RP:Surveying Masbane's Mining Camp.
Summary
Lycidas attends a class with Masbane to properly learn mining techniques, evaluate his camp, and understand the best way to extract metals and gems from the man.
The Evaluation
Lycidas strolled into the large mining encampment, largest in all of Hollow or at least the most well known, on a singular mission. He had come to steal the ore, the jewels, and whatever else he might from the great mineral merchant known as Masbane. A man who was well known through all the lands for his great trade and mountains of metal and today! The death knight would take as much of it as he could and from there, there he’d utilize it to eventually build himself an empire! But first, he needed the wealth of an empire! As he looked about, he began to take in his surroundings, surveying the grounds and taking in the defenses.. He would need a solid understanding of what he’d be up against before he took action.
The camp was large, filled with the coming and goings of miners, which even in the dead of night could be seen clearly with the vast lighting of lanterns and magic. People were coming in with bags and carts of ore, while others were leaving with bags and carts of gold. Neither side of that constant stream seemed disappointed in the choices they were making and the sales they had made. Men stood around guarding those coming and going, making sure they didn’t fall victim to any nearby bandits, of course, once they left the nearby mining settlement, they were on their own. On the tops of the walls, surrounding the encampment were highly dense lamps, searching for anyone who might be attempting to slink around on the outside, magically imbued to project streams of light outwards. Before Masbane’s building, in which the trader made all his deals for ore, was added security, two large brutish ogres holding massive clubs, daring any who tried anything stupid with their boss.
Lycidas approached Masbane’s large building in the back, guarded by the two large ogres, and knocked on the door. The two menacing beasts looked down upon him, judging him by his emotions and reaction if he might be planning anything against their boss. When finally he was beckoned inside, the locks on the other side sliding free for him to enter, the man opened the door and moved inside. The building itself seemed plain upon first glance, unless you’d been inside anything with traps before, and once you began to look you noticed small crossbows aimed at entrances, strings being pulled easily should one of them open without being disarmed first. And it wasn’t just one crossbow per entrance, no instead, four or five sat aimed at each exit. Their purpose was to fold however, for magic seemed to emanate from them, or was it their ammunition? And above each entrance is what looked like oil, perhaps fire based enchants? As his inspection was about to continue, a rough voice interjected, “‘Oi, ain’t got all day, business to conduct, people to see, what’s ya in here ‘bout?” The death knight could only assume, this, was Masbane, the legendary purchaser of ore and most likely the main provider in all the kingdoms. “Ahh, yes, my apologies, I came here to learn how to mine, was that perhap something you still taught?” The dwarf’s fat finger pointed to a note upon the desk in front of him and one behind him, listing his prices for ore and mining lessons. “Place da ten gold on da desk, next class inna half hour. Once it starts ya can join, just prezent yer receipt at the entrance and it’ll get’cha inside, othawise yer gonna have to pay again at the classroom.” The vampire nodded his thanks, placed the gold down upon the table, awaited his receipt and left the room.. Attempting to take further notes of where the ore was going at this point made little sense.. No, instead, he’d make several trips for that information.. The other information he was looking for was the shipping manifest, it’d be helpful to find that as well.
The classroom was small, a handful of people here, each getting ready for their training within the mining encampment. The first part was a classroom instruction, what to look for, what was the proper way to get minerals and ore out of the wall without damaging them, how to evaluate their proper worth. It also went on the best way to swing for ore, the best way to get around, pull out larger pieces and finally, the schooling portion was over and the hands on portion was ready to begin. Bringing the small group of five individuals into the mine, the instructor walked them through the process of mining, giving small corrections here and there, offering advice, and eventually checking people off that they were well skilled within the craft and capable of doing it without further guidance.
Lycidas returned to Mesbane some time later, a few ore in tow and a mining pick broken. The man needed a new one, or at least that was his ruse for coming this way. He stepped inside the office once again, searching for the safe, the manual, and began to take looks here and there for where it might be.. It had to be within this building, there was a back room that lead upstairs? Perhaps in his desk? Maybe he kept it close? He didn’t have a good reason for going upstairs.. Rodent spies? That would be quite a good idea if he could raise the small animals from the dead but there was no way he had that potential yet.. He still needed the necromancer’s guild experience. Lycidas spoke with the merchant for a brief minute, looked about the office, moved within it briefly, looked at the paintings but saw nothing more than what he’d previously seen.. It’d have to be around the desk or upstairs.. “Thank you, the learning was most excellent, and now I shall take my leave to gather further funding.” He bowed to the man and made his way out of the establishment and the camp.