledger after ledger, a dip of a quill in a bottle of ink that was nestled within a ring of admiring empty ink wells. The Frost Giant worked furiously to find what didn't want to be found, to account for the unaccountable, to find soldiers' pay, coin to give to other markets for goods, bribery money for kingdoms within the war path who were less than scrupulous, but more importantly gold in a land of copper coin. The due diligence was enough to make his eyes crossed, which they did on numerous occasions, but such was the preparations merchants made for war.

Linn pushed his way into the bar perhaps a little heavy of step from exhaustion. While he recently did manage to finally get some rest, he still had a lot left to catch up from what others have been telling him was a week that he spent mostly awake. He made his way to the bar, sitting down for a brief moment as Drargon sent an expectant glance. “Still not feeling the rum?” the giant grumbled out in a morbid jest to the enchanter, who shrugged and shook his head. “Cider will do, if you insist on giving me something so much.” He returned in kind. The order came up fairly quick, after which Linn took the opportunity to survey the occupants of the tavern. And look at that, it was that giant that almost pounded him into a paste before turning face into one of the friendliest people he knew. Miscommunication was quite something! Rising from his seat he walked over to Hureig to sit down across from him, taking a sip from his mug before offering a tired smile. “Is this a good time?”

Hureig looked up from his work, and it took a moment for his tired eyes to register who spoke to him. He tried to smile, but he had spent days and nights at his task, and by the defeated look that battled weariness for dominance of his features, whatever task he had set himself was not an easy one. "Ah! Friend Linn. Of course, of course. Have a seat." He swung his ink smudged hand over the mountain of scrolls to the opposite bench. He even made a valiant attempt to clear a place for him by shoving a mound of ledgers closer to the wall. "I have heard about your skills, and, frankly, they are needed. I know you do not want to fight, and I will not ask you to...but you can still help the cause, if you wanted to."

Linn couldn’t help a weak smile as he found Hureig in a very similar condition to himself. Nothing ever changed in this world; everyone was always having a hard time in one way or another. As he spoke of the need for more help in the war Linn nodded. “It’s my duty to help. If I won’t fight, I’ll just have to build. I’ve spent a lot of time coming up with ideas of things to make while I was imprisoned. A little time to exercise the craft… would be nice. A chance to build rather than destroy. Make something perfect rather than tear it down…” He trailed off before folding his hands together with an anticipatory smile. “So, if you need something with a little magic bound into it in one way or another…” Pausing, he took a long drink of his cider before breaking with a deep sigh. “What will it be?”

Hureig sighed a minuscule amount of relief, an atomic mass' worth of solace. What he required was of the utmost importance and could easily turn the tide of a war when the army began to march. "When I was a prisoner in Larket, Macon seemed to have some sort of thing that poisoned the minds of those around it. I do not know enough about it, and I don't want to take any chances of watering holes and foodstuffs being poisoned along the way." he tossed the quill down in mild aggravation; the free hand rubbed even more ink smudges on his brow. "It is not as if we have the funds to buy all the supplies we need. No, we will have to carry our supplies from Frostmaw to be sure we are properly provisioned. But barrels and crates are heavy, and a supply train able to carry all of what we need will be slow and vulnerable...and that is why I need your help." Now he was begging even if he was smile; he was on his knees even when he was sitting. "We need barrels, crates, satchels, all manner of freight that are lightweight and safe. If you can make a full barrel of water way less than a full coin purse, a full crate of food as light as a plate of food, you may very well be who wins this war."

Linn blinked in recognition as he heard the name ‘Macon’ before nodding. Seems this man was the focus of most of Larket’s problems at the moment. Attentively he listened as Hureig laid out the details of the project, letting out a slight sigh of relief that this wasn’t going to be some war machine, but rather something a little more benevolent, with wider application. “So… transportation tricks. I already know a few things that can help us move heavy objects with little energy, but it doesn’t actually make them weigh less. Something like that might be useful, but not as much as what you speak of. What you ask…” idly he tapped his foot in thought before growing a weak smile. “I know what you’re talking about. I’ve even used such things. I haven’t –made- something like them, but I know it’s not impossible. And once I figure out the trick that makes it work for one barrel… I can use that for everything else.” He couldn’t help a smile at the idea. One trick was all he needed. And then figuring out how to scale it to handle a city’s worth of supplies. Thaaat… he’ll worry about that later.

Hureig finally thrown off the yolk of despair when Linn did not outright say it was an impossibility. He smiled brightly, a beaming, brilliant break from the nigh certainty of bad things to happen. "Any way to lighten the load on our mammoths will be any help." There was a flurry of motion on Hureig's side of the table: a blank scroll was found and unrolled, and the hand that rubbed his brow scratched furiously upon its service. "I am giving you full access to all of the resources of the market. Buy what you need for this project whenever you need it, and I will cover the cost. I am also giving you access to as many barrels and crates as you will need to see this project finished." The scroll was blown dry, rolled, and held over the table for Linn to take. "I would only ask that you keep in mind that every thing you purchase must be paid for, and we only have a finite number of barrels and crates produced so far." Translation: don't go wild on the buying and the breaking of barrels! The frost giant didn't feel he had to give Linn such a subtle direction, not with how friendly and cordial he was at the moment, but some things must be mentioned even among the masters of crafts. "You will be rewarded handsomely if you succeed in this endeavor, even though I have a feeling you won't want to be."

Linn nodded as the mammoths were mentioned. What he knew now wouldn’t be of much help for carrying, and sleds would be awkward going up and down the cliffs, let alone sleds that would have a tendency to slide all over the place… more than they were meant to, anyway. He listened carefully as Hureig outlined the materialistic restrictions of such a project; bulk crafting was no joke, and it was quickly becoming obvious to Linn that he wouldn’t be able to scale the use of the gemstones he loved to work with so much. Well, maybe if he… nah. He’d have to branch out a little to do this right. “Yes, yes. I may need some more valuable things, gemstones and the like, for creating and working with the enchantment itself until I have it figured out. I doubt I’ll be able to use those on the scale we’re speaking of though, but… I’ll figure out that translation once I have something to work with I think.” The tapping of his foot on the floor accelerated before he abruptly took his mug of cider for another swig. “It’s all doable. There’s pieces of this kind of work all over the place. I just need to put them all together.” He blew out a light huff; keep it simple, and it will be simple. Or so he thought, that simplicity was likely to break down quickly, but he didn’t want to worry about that right now.

Hureig nods and hums along Linn's explanation for things. He saw in gems, enchantments, and the physical; Hureig saw the ephemeral and inchoate, the deals, passing of coins, and debt and capital. "I will have mining crews working day and night to provide you with all the gemstones you will need." More flurries of scrolls and ink were made; calculations, promises, and cajoling. "As far as I am concerned, this is the most important task at this very moment. You will be given everything you will need to do your work as quickly as possible."

Linn nodded as Hureig offered the supplies. “And for whoever you have categorizing their stones, tell them to keep anything remotely interesting. You never know what kinds of secrets might rest in some of the duller things down in the ground.” Taking the scroll he weighed it in his hands, this would be every possession he had here, all for Frostmaw. “Very much appreciated, considering I’m kind of lacking my own supplies right now. I’ll have to get those back later.” With the statement he rolled his eyes and took another swig of the cider, muttering something about dragons. “And as far as rewards… we’ll see. I do have to make a living somehow, you know.” He cracked a crooked smile before looking back to the drink and the parchment in his hand. “But first, I think there’s someone I have to see. I know the person who made a few bags similar to this, and she might just prove instrumental to helping me figure this out to make it work for a city. Let’s not waste any time yeah?” With a hopeful grin Linn began to rise from the table, downing the rest of the cider before moving to return it to the bar. And for the first time in a while, he’d even order some stew. It was starting to hit him how hungry he was.

Hureig did not want to be disrespectful, nor did he want to shoo Linn away, so he was relieved of that when Linn became Linny On the Spot. "That scroll only gives you access to all of the market resources. If you feel this person would also help, send her to me. I will give her access as well." The more the merrier in this grand project! If he had not so many things that could fall when he stood, he would have to give proper farewells. But, alas, he was bound to his seat by paperwork, perhaps the first ever bureaucrat within these lands. "I am always at your service, Friend Linn. If using my name doesn't break any barriers you may find in your task, then I will break them with my fists."

Linn smiled and nodded just before he departed to get his food and then go to begin this project of theirs. “I will. Good luck with your own work. We’ll figure it all out from here.” He couldn’t help but crack a grin as he began leaving, wondering what kind of look would appear on Hureig’s face when it became apparent that his unidentified helper would be none other than the one he was looking for the mattress for.